Full List of the 33 'Red List' Countries - New UK Travel Rules
Full List of the 33 'Red List' Countries - New UK Travel Rules

New UK Travel Rules

UK nationals arriving from high risk countries will check into government-designated accommodation today as the hotel quarantine regime begins.

UK and Irish nationals and UK residents returning to England from 33 “red list” countries, hotspots with Covid-19 variants in circulation, are required to quarantine in hotels for 11 nights. In Scotland, the rule applies to people returning from any destination.

They will also need to enter the country through a specific port and have pre-booked a hotel package costing £1,750. The payment covers the cost of the hotel, transport and testing. The government says it has struck deals with 16 hotels so far, providing 4,963 rooms for the new quarantine system but a further 58,000 rooms are currently on standby. There will be no additional fees for children under five.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said: “The rules coming into force today will bolster the quarantine system and provide another layer of security against new variants at the border.”

People arriving from a red list country could face severe penalties for not following the rules, including a prison sentence up to 10 years if they lie about travelling from a red list country.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News: “What we are dealing with now is the variants and with variants, we cannot risk it in these final stages when we’ve got the vaccine rolled out.

“We might end up with difficulty from variations, although we think so far that we will be able to take care of them through the vaccines.

“And because of that we think things like a prison sentence for lying about being in one of those red list countries is appropriate.”

Full list of the 33 "red list" countries

  1. Angola
  2. Argentina
  3. Bolivia
  4. Botswana
  5. Brazil
  6. Burundi
  7. Cape Verde
  8. Chile
  9. Colombia
  10. Democratic Republic of the Congo
  11. Ecuador
  12. Eswatini
  13. French Guiana
  14. Guyana
  15. Lesotho
  16. Malawi
  17. Mauritius
  18. Mozambique
  19. Namibia
  20. Panama
  21. Paraguay
  22. Peru
  23. Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores)
  24. Rwanda
  25. Seychelles
  26. South Africa
  27. Suriname
  28. Tanzania
  29. United Arab Emirates (UAE)
  30. Uruguay
  31. Venezuela
  32. Zambia
  33. Zimbabwe

Q & A - UK new travel rules

What if I don’t book a quarantine hotel?

People face a fine of up to £4,000 for not booking a quarantine package, and will still have to pay for one on arrival.

Can I fly into any airport?

No. Those booked into a quarantine hotel can only fly into Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Birmingham and Farnborough airports.

Those with pre-existing bookings to a different port of entry must change it to one of the above.

People who fail to do this face a fine of up to £10,000.

What happens when I arrive?

Travellers need to provide their passenger locator form, passport and a negative Covid-19 test result to Border Force staff.

They will then be transported to their quarantine hotel, with transport also arranged back to the airport at the end of their stay.

Guests are required to quarantine in their hotel room for 10 days.

How many quarantine hotels are there?

The Government has struck deals with 16 hotels so far, providing 4,963 rooms for the new quarantine system, with a further 58,000 rooms currently on standby.

Will I be tested during my stay?

Guests need to take a Covid-19 test on or before day two of their stay, followed by another on or after day eight.

Those who refuse to take a test will face a £2,000 fine, the Government said.

What happens if I test positive?

Those who test positive on day two must quarantine until day 12. People who return a positive result on day eight must stay until day 18.

When can I leave my quarantine hotel?

People will be able to leave after receiving a negative result from the Covid-19 test on day eight and have quarantined for a full 10 days.

What if I’m returning from a non-“red list” country?

Passengers must instead quarantine for 10 days at home and complete two Covid-19 tests on the second and eighth day after arriving.

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