Red, amber, green lists: check the rules for travel to England from abroad
Countries listed as red, amber or green for coronavirus (COVID-19) and the rules you must follow for travel to England.
Applies to England
Changes to international travel rules
From 4am Monday 4 October 2021, the rules for international travel to England will change from the red, amber, green traffic light system to a single red list of countries and simplified travel measures for arrivals from the rest of the world. The rules for travel from countries and territories not on the red list will depend on your vaccination status.
If you arrive in England before 4 October, you must follow the current rules. This means you must book and take any COVID-19 tests you need and follow the quarantine rules that are in place at the time you arrive in England.
Travel from the rest of the world if you are fully vaccinated
From 4am Monday 4 October, you will qualify as fully vaccinated if you are vaccinated either:
- under an approved vaccination programme in the UK, Europe, USA or UK vaccine programme overseas
- with a full course of the Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or Janssen vaccines from a relevant public health body in Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan or the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Formulations of the 4 listed vaccines, such as AstraZeneca Covishield, AstraZeneca Vaxzevria and Moderna Takeda, qualify as approved vaccines.
You must have had a complete course of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before you arrive in England.
Where 2 doses of a vaccine are required for a full course, you will be able to:
- mix 2 different types of vaccine, for example Oxford/AstraZeneca and Moderna
- have the 2 vaccinations under 2 different approved programmes, for example Australia and Japan, UK and USA, EU and Canada
Until 4 October, mixed vaccines are only permitted if you are vaccinated under the UK, Europe, USA or UK overseas vaccination programme.
The rules for fully vaccinated people will also apply if you are either:
- under 18 and resident in the UK or one of the listed countries or territories with approved vaccination programmes
- taking part in an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial in the UK, Australia, Canada or the USA
If you qualify as fully vaccinated you will have to:
- book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test – to be taken after arrival in England
- complete your passenger locator form – any time in the 48 hours before you arrive in England
- take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 after you arrive in England
Under the new rules, you will not need to:
- take a pre-departure test
- take a day 8 COVID-19 test
- quarantine at home or in the place you are staying for 10 days after you arrive in England
You must be able to prove that you have been fully vaccinated (plus 14 days) with a document (digital or paper-based) from a national or state-level public health body that includes, as a minimum:
- forename and surname(s)
- date of birth
- vaccine brand and manufacturer
- date of vaccination for every dose
- country or territory of vaccination and/or certificate issuer
If your document from a public health body does not include all of these, you must follow the non-vaccinated rules. If not, you may be denied boarding.
If you are fully vaccinated in the USA, you will also need to prove that you are a resident of the USA.
If you are fully vaccinated, but do not qualify under these fully vaccinated rules, you must follow the non-vaccinated rules.
Travel from the rest of the world if you are not fully vaccinated
From 4am Monday 4 October, you must follow these rules if you:
- do not qualify under the fully vaccinated rules
- are partially vaccinated
- are not vaccinated
Before you travel to England you must:
- take a pre-departure COVID-19 test – to be taken in the 3 days before you travel to England
- book and pay for day 2 and day 8 COVID-19 tests – to be taken after arrival in England
- complete your passenger locator form – any time in the 48 hours before you arrive in England
After you arrive in England you must:
- quarantine at home or in the place you are staying for 10 days
- take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8
You may be able to end quarantine early if you pay for a private COVID-19 test through the Test to Release scheme.
Travel from red countries
From 4am Monday 4 October, you must follow these rules if you are:
- fully vaccinated
- partially vaccinated
- not vaccinated
If you have been in a country or territory on the red list in the last 10 days, you will only be allowed to enter the UK if you are a British or Irish national or you have residence rights in the UK.
Before you travel to England, you must:
- take a pre-departure COVID-19 test – to be taken in the 3 days before you travel to England
- book a quarantine hotel package, including 2 COVID-19 tests
- complete your passenger locator form – any time in the 48 hours before you arrive in England
When you arrive in England, you must quarantine in a managed hotel, including 2 COVID-19 tests.
This page tells you about the COVID-19 rules for travel to England. It lists countries and territories as red, amber or green and explains the different rules for each list.
Use this page to check:
- which list a country or territory is on – red, amber or green
- the ‘travel to England’ rules that apply for the countries and territories on each list
You can read separate guidance on what you need to do to travel abroad from England.
Red list of countries and territories
You should not travel to red list countries or territories.
Read the rules for red list countries and territories.
| Red list | Upcoming changes to the red list |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | |
| Angola | |
| Argentina | |
| Bolivia | |
| Botswana | |
| Brazil | |
| Burundi | |
| Cape Verde | |
| Chile | |
| Colombia | |
| Congo (Democratic Republic) | |
| Costa Rica | |
| Cuba | |
| Dominican Republic | |
| Ecuador | |
| Eritrea | |
| Eswatini | |
| Ethiopia | |
| French Guiana | |
| Georgia | |
| Guyana | |
| Haiti | |
| Indonesia | |
| Lesotho | |
| Malawi | |
| Mayotte | |
| Mexico | |
| Mongolia | |
| Montenegro | |
| Mozambique | |
| Myanmar | |
| Namibia | |
| Nepal | |
| Panama | |
| Paraguay | |
| Peru | |
| Philippines | |
| Réunion | |
| Rwanda | |
| Seychelles | |
| Sierra Leone | |
| Somalia | |
| South Africa | |
| Sudan | |
| Suriname | |
| Tanzania | |
| Thailand | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | |
| Tunisia | |
| Uganda | |
| Uruguay | |
| Venezuela | |
| Zambia | |
| Zimbabwe |
Red list rules
What you must do if you have been in a country or territory on the red list in the 10 days before you arrive in England.
You must follow these rules even if you have been fully vaccinated.
If you have been in a country or territory on the red list in the last 10 days you will only be allowed to enter the UK if you are a British or Irish National, or you have residence rights in the UK.
There is separate guidance on what you need to do if you are travelling abroad from England.
Before you travel to England
Before you travel to England you must:
- take a COVID-19 test – you must take the test in the 3 days before you travel to England
- book a quarantine hotel package, including 2 COVID-19 tests
- complete a passenger locator form
When you arrive in England
When you arrive in England you must:
Amber list of countries and territories
Read the rules for amber list countries and territories.
| Amber list | Upcoming changes to the amber list |
|---|---|
| Akrotiri and Dhekelia | |
| Albania | |
| Algeria | |
| Andorra | |
| Armenia | |
| Aruba | |
| Azerbaijan | |
| The Bahamas | |
| Bahrain | |
| Belarus | |
| Bangladesh | If you arrived in England before 4am Wednesday 22 September you must follow the red list rules. |
| Belgium | |
| Belize | |
| Benin | |
| Bhutan | |
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
| British Virgin Islands | |
| Burkina Faso | |
| Cambodia | |
| Cameroon | |
| Central African Republic | |
| Chad | |
| China | |
| Comoros | |
| Congo | |
| Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue | |
| Côte d’Ivoire | |
| Curaçao | |
| Cyprus | |
| Czech Republic (Czechia) | |
| Djibouti | |
| Egypt | If you arrived in England before 4am Wednesday 22 September you must follow the red list rules. |
| El Salvador | |
| Equatorial Guinea | |
| Estonia | |
| Fiji | |
| France | |
| French Polynesia | |
| Gabon | |
| The Gambia | |
| Ghana | |
| Greece (including islands) | |
| Greenland | |
| Guadeloupe | |
| Guatemala | |
| Guinea | |
| Guinea-Bissau | |
| Honduras | |
| Hungary | |
| India | |
| Iran | |
| Iraq | |
| Italy | |
| Jamaica | |
| Japan | |
| Jordan | |
| Kazakhstan | |
| Kenya | If you arrived in England before 4am Wednesday 22 September you must follow the red list rules. |
| Kiribati | |
| Kosovo | |
| Kuwait | |
| Kyrgyzstan | |
| Laos | |
| Lebanon | |
| Liberia | |
| Libya | |
| Luxembourg | |
| Macao | |
| Madagascar | |
| Malaysia | |
| Maldives | If you arrived in England before 4am Wednesday 22 September you must follow the red list rules. |
| Mali | |
| Marshall Islands | |
| Martinique | |
| Mauritania | |
| Mauritius | |
| Micronesia | |
| Moldova | |
| Monaco | |
| Morocco | |
| Nauru | |
| Netherlands | |
| New Caledonia | |
| Nicaragua | |
| Niger | |
| Nigeria | |
| North Korea | |
| North Macedonia | |
| The Occupied Palestinian Territories | |
| Oman | If you arrived in England before 4am Wednesday 22 September you must follow the red list rules. |
| Pakistan | If you arrived in England before 4am Wednesday 22 September you must follow the red list rules. |
| Palau | |
| Papua New Guinea | |
| Poland | |
| Portugal | Madeira is on the green watchlist. The Azores is on the green list. |
| Qatar | |
| Russia | |
| Samoa | |
| San Marino | |
| Sao Tome and Principe | |
| Saudi Arabia | |
| Senegal | |
| Serbia | |
| Solomon Islands | |
| South Korea | |
| South Sudan | |
| Spain, including the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands (Formentera, Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca) | |
| Sri Lanka | If you arrived in England before 4am Wednesday 22 September you must follow the red list rules. |
| St Kitts and Nevis | |
| St Lucia | |
| St Maarten | |
| St Martin and St Barthélemy | |
| St Pierre and Miquelon | |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | |
| Sweden | |
| Syria | |
| Tajikistan | |
| Timor-Leste | |
| Togo | |
| Tonga | |
| Turkey | If you arrived in England before 4am Wednesday 22 September you must follow the red list rules. |
| Turkmenistan | |
| Tuvalu | |
| Ukraine | |
| United Arab Emirates | |
| United States (USA) | |
| Uzbekistan | |
| Vanuatu | |
| Vatican City | |
| Vietnam | |
| Wallis and Futuna | |
| Western Sahara | |
| Yemen |
The amber list is not exhaustive. If a country or territory is not on this list, you should not assume that it is a green or red list country or territory. Countries and territories are only green or red if they appear on the green or red list.
Countries moving to the red list
If conditions change in a country or territory, it can be moved from the amber list to the red list. If there is a sudden change in conditions, a country or territory may be moved between lists without warning.
Amber list rules
What you must do if you have been in a country or territory on the amber list in the 10 days before you arrive in England.
You can read separate guidance on what you need to do if you are travelling abroad from England.
Before you travel to England
Before you travel to England you must:
- take a COVID-19 test – you must take the test in the 3 days before you travel to England
- book and pay for COVID-19 tests – to be taken after arrival in England
- complete a passenger locator form
You must do these things whether you are fully vaccinated or not.
When you arrive in England
If you are fully vaccinated
After you arrive in England you must take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2.
This applies if you’re fully vaccinated under either:
- the UK vaccination programme
- the UK vaccine programme overseas
- an approved vaccination programme in Europe or the USA - not all are recognised in England
It also applies if you are:
- taking part in an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial in the UK or the USA
- under 18 and resident in the UK, a UK Overseas Territory, the USA or one of the specified European countries
If you will be in England for less than 2 days you still need to book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test. You only need to take the test if you are still in England on day 2.
If you are not fully vaccinated
If you do not qualify under the fully vaccinated rules, on arrival in England you must:
- quarantine at home or in the place you are staying for 10 days
- take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8
Read about the fully vaccinated rules, quarantine and taking COVID-19 tests after arrival in England.
If you are in England for less than 10 days, you need to quarantine for the time you are here. You need to book day 2 and day 8 travel tests. You only need to take the tests if you are still in England.
Test to Release scheme
If you need to quarantine, you may be able to end quarantine early if you pay for a private COVID-19 test through the Test to Release scheme.
If you have been in a country or territory on the red list
If you have also been in or through a country or territory on the red list in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you must follow the red list rules.
Read about making a transit stop in a red list country or territory.
Green list countries and territories
Read the rules for green list countries and territories.
| Green list | Green watchlist and upcoming changes to the green list |
|---|---|
| Anguilla | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. |
| Antarctica/British Antarctic Territory | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. |
| Austria | |
| Australia | |
| The Azores | Mainland Portugal is on the amber list. |
| Barbados | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. |
| Bermuda | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. |
| Brunei | |
| Bulgaria | |
| Canada | |
| Cayman Islands | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. |
| Croatia | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. |
| Denmark | |
| Dominica | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. |
| Falkland Islands | |
| Faroe Islands | |
| Finland | |
| Germany | |
| Gibraltar | |
| Grenada | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. |
| Hong Kong | |
| Iceland | |
| Israel and Jerusalem | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. |
| Latvia | |
| Liechtenstein | . |
| Lithuania | |
| Madeira | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. Mainland Portugal is on the amber list. |
| Malta | |
| Montserrat | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. |
| New Zealand | |
| Norway | |
| Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. |
| Romania | |
| Singapore | |
| Slovakia | |
| Slovenia | |
| South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands | |
| St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | |
| Switzerland | |
| Taiwan | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber. |
Countries on the green watchlist or moving to amber
If conditions change in a country or territory, it can be moved from the green list to the amber or red list.
If a country or territory on the green list is at risk of moving to amber it will also be listed on the green watchlist.
If there is a sudden change in conditions, a country or territory may be moved between lists without warning.
Green list rules
What you have to do if you travel to England from a country or territory on the green list. You must only have been in or travelled through a green list country or the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man in the previous 10 days.
You must follow these rules even if you have been fully vaccinated.
You can read separate guidance on what you need to do if you are travelling abroad from England.
Before travel to England
Before you travel to England you must:
- take a COVID-19 test – you must take the test in the 3 days before you travel to England
- book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test – to be taken after arrival in England
- complete a passenger locator form
When you arrive in England
After you arrive in England you must take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2.
You do not need to quarantine unless the test result is positive.
If you will be in England for less than 2 days you still need to book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test. You only need to take the test if you are still in England on day 2.
You may need to self-isolate if NHS Test and Trace notifies you that you’ve been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Check the rules about NHS Test and Trace for more information.
If you have been in a country or territory on the red or amber list
If you have also been in or through a country or territory on the red list in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you must follow the red list rules.
If you have also been in or through a country or territory on the amber list in the 10 days before you arrive in England, and have not visited a country on the red list, you must follow the amber list rules.
Read about making a transit stop in an amber or red list country or territory.
Travelling with children
Read separate guidance about travelling abroad, including different testing age limits for children.
Ireland, the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
You do not need to take a COVID-19 test or quarantine on arrival in England if you are travelling within the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, (the Common Travel Area), and you have not been outside of the Common Travel Area in the previous 10 days.
Transiting through amber or red list countries on your way to England
When you arrive in England you need to follow the rules for the highest risk country or territory that you have been in or passed through in the previous 10 days. That can include transit stops.
A transit stop is a stop where passengers can get on or off the same part of the transport in which you are travelling. It can apply to ships, trains or flights. Your ticket should show if a stop is a transit stop.
The rules of a country or territory that you make a transit stop in could apply if:
- new passengers get on and are able to mix with you
- you or other passengers get off the transport you are on and mix with other people, then get on again
Making a transit stop would not affect what you have to do on arrival in England if, during the stop:
- no new passengers, who are able to mix with you, get on
- no-one on-board gets off and mixes with people outside
- passengers get off but do not get back on
Private vehicles or coaches travelling through amber or red list countries and territories
If you are travelling to England in a private vehicle, the rules of the countries and territories you drive through apply. For example, if you drive through an amber list country, then you must follow the amber list rules when you arrive in England.
This applies whether you stop in the country or territory or not. You need to record the countries and territories you drive through on your passenger locator form.
Transiting through England
Find out the rules if you are transiting through England on your way to another country.
Job and medical exemptions
Some people are exempt from some or all of the requirements because of the job they do.
Read about medical exemptions from:
Travelling abroad from England
Read an overview of all the things you need to do to:
You should not travel to red list countries or territories.
NHS COVID Pass - proving your COVID-19 vaccination status
An NHS COVID Pass shows your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination details or test results. This is your COVID-19 vaccination status.
You can use the NHS COVID Pass to prove your vaccination status when you:
- enter another country while travelling abroad
- return to England if you have been in an amber list country or territory
Find out:
- about using the NHS COVID Pass to demonstrate your vaccination status
- if the countries or territories you are travelling to accept proof of COVID-19 vaccination status as part of their entry requirements
- how to prove your COVID-19 vaccination status if you are a resident of Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office travel advice
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) travel advice continues to advise against all non-essential travel to some countries and territories. Many other countries have rules in place about who can enter and what you can do when you are there. These rules are not related to which colour list that country is on. Before you travel, you should read FCDO travel advice for the countries you will visit.
Stay up-to-date
The risk posed by individual countries and territories is continuously monitored and the green, amber and red lists are reviewed every 3 weeks.
Countries and territories can be moved between lists if conditions change. Sign up for an email alert to be notified when this page is updated.
Last updated 22 September 2021
