Boris Gives Coronavirus Travel Update

The UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, today gave some clarity on what might be waiting for those wishing to travel from the UK that is currently banned with high fines for those who try for leisure purposes.

The government still strongly suggests that Britons should not make summer travel plans until more information is released. It is unclear whether the current travel ban is lifted on May 17, 2021.

You can access UK’s page for travel restrictions here.

Here’s what is proposed based on media reports

The UK has scrapped the “travel corridors” that were the talks in 2020 and moving to a traffic lights system that will be introduced on May 17, 2021, at the earliest.

Green

Passengers could arrive back to UK (I assume that all the regions have the same rules) without a quarantine but would need to test for Covid-19 before and after.

Amber

Home quarantine with Covid-19 tests

Red

Mandatory 10-night hotel quarantine with Covid-19 tests.

Conclusion

We should learn more about travel to and from the UK later in the week, and perhaps something is allowed on May 17, 2021, with a small number of countries.

You have to keep in mind that, although the UK may designate certain countries as green or amber, it doesn’t mean that these countries would necessarily welcome passenger arrivals from the UK or only with a quarantine.

I would not lock into any summer travel plans in Europe within or outside the EU/EEA/Schengen before we have more visibility of the arrival requirements.