As overseas travel can take place from 17 May, the government has devised a traffic light system which classifies international travel destinations based on Covid-19 risks. Countries may be red, amber, or green. Each colour corresponds to specific rules when returning to the UK.

What do the three colours of the UK’s ‘Traffic Light System’ for travel mean?

• Red: You must pay for a 10-day stay in a managed quarantine hotel, as well as a pre-departure test and two PCR tests upon return to the UK (Day 2 & Day 8).
• Amber: You will need to quarantine for 10 days, as well as taking a pre-departure test, and two PCR tests on return to the UK (Day 2 & Day 8). Optionally you can take a test on Day 5 (Test to Release) to leave quarantine early.
• Green: You will not need to quarantine on return, but you must take a pre-departure test, and a PCR test on return to the UK on Day 2.

How will the government decide which countries go on the green, amber or red lists?

Countries are assigned to the three lists, based on a range of Covid-19 health metrics, which include figures on population vaccination, infection rates and prevalence of variants. The different traffic light colours indicate the risk in each destination and the associated tests and quarantine periods required. Lists are reassessed every three weeks, to account for changes in each country’s COVID-19 situation.