Summary of updates to international travel, October 2021

As trailed in my Oral Statement on 20 September, as of the 4 Oct, we have:

• changed the website traffic mild procedure with a one crimson checklist and simplified vacation actions for
  qualified arrivals from the rest of the earth primarily based on passengers’ vaccination standing
• eliminated the need for qualified thoroughly vaccinated passengers to choose a pre-departure
  test, furnishing that they are arriving into England from a non-pink listing nation or territory and
  have not been to a purple listing region or territory in the final 10 days – the Devolved
  Administrations have also aligned on this policy

We have also manufactured the pursuing alterations in regard of intercontinental journey:

Lateral flow products for arrival checks

From 4am on 24 October, arrivals into England who are considered fully vaccinated, alongside with most below 18s, who have not been in a purple listing place in the past 10 times will be ready to acquire a lateral move take a look at on or just before working day 2 of their arrival, alternatively of a PCR test. This transform will minimize the costs of tests in time for travellers returning from fifty percent-time period breaks and these tests can be booked from 22 October.

Passengers will want to get a image of their lateral circulation test result and send out it back to their
non-public tests provider for verification. Any one who checks favourable will need to self-isolate and just take a cost-free NHS confirmatory PCR test.

Red record evaluate

The authorities has done the initially assessment of the crimson listing underneath our new and simplified program of intercontinental vacation. As of 4am on Monday 11 October, 47 nations around the world which include South Africa, Brazil, Mexico and Thailand were taken out from the purple record.

Specified the achievements of the vaccination programme in the United kingdom and the most current proof of variants throughout the planet, such as the actuality that the Delta variant is now dominant in many nations as it is in the United kingdom, we have been able to substantially decrease the crimson list. Having said that, we keep on being involved about the existence of Mu and Lambda variants in the modest selection of nations around the world we have stored on the purple list. We will preserve this checklist less than review.

The subsequent 7 international locations and territories now make up the pink listing:

• Colombia
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Haiti
• Panama
• Peru
• Venezuela

All passengers arriving into England from a purple record place, or individuals who have been in a crimson listing nation or territory in the previous 10 times, will have to quarantine at a managed quarantine services facility for 10 times on their arrival in England, Smart Business.

Enlargement of the inbound vaccination policy

As of 4am on Monday 11 Oct, we also expanded our inbound vaccination plan to involve suitable entirely vaccinated passengers who have not been in a red listing nation in the 10 days in advance of their arrival into England, to the under nations around the world:

• Albania
• Bahamas
• Bangadesh
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Colombia
• Egypt
• Ghana
• Grenada
• Hong Kong
• India
• Jamaica
• Jordan
• Kenya
• Kosovo
• Maldives
• Moldova
• Morocco
• Nigeria
• North Macedonia
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Serbia
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Turkey
• Ukraine
• Vietnam

In addition, we have expanded the plan to a more established of countries and territories which were being eradicated from the purple listing at this critique:

• Brazil
• Chile
• Ga
• Indonesia
• Montenegro
• Namibia
• The Philippines
• South Africa
• Thailand

Our inbound vaccination plan now covers about 100 countries and territories, and suitable fully vaccinated travellers will be handled the similar as all those vaccinated in the British isles. Eligible completely vaccinated passengers who have not been in a crimson checklist place in the 10 times ahead of their arrival into England will no for a longer period will need to just take a pre-departure exam right before their departure, a article-arrival check on working day 8 or self-isolate on their arrival. This now consists of UN workers and volunteers vaccinated as component of the United Nations vaccine rollout.

Clinical trial participants

From the stop of Oct, we will also recognise as absolutely vaccinated folks collaborating in
COVID-19 vaccine medical trials from nations around the world and territories together with Japan, Canada, Australia and the EU, delivered they can offer suitable evidence of their participation. This is in recognition of their essential perform in serving to to deal with the virus and builds on the agreements built at the meetings with G7 counterparts that I chaired in May well and September this yr.

Acceptance of Uk pre-departure take a look at certification by way of the EU Digital COVID Certification

As of 4am on Monday 11 Oct, non-vaccinated passengers arriving into England are allowed to current proof of a adverse pre-departure examination through the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC), in both paper or electronic formats.

Adjustments to FCDO travel assistance

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Advancement Business (FCDO) has lifted its advice against all but essential vacation for over 80 nations and territories. The adjust signifies folks will be in a position to travel to a much larger variety of places with greater simplicity.

The FCDO will no longer recommend from vacation to non-purple record nations around the world on COVID-19 grounds, besides in excellent conditions this sort of as if the nearby health care program is confused. Several travel insurance companies use FCDO vacation guidance as a reference level in their policies – commonly excluding protect for sites in which authorities advises towards crucial journey, nonetheless people will now be in a position to invest in travel insurance plan for a wider range of destinations throughout the world.

The FCDO will go on to suggest in opposition to all but crucial travel for all red record nations around the world and
territories, where the possibility to British travellers is ‘unacceptably high’.

While general public health and fitness is a devolved make any difference, the governing administration will work intently with the devolved
administrations on any changes to intercontinental vacation and aims to make sure a whole British isles solution.