Here are the 12 countries and territories on the travel Green List

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• david says:

  8 May8 May 06:24

  Hour long queue’s, fights for refunds, last minute gov changes, over inflated last minute flights. I will be staying in UK.

  • Track says:

    8 May8 May 08:24

    Exactly. This bingo not worth it until they implement more normal regime and put automatic gates back!

    The only reason to change destination is a warm sea, and that is not available until July August basically. I have to say 1+ year off travelling tempered the addiction.

    There is nothing to look forward en route, no First class lounges and meals, only sweaty crowds and increased risk of serious infection, even if one is vaccinated.

• SydneySwan says:

  8 May8 May 06:38

  I have always wanted to visit the South Sandwiches. Any news if BA or Ryanair will be putting on any flights? Be great if Ryanair included them in their current 14.99 sale.

  • Vinz says:

    8 May8 May 10:41

    I’m sure. I think Easyjet is running a sale to fly there and Saint Helena. Just booked mine!

    • SydneySwan says:

      11 May11 May 01:51

      Ah Easyjet. I overlooked them. The South Sandwiches are an awful long way in an A319 / A320 / A321.

• Stephen Eaves says:

  8 May8 May 06:47

  Have a holiday booked on the 25 th may to Israel. What are my chances of going. Thank you in advance for your comments

  • Rhys says:

    8 May8 May 08:43

    Unlikely. Currently only fully vaccinated tour groups being allowed in.

  • Tracey says:

    8 May8 May 16:11

    If you are fully vaccinated + 2 weeks, you stand more of a chance. At the moment you also need to have a first degree relative living there, but that could be relaxed in the coming weeks/ months.

• Tom says:

  8 May8 May 07:01

  First (and second) ever U.K. domestic holidays for us booked for June and August, respectively.
  Despite travelling overseas multiple times per year pre-pandemic, being somewhat travel obsessed, young(ish) and fully vaccinated, my partner and I have no desire whatsoever to pay over the odds for a mediocre holiday in the Algarve amid hideous queues, face-mask police, and the worry of the wind changing direction and the ‘green’ list being amended mid-holiday.
  Each to their own, and I wish nothing but happy holidays to all – wherever you go – but our feet will remain happily on terra firma in the U.K. this year I think!

  • Track says:

    8 May8 May 08:30

    Bingo! Nothing like PT being moved to a red list mid-holiday and you have to shell out 1.7k pp for a Hounslow quarantine, where a hotel will be blocking your Deliveroo..

    Not that Red list is that unlikely to happen given there will always be flow of people into PT from Brazil and Africa, people need to visit their families, return back to jobs, etc.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      8 May8 May 09:37

      The list won’t be amended for 3 weeks and will go on a watchlist before so there shouldn’t be any surprises.

      But agree with the rest.

      • Track says:

        8 May8 May 11:31

        Last year’s experience with this has been horrendous — if memory helps, they were announcing on like Thurs/Friday that any one coming after 12:01 AM Monday…

        They have done is with France etc.

        • Margaret says:

          8 May8 May 20:38

          I flew to Majorca last year at the end of July. When we boarded it was fine, but before we’d touched doen in Palma it was a mandatory quarantine on return. At least they aren’t doing it with immediate effect. I added a few more days there to our holiday as it was really lovely and very safe.

• The Lord says:

  8 May8 May 07:12

  When does the 3 week review take place and when is it implemented?
  When going to an amber country do you need to book your day 2 and 8 tests before you leave the UK or before you return to the UK? Wondering what happens if you are in an amber country which then turns green while away.

  • meta says:

    8 May8 May 07:18

    The review will take place every 3 weeks, but we will be given more notice (one week has been suggested?). Tests need to be booked before return to the UK, so if country turns green while away then you don’t have to purchase them.

    • UCBerkeley says:

      8 May8 May 07:23

      Except green unfortunately doesn’t mean “no testing required.” (Annoying, as they should at the very least allow the vaccinated people to travel unrestricted).

      • TGLoyalty says:

        8 May8 May 09:38

        The view is that You can still bring a vaccine evading VOC to the U.K.

        Perhaps things will change in July.

• Will says:

  8 May8 May 07:23

  Any mention of whether red list transits are still red list? Imagine Singapore air does well with all those kiwis and Aussies looking to move to uk 😎

  • David says:

    8 May8 May 08:23

    Will have little impact, as Australians in most instances are not allowed to leave The country.

    • John says:

      8 May8 May 15:25

      Australians moving to the UK have been allowed to leave without any issues. Even if they are only “moving” for 3 months. You can also “escape” via New Zealand (currently not if coming from Sydney) although it is illegal to do this in Australian law – but if you stay away for 3 or more months you can probably manufacture an excuse

  • David says:

    8 May8 May 08:25

    And red list transits if it involves a change of aircraft, or new people getting on board are still prohibited.

    • Will says:

      8 May8 May 10:47

      Anyone know if any Qatar connections qualify? How do we know? May have to give up a gold plated redemption and purchase for nzd5300 one way in sing air!!

      • TGLoyalty says:

        8 May8 May 10:59

        No they don’t qualify as you have to deplane and enter the airport on all Qatar connections.

• TimM says:

  8 May8 May 08:07

  Vaccinations count for nothing when entering the UK. A little over a year ago, the advice, not law, for those returning from overseas and had symptoms was to self-isolate but not to contact their GP and not to telephone 111. No tests were available. Now I am vaccinated, when I return from my house in Greece, I must have a pre-flight test, self-isolate regardless and have two post-flight PCR tests, all at my own expense when the only purposes are:
  1) for the Government to appear to be very cautious
  2) to encourage people to holiday in the UK instead – to boost the domestic economy
  3) to collect data on us (hence PCR lab tests instead of lateral flow) at our own expense and for the profit of private contractors.

  I am all for sailing to the South Sandwich Islands, but I doubt I would come back.

  • meta says:

    8 May8 May 09:34

    Number 2 on your list is the main reason. Even if people don’t spend on accommodation/holiday in the UK, they are counting on people spending more time outdoors and spending in restaurants and pubs. Except if the weather is miserable and it backfires…

    • Lady London says:

      8 May8 May 13:49

      I like No 3. to line the pockets of MP’s chums.

      Absolutely scandalous the ripoff compulsory test pricing restricting to buying from only these corrupt individuals’ “pet” suppliers.

      • Novice says:

        8 May8 May 14:24

        Add to that the fact that the labs are not cleaning machines properly etc so a lot of tests are giving false results because of all the contamination and it’s just mind-boggling why anyone would want to get tested.

        Sometimes, I’m happy to have OCD; I’ve been okay and not been in any risky situation at all during this pandemic and my life hasn’t changed much except the travelling aspect.

        By now, everyone knows what to do it’s not rocket science, it was never hard to begin with and I’m saying this as a person who has been washing hands, not getting up close in the space of strangers for years. The only difference is masks but get a decent Airinum mask and you will be just fine added bonus no inhaling the air pollution when out and about.

        I do think a lot of decisions are being made politically and not scientifically. They blame the scientists but it’s a fact that risks are low in open air/ decent mask/ hands washed.

        They need to stop this asking for tests BS and let vaccinated people live their life as we only get 1 life can’t waste it waiting.

      • meta says:

        8 May8 May 14:40

        @ Lady London but if you think about number 2, that means more taxes paid and more money to give out to private contractors…And we lecture other countries about corruption…

        • Lady London says:

          8 May8 May 19:26

          Precisely. That’s why it’s all so ridiculous and unfair.

          Though TBH I can think of many countries still with considerably higher levels of corruption. And we have things like PACE, that protects the rights of people who do get into trouble, whereas places like the US don’t seem to.

• JAC says:

  8 May8 May 08:09

  Would the start of the EURO 2020 result in more countries being put on the green list? London is hosting several games including the semi and the final. Would UEFA accept that only British fan can support their team in the stadium while people holding tickets cant attend as they first have to sit 10 days in quarantine?

  While I m happy to further postpone my return to the UK, my car tax is up for renewal this month and I m not sure I can renew without having done first an MOT (which would mean returning to the UK). I dont fancy travelling to the UK just for an MOT as it would involve 20 days quarantine …Does anybody have an idea what are the options: Do a SORN and continue driving (but of course not on any UK roads)? Try to renew without having a valid MOT? Is my insurance invalidated without paying car tax / having an MOT?

  • dgsupersonic says:

    8 May8 May 08:29

    Some garages do provide collect and return MOT/service. You cannot renew tax without MOT being current. It is checked during payment.

    • dgsupersonic says:

      8 May8 May 08:31

      You can do test to release so it would be 5 days quarantine, not 20.

  • Graeme says:

    8 May8 May 08:40

    No-one has tickets now – UEFA have been refunding. Certainly the national FA tickets they have been.

    • lumma says:

      8 May8 May 08:56

      Not true, only ticket holders for Dublin and Bilbao have had their tickets refunded automatically so far, although anyone who wanted to could ask for a refund up until a few weeks back

      • Michael C says:

        8 May8 May 09:08

        Bilbao also had the option of swapping to Seville (new host city)

        • Doug M says:

          8 May8 May 09:38

          I think it’s 30% capacity. So few actual tickets available.

      • Doug M says:

        8 May8 May 09:36

        But they’ve also been offering the chance to have any tickets refunded. Hard to see any games having large crowds, but who knows.

        • Alex Sm says:

          8 May8 May 10:55

          St Petersburg is doing 50%

  • Travel Strong says:

    8 May8 May 10:06

    Sounds like you and your UK taxed/insured car are abroad right now long term, if so that rules out the things like getting someone else to run it to the MOT (like you could if this was on your drive still) – but also raises the question about your insurance validity overall, as you may be limited to XX days out of the UK – check your policy wording.

    Letting tax expire and not SORNing will auto-generate a warning and then a fine if you don’t either SORN or tax immediately – so just don’t go there.

    The system will not let you renew Tax if your MOT is due to expire in 1-2 months time – but it will let you renew for a full year if your MOT has more than this left on it, potentially creating a time of ‘tax but no MOT’.

    Insurance invalid on road when SORN or No Tax No MOT.

    Unless excluded in your policy wording (and it may be) insurance will sometimes cover things like theft/damage whilst stored off road and SORN, but not on-road claims as its not allowed on the road, and probably not off road claims whilst ‘stored off road’ away from home in another country!

    On road claims if you have ‘tax but no MOT’ is a grey area. Millions of motorists are unknowingly in this category every year, as there is no MOT reminder and insurers and police are lenient/understanding to the point of not caring – so long as the vehicle is taxed. It would likely come down to investigation as to whether the vehicle was roadworthy and whether the lack of MOT contributed to any accident in the event of a collision claim.

    • Jac says:

      8 May8 May 12:20

      Thanks for the replies. Yes both me and the car are now (long term) abroad. My insurance policy allows me to be outside the country but dont see how i can get MOT / Car tax done. As UK borders remain closed, i m flying tomorrow to Dubai for biz so wont be using the car. I believe i can travel back to england while the car is SORNed as long as i drive it to have it MOTed and should be covered by insurance on this trip I assume. But with current rules, i would first have to spend 10 days outside the UK to avoid hotel quarantine while (one week) quarantining (plus 2 test) after coming back from Dubai, then 10 days quarantine (plus 2 more test) in the UK and then another 10 days quarantine and 2 more test when going back to Europe… a lot of testing and isolating while I m already a few months fully vaccinated and wont have any risky contacts…

  • Lady London says:

    8 May8 May 13:56

    It’s doable. SORN your car if you need to. You are allowed on the road without MOT if you are travelling directly to a pre-booked MOT appointment. So as to be clear this is all you’re on the road for pre-MOT I’d book it near the port.

    Keep evidence and if your insurance would expire meanwhile watch your postbox for tickets so as to get them cancelled if a camera gets you ticketed. I can’t remember what the insurance situation is.

  • GeorgeJ says:

    8 May8 May 18:27

    Jac,
    You only need UK road tax to drive in the UK. However it is likely to be a condition of your insurance that you have tax and where necessary, an MOT. During the pandemic some insurers have recognised the problem and agreed that cover can continue in unusual circumstances.
    I had this problem myself earlier in the year and Axa (my insurers on a policy that recognised I would use the car extensively on the continent) confirmed that they would permit an extension of cover if I was unable to return, however they recommended having an inspection carried out in accordance with my host countries recommendations (ie an MOT equivalent). It was quite sensible and pragmatic. In the end I brought the car back and quarantined but that was because I wanted to return for other reasons.
    You shouldn’t do a SORN if you have the car outside the UK as it is both against the rules for a SORN (you should declare it permanently exported and re-register [easy some places, impossible in some, pricy in others]) and itself would invalidate most insurance cover.
    First check with your insurers what options they will give you.

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