British holidaymakers have been left confused by the government’s advice after international leisure travel became legal again on 17 May.
Foreign travel has opened up in England under a traffic light system, with countries classified as green, amber or red and given restrictions to match based on the risk of importing coronavirus infections back into the UK.
While the Department for Travel has warned Brits against visiting amber and red destinations for “leisure” purposes, a government minister has said it is fine to travel to an amber country “to see friends”.
Here’s everything you need to know about whether travel to red and amber countries is allowed.
Do I need to prove I have an essential reason to visit an amber or red country?
Not necessarily. As of 17 May, the UK government no longer stipulates that you need to show evidence of an “essential” reason in order to go abroad (such as for work or buying a house), regardless of whether the destination you’re travelling to is green, amber or red. However, the destination you’re planning on travelling to might require this depending on what their current entry regulations are: check the latest rules on the Foreign Office (FCDO) destination pages.
Is it illegal to visit amber or red countries for a holiday?
No. While the government is advising against holidaying in any country not on the green list, recreational international travel is no longer illegal in England. Guidance is not the same as law. The Department for Transport has advised travellers that they “should not be travelling to ‘amber’ and ‘red’ countries for leisure”, but there are no fines or penalties issued for going against this advice.
What does the Foreign Office advice say?
Confusingly, the DfT advice is separate from the guidelines issued by the FCDO. Prior to the “green list” announcement, the FCDO updated its guidance to say it was no longer advising against non-essential travel to several tourist destinations: Portugal (excluding the Azores); Spain’s Canary Islands; the Greek islands of Rhodes, Kos, Zante, Corfu and Crete; and Malta.
Minister says travel allowed to ‘amber’ countries to ‘visit friends’
Will my travel insurance count if a country is red or amber?
It’s usually the FCDO advice that determines whether your travel insurance will be invalidated or not. If it advises against all non-essential travel to your destination, your insurance won’t cover you (unless you’ve bought a specialist policy); if it doesn’t, you should still be covered. This isn’t exactly linked to the “green list”, as explained above – Corfu is rated amber, but is exempt from the blanket travel advisory, for example. It’s worth checking the FCDO guidance and the small print of your policy to find out what exactly is covered; in any case, many insurance providers now have built-in loopholes for when coronavirus restrictions impact your holiday.
What have government ministers said?
When he first announced the lists, transport secretary Grant Shapps said that red list countries are “those which should not be visited except in the most extreme of circumstances”. He also made it clear that amber countries should not be visited for “leisure purposes”.
Prime minister Boris Johnson said on 18 May that Britons should not be going on holiday to amber list destinations.
However, it followed the environment secretary George Eustice stoking further confusion about the travel rules by saying the amber list was for people who “feel they need to travel either to visit family or friends”.
World news in pictures
Show all 50
“They can travel to those countries but they then have to observe quarantine when they return and have two tests after returning,” he told BBC Radio Four’s Today programme.
“People can travel to those areas but they then have to subject themselves to the quarantine requirements.”
Are tour operators offering holidays to amber list destinations?
Most of the big operators, such as Tui, are only taking holidaymakers to green list destinations at present. But airlines are operating flights to a number of amber list countries, including Barcelona, Tenerife and Alicante in Spain, and Miami and Philadelphia in the US.
If you’re booked to visit an amber country and want to cancel, many travel companies and airlines currently offer flexible rebooking terms, such as switching dates or destination. Check with your holiday provider to see what your options are.
