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Coronavirus (COVID-19): international travel and managed isolation (quarantine)
Acute risk countries
Acute risk countries
Due to the identification of new variants of Coronavirus, all non-British and Irish nationals, visa holders and permanent residents who arrive in the UK from Brazil and South Africa and a host of linked countries are banned from entry when travelling from certain countries. Exemptions from isolation are also limited for travellers arriving from these places. This applies to the following countries and territories:
First published:14 Feb 2021Last updated:1 Mar 2021 - show all updates
Removed Falkland Islands from list of acute list countries.
Added Myanmar to list of exemptions in testing for people travelling to Scotland section.
Added links to supplementary agricultural advice.
Change made to introductory paragraph of managed isolation guidance page.
All pages updated and new content added on managed isolation.
Link added to booking portal from key facts page.
Sectoral exemptions page updated.
Key facts and what you must do pages updated.
Added new section on arrival from Burundi, Rwanda and the UAE.
List of country exemptions removed.
Added suspended information to film and tv sectoral exemption.
List of exempt countries removed following the suspension of travel corridors.
Country exemptions page and key facts page updated to reflect the fact that the travel corridors have been suspended until further notice.
Added new section on testing for people travelling to Scotland.
Updated travel information for Brazil, Aruba, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba and Qatar
Key facts page amended to include information about requirement to have a valid negative COVID-19 test result, taken no more than three days before the scheduled time of departure.
Added information re United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Added information on arrivals from Dubai to the exemptions page.
Updates on travel advice for: Israel and Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Israel
Caution note added to key facts page regarding travel restrictions from the UK.
Updated country exemptions page to reference arrivals from Namibia, Uruguay and US Virgin Islands.
Updated to reflect change in self-isolation period from 14 to 10 days.
Updated to reflect changes including addition of Botswana and Saudi Arabia and removal of Canary Islands from 04:00o on 12/12/21.
Updated country exemptions page to reflect latest position.
Various changes to the list of country exemptions.
Updated exemptions page to reflect recent changes
Changes to various country exemptions.
Changes to travel rules covering Denmark.
Removed Denmark from list of exempt countries.
Updated travel information for Germany and Sweden.
Updated travel information for Cyprus and Lithuania.
Regulations page updated
Updated travel information for the Canary Islands, Denmark, the Maldives and Mykonos, and Liechtenstein.
Updated travel information for Greece and Italy.
Updated travel information for Madeira and Azores; Poland, Turkey and the Caribbean islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
Updated travel information for Curacao, Denmark, Iceland and Slovakia.
Updated travel information for Singapore, Thailand, Slovenia and Guatemala.
Updates to Overview and Regulations pages.
Updated travel information for Sweden, Hungary and La Reunion
Updated travel information for Portugal and French Polynesia.
Updated travel information for Greece.
Added Cuba, removed Czech Republic and Jamaica.
Changed number of exempt UK overseas territories from 14 to 13 and added note to Portugal.
Removed Austria, Croatia, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago and added Portugal.
Add notes for Austria, Croatia, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago and Portugal.
Country exemptions: removed France, The Netherlands, Aruba, Turks and Caicos, Malta and Monaco
Country exemptions: removed Andorra, The Bahamas and Belgium from list.
Country exemptions: added info re Andorra, The Bahamas and Belgium.
Removed Luxembourg from the exemptions list.
Self isolation advice changed from 7 to 10 days
Added Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and St Vincent and the Grenadines to the exemptions list.
Removed Spain to the exemptions list.
Added Spain to the exemptions list.
Added in links to the sectoral exemptions page to guidance for seasonal workers and elite sports.
Changes to exemptions and sectoral exemptions pages to reflect the 'travel corridor'.
Revised with country and sector specific information updates.
Added link to news item detailing countries where rules do not apply