UK ends quarantine rule for vaccinated EU and US travellers

Move tipped to boost inbound travel to UK but US still advises against travel 

The UK government has announced that fully-vaccinated travellers from the European Union (excluding France) and the US will not be required to quarantine when arriving in the UK.

The move takes effect from 4am on Monday, 2 August, and applies to travellers who have been vaccinated in the EU or US, arriving into England, Scotland or Wales from an amber list country.

Currently, people who have been fully vaccinated in the UK do not need to isolate when travelling from countries on the amber list, except from France. But that exemption did not apply to people vaccinated outside the UK.

The UK’s Covid Operations Committee made the decision to relax the regulations which comes as new cases of Covid-19 continue to decline in the UK.

Travellers will still need to take a pre-departure Covid-19 test before arrival in England, and take a PCR test on day two after arrival in the country.

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Not surprisingly, the travel industry welcomed the decision. British Airways chairman and CEO Sean Doyle said: “Our own trials have proved it’s quick and easy to check travellers are fully vaccinated and can safely enter the UK, and this step will allow us to reunite loved ones and get ‘Global Britain’ back in business, giving the economy the vital boost it so badly needs.

“With the UK’s Covid cases falling while vaccinations continue to rise, now is the time for the government to help secure the reopening of the crucial UK-US travel corridor, move more low-risk amber countries to the green list to allow customers to book with confidence, and to review the current expensive testing requirements that are out of step with our neighbours.”

Although they will be able to avoid quarantine in England, citizens of the US are currently urged not to travel to the UK by the domestic health protection agency, the Centres for Disease Control & Prevention.