Where can I go on holiday? The 19 countries you can visit without having to quarantine
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Holidaymakers in France are rushing home after the British Government announced late on Thursday it would impose a quarantine from 4am BST on Saturday on arrivals from France. This gave an estimated 160,000 UK holidaymakers there just more than 24 hours to try to get home to avoid isolating.
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People who arrive in the UK after 4am on Saturday will be required to self-isolate for 14 days due to rising numbers of coronavirus cases in France.
The conditions will also apply to travellers returning to or visiting the UK from the Netherlands, Monaco, Malta, Turks & Caicos and Aruba.
Spain, one of the favoured holiday destinations for Brits, came under the Government’s quarantine rules on July 26.
Removing France from the UK’s travel corridor followed Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement that ministers would be “absolutely ruthless” when it came to reimposing quarantine.
Travel news: Where can I go on holiday? (Image: GETTY)
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This has devastated airlines and holidaymakers alike, with a narrowing list of where Britons can visit without having to quarantine on their return to the UK.
The 19 countries you can visit without having to quarantine
Most holidaymakers would be put off going abroad if they faced 14 days of quarantine on their return one survey has suggested.
However, the same study found 10 percent would still be up for travelling overseas.
Travel news: There are rules for those travelling through UK airports – like wearing masks (Image: GETTY)
Travel news: Spain and France have been added to the quarantine list (Image: GETTY)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) found almost two-thirds (62 percent) of people said they were very unlikely to travel if they had to self-isolate for two weeks when they got back to the UK.
One in 10 said they were still likely or very likely to travel, knowing they would have to quarantine.
This was in response to ONS’s Opinions and Lifestyle Survey of 1,424 adults in Great Britain between August 5 and 9.
For those wanting a summer break but not wanting to isolate for two weeks, there are 19 European countries Britons can still visit without facing two week long quarantine on return.
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Coronavirus cases are surging in Europe, prompting the British Government’s change to the UK’s quarantine list on Thursday.
Countries like Greece, Germany, Norway and Italy are open for tourists to visit and will not require quarantine after flying back to the UK.
There have been spikes reported in both Greece and Germany, with new measures introduced in both countries to combat the virus’ spread.
In Greece, restrictions include curfews on bars and restaurants. Other countries may have similar restrictions, so its worth checking before booking a holiday.
Travel news: The countries exempt from UK quarantine (Image: EXPRESS)
You can visit these countries without having to quarantine on your return back to the UK
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- Gibraltar
- Germany
- Greece
- Ireland
- Italy
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- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Norway
- Poland
- San Marino
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
Greece includes the popular island destinations, Corfu, Zante, Crete and Kos.
Where can I travel without a vaccine? How Europe entry requirements make holidays tricky for unvaccinated
Travelling to Europe is easier and cheaper if you are vaccinated but unvaccinated travellers can still get into 22 countries in Europe quarantine-free
Quarantine-free travel to Europe almost always costs more for unvaccinated travellers (Photo: Getty)
If you want to travel the world freely, then being fully vaccinated and boosted is the key to ensuring that you can holiday overseas as borders continue to reopen.
However, a careful counting of Covid border restrictions by i reveals that while favourites such as Spain, France and Italy are off limits, the majority of countries in Europe will allow unvaccinated UK visitors in for a quarantine-free holiday.
In total, 22 out of 44 countries in Europe – including Greece, Croatia, Cyprus and Portugal – allow quarantine-free travel for un-jabbed travellers from Britain.
This is particularly good news for families with children who are yet to receive their second jab, due to the UK’s delayed vaccine rollout to 12- to 15-year-olds.
In most cases, unvaccinated travellers will pay more for their holiday due to the extra cost of tests which vaccinated travellers are exempt from taking. This can also mean running the risk of a cancelled holiday if a test comes back positive.
Unvaccinated travellers must fork out extra for more tests than the vaccinated everywhere but Cyprus, where travellers to test regardless of vaccination status, and Lithuania and Iceland, where recent infection rather than testing is required in lieu of vaccination.
In 11 out of 22 countries, unvaccinated travellers can save themselves both the cost and the hassle of testing if they can provide proof of a recent Covid infection.
In three of the countries that will let in unvaccinated travellers – Lithuania, Iceland and Austria – the un-jabbed will only get in with proof of a recent infection.
It is also important to note that unvaccinated travellers will likely find it all but impossible to purchase travel insurance. Most policies will not cover travellers if they have not taken all Covid vaccination doses recommended by the UK health authorities.
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While domestic Covid pass rules relating to public places might also restrict an unvaccinated person’s movement once they are at their destination. This could mean holidaymakers having to test regularly or face being barred from public places such as restaurants.
Below, we have listed every country in Europe that will welcome unvaccinated visitors from the UK, quarantine free.
In each case, some form of extra documentation – whether proof of recent infection or proof of a negative test result – is required by countries in lieu of proof of vaccination. There is not a single country in Europe that will let in UK visitors without some sort of Covid documentation.
We have ordered all 22 countries by the type of proof that is mandated at the border. We have also listed how much extra unvaccinated travellers will have to pay to visit each destination, when compared to vaccinated travellers. We have assumed that PCR tests cost £50, antigen test cost £25 and supervised antigen test cost £35. This does not include any possible extra testing costs related to domestic Covid pass rules for accessing public places.
Unvaccinated can enter but only with proof of recent infection
Lithuania
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: Evidence of prior Covid infection within the last six months.
Extra testing costs for the unvaccinated? No.
Iceland
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: Proof of recovery from Covid.
Extra testing costs for the unvaccinated? No.
Unvaccinated can enter with proof of recent infection or antigen test
Moldova
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: Proof of negative PCR taken no more than 72 hours before entry, or a rapid antigen test taken no more than 48 hours before entry, or evidence of prior Covid infection within the past 90 days.
Extra testing costs for the unvaccinated? Maybe. It costs around £25 for an extra antigen test for those who cannot provide evidence of prior Covid infection.
Montenegro
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: A negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival, a negative rapid antigen test taken within 48 hours of arrival or proof of recovery from Covid in the last 180 days.
Extra testing costs for the unvaccinated? Maybe. It costs around £25 for an extra antigen test for those who cannot provide evidence of prior Covid infection.
Bulgaria
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: Proof of negative PCR taken no more than 72 hours before entry, or a rapid antigen test taken no more than 48 hours before entry, or evidence of prior Covid infection.
Extra testing costs for the unvaccinated? Maybe. It costs around £25 for an extra antigen test for those who cannot provide evidence of prior Covid infection.
Turkey
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: Proof of negative PCR taken no more than 72 hours before entry, or a rapid antigen test taken no more than 48 hours before entry, or proof of recent recovery within last six months.
Extra testing fees for the unvaccinated? Maybe. It costs around £25 for an extra antigen test for those who cannot provide evidence of prior Covid infection.
Croatia
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: A negative antigen not older than 48 hours, or a negative PCR not older than 72 hours or proof of recent infection.
Extra testing fees for the unvaccinated? Maybe. It costs around £25 for an extra antigen test for those who cannot provide evidence of prior Covid infection.
Slovenia
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: Proof of recovery or PCR test no older than 48 hours from time when swab was taken or rapid antigen test no older than 24 hours from the time when the swab was taken.
Extra testing fees for the unvaccinated? Maybe. It costs around £25 for an extra antigen test for those who cannot provide evidence of prior Covid infection.
Albania
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: Proof of negative PCR taken no more than 72 hours before entry, or a rapid antigen test taken no more than 48 hours before entry, or evidence of prior Covid infection within the last six months.
Extra testing costs for the unvaccinated? It costs around £25 for an extra antigen test for those who cannot provide evidence of prior Covid infection.
Unvaccinated can enter with proof of recent infection or a PCR test
Romania
Entry requirements costs unvaccinated: Proof of negative PCR taken no more than 72 hours before entry or proof of recent recovery within last six months.
Extra testing fees for the unvaccinated? Maybe. £50 for extra PCR test for those who cannot provide proof of recent infection.
Serbia
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: Proof of recovery in the past six months or a negative PCR test taken within the past 48 hours.
Extra testing costs for the unvaccinated? Maybe. £50 for extra PCR test for those who cannot provide proof of recent infection.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: Proof of negative PCR taken no more than 48 hours before entry or evidence of prior Covid infection within the past 90 days.
Extra testing costs for the unvaccinated? Maybe. £50 for extra PCR test for those who cannot provide proof of recent infection.
North Macedonia
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: A negative PCR test made in the 72 hours before entering the country, or a certificate of recovery from Covid in the last 45 days, counting from the day of recovery.
Extra testing costs for the unvaccinated? Maybe. £50 for extra PCR test for those who cannot provide proof of recent infection.
Unvaccinated can enter with an antigen test
Luxembourg
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: A negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival, a negative rapid antigen test taken within 48 hours of arrival by a professional.
Extra testing costs for the unvaccinated? Yes. £35 for extra supervised antigen test for those who cannot provide evidence of prior Covid infection.
Norway
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: Proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken less than 24 hours before arrival.
Extra testing costs for the unvaccinated? Yes. £25 for extra antigen test.
Ukraine
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: Proof of negative PCR taken no more than 72 hours before entry, or a rapid antigen test taken no more than 48 hours before entry.
Extra testing fees for the unvaccinated? Yes. £25 for a pre-departure antigen test.
Cyprus
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: Negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours before departure or a rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours before departure.
Extra testing fees for the unvaccinated? No. £0. The requirement for Covid testing before and after your arrival in Cyprus applies regardless of vaccination status.
Greece
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: Proof of a negative PCR test undertaken within the 72 hour period before arrival or proof of a negative rapid antigen test undertaken within the 24 hour period before arrival into Greece.
Extra testing fees for the unvaccinated: Yes. £25 for a pre-departure antigen test.
Portugal
Entry requirements costs unvaccinated: PCR test taken 72 hours before arrival or an antigen test taken 48 hours before arrival.
Extra testing costs for the unvaccinated? Yes. £25 for a pre-departure antigen test.
Unvaccinated can enter with PCR test
Ireland
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: Proof of a negative PCR test (taken no more than 72 hours before entry).
Extra testing costs for the unvaccinated? Yes. £50 for extra PCR test.
Hungary
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: A negative PCR test conducted in the previous 72 hours of arrival.
Extra testing costs for the unvaccinated? Yes. £50 for extra PCR test.
Unvaccinated can enter with a PCR test and proof of recent infection
Austria
Entry requirements for unvaccinated: Proof of recovery in the past 180 days and a negative PCR test taken within the past 72 hours.
Extra testing costs for the unvaccinated? Yes. £50 for extra PCR test.
Do you have a question about travel? Email us: asktravel@inews.co.uk
Holidays 2021: Which European countries can you travel to without quarantine?
With official guidance changing almost by the hour, it’s no wonder the very idea of travelling to Europe has people confused.
The UK government has clarified what you need to do if you’re returning from a country on the red, amber or green list.
But it’s a different and rather more complicated picture when you’re beginning your travels – a picture that depends on the rules that are in place in whatever country you’re going to.
Here’s a rundown of where you’ll need to quarantine, where you won’t and some other useful advice.
Be aware though that the picture is always changing, and the rules can too – so do always check the FCO website before jetting off.
European holiday destinations with no quarantine on arrival for Brits
If you’re travelling to the following destinations on holiday, you won’t need to quarantine upon arrival provided you are able to present a negative PCR test or prove you have been fully vaccinated.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Croatia
- Greece
- Kosovo
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Portugal
- Slovenia
- Spain
Cyprus and Ukraine also come under this category, though they require visitors to take a Covid test during their first 72 hours in the country. Visitors who test positive will have to self-isolate.
If you’re not fully vaccinated, you will need to provide evidence of a negative Covid test.
If you’re travelling to Serbia on holiday, you won’t need to quarantine upon arrival provided you are able to present a negative PCR test, regardless of your vaccination status.
The same applies to Turkey – but as it is currently on the UK government’s red list you will have to self-isolate for 10 days in a government-approved quarantine hotel when you return.
If you’re fully vaccinated, UK tourists can enter the following countries without needing to quarantine or present evidence of a negative test result.
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Faroe Islands
- France
- Germany
- Greenland
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Malta
- Monaco
- Poland
- Romania
- Switzerland
Gibraltar also belongs on this list, though it does require you to take a test after entering.
If you are not fully vaccinated, you will need to have an essential reason or a worthy purpose to visit many of these countries.
You may also be required to self-isolate when you arrive, even if you are able to produce a negative Covid test. Check the FCO website for the latest guidance.
Albania is the odd country out, as it allows entry to travellers without the need for testing, proof of vaccination status or mandatory quarantine.
European countries with quarantine requirements for UK tourists
Following recent rule changes, all UK tourists heading to Italy must self-isolate for five days upon arrival – and will also need to show a negative PCR test when entering the country.
Following your five-day isolation, you will be required to take another rapid antigen test for Covid-19 and will only be released if the test is negative.
You’ll have to wait for the Colosseum in you’re going to Italy (Picture: Anton Aleksenko/Getty Images)
You will also need to fill in an online digital form prior to arrival, as well as calling the local Covid-19 helpline within 48 hours of arriving.
These rules are currently in place until Monday, August 30.
European countries not accepting UK travellers for non-essential travel
The following countries are not allowing UK travellers to enter for non-essential reasons.
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Czech Republic
- Finland
- Hungary
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Russia
- Slovakia
- Sweden
That means that you can’t take a holiday in these countries even if you have been fully vaccinated and can produce a negative Covid test.
These rules are correct at time of writing but may be subject to change. Visit the official country websites or their advice pages on the FCO site to stay up to date.
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Source https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1323040/where-can-I-go-on-holiday-UK-quarantine-list-FCO-travel-advice-holiday-destinations
Source https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/travel-where-can-without-vaccine-entry-requirements-europe-holidays-unvaccinated-1449467
Source https://metro.co.uk/2021/08/12/holidays-which-european-countries-can-you-visit-without-quarantine-15079205/