United Kingdom: From 4 am Monday 4 October 2021, the rules for international travel to the UK 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 vaccination status.
There will be changes to rules for fully vaccinated travellers coming from non-red list countries.
Travellers from non-red-list countries into the UK if fully vaccinated
From 4 am Monday 4 October, arrivals will qualify as fully vaccinated if they are vaccinated either:
For arrivals to UK: under an approved vaccination programme in the UK, Europe, USA or UK vaccine programme overseas
For arrivals to Northern Ireland, Scotland and England: 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. England and Scotland have also confirmed that they will recognise the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Welsh Government is considering which countries to expand the vaccine certification recognition system to over the coming weeks.
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.
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 the passenger is 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 or USA
If they qualify as fully vaccinated, they will have to:
book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test
complete your passenger locator form – any time in the 48 hours before they arrive in the UK
take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 after you arrive in the UK
Travel from the rest of the world to the UK if not fully vaccinated
From 4 am Monday 4 October, passengers who do not qualify under the fully vaccinated rules; are partially, or not vaccinated must follow these rules. Before they travel to the UK, they must:
take a pre-departure COVID-19 test – to be taken in the 3 days before you travel to the UK
book and pay for day 2 and day 8 COVID-19 tests – to be taken after arrival in the UK
complete your passenger locator form – any time in the 48 hours before you arrive in the UK
After they arrive in the UK, they must:
quarantine at home or in the place they are staying for 10 days
take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8
In England, quarantine can be ended early if they have paid for a private COVID-19 test through the Test to Release scheme.
Travel to the UK from red list countries
From 4 am Monday 4 October, passengers arriving in the UK must follow these rules if they are fully, partially or not vaccinated. If the passenger has been in a country or territory on the red list in the last 10 days, they will only be allowed to enter the UK if they are a British or Irish national or have residence rights in the UK.
Before travelling to the UK, they must:
take a pre-departure COVID-19 test – to be taken in the 3 days before you travel to the UK
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 the UK
When they arrive, they must quarantine in a managed hotel, including 2 COVID-19 tests.
