Red travel list to shrink to seven destinations from next week as hotel quarantine will be axed for many

From 4am on Monday 11 October, 47 destinations will be removed from the red list, which means travellers to the UK from these countries and territories will no longer be required to undergo mandatory hotel quarantine – which sets back a single traveller £2,285.

The seven destinations that will remain on the red list are as follows: 

• Colombia

• Dominican Republic

• Ecuador

• Haiti

• Panama

• Peru

• Venezuela

Travellers from these destinations will still be required to undergo mandatory hotel quarantine – whether vaccinated or not – and they must also continue to undertake a pre-departure test and post-arrival day two and day eight PCR tests. See our Coronavirus travel rights for a full breakdown of the rules and see our Cheap tests guide for the best prices on PCR and lateral flow tests.

The list of approved vaccination programmes will also be extended

The Government has also announced that a further 32 destinations will be added to the list of approved foreign vaccination programmes for those travelling to the UK. This means travellers arriving from these destinations who've been jabbed will soon be treated as 'fully vaccinated', allowing them to avoid pre-departure tests, self-isolation for 10 days on arrival, and taking day two and day eight post-arrival tests.

The following destinations' vaccination programmes will be recognised from 4am on Monday 11 October:

• Albania

• The Bahamas

• Bangladesh

• Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Brazil

• Chile

• Colombia

• Egypt

• Georgia

• Ghana

• Grenada

• Hong Kong

• India

• Indonesia

• Jamaica

• Jordan

• Kenya

• Kosovo

• Maldives

• Moldova

• Montenegro

• Morocco

• Namibia

• Nigeria

• North Macedonia

• Oman

• Pakistan

• Philippines

• Serbia

• South Africa

• St Kitts and Nevis

• St Lucia

• St Vincent and the Grenadines

• Thailand

• Turkey

• Ukraine

• Vietnam

You'll be able to send a picture confirming your lateral flow test results from later this month

In addition, it's also been confirmed that travellers to England will soon be able to send a picture of their lateral flow test results. It had already been revealed that fully vaccinated travellers to England and Scotland would be able to take a cheaper lateral flow test instead of the day two PCR test from later this month – although an exact date for this is still to be given.