Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced via his Twitter account that fully vaccinated travellers now WON’T need a pre-departure test before they arrive back into the UK from countries that are on the current Green and Amber lists as all lists except the Red List are axed.
The Traffic Light System will also be simplified. From October 4 the Green and Amber lists will be axed, leaving only a Red List – countries to which holidaymakers will have to quarantine from on return.
Holidaymakers returning from countries on the current Green and Amber lists, plus eight extra countries which are being moved from the Red List including Turkey, Pakistan and the Maldives will no longer require a pre-deprture test before travelling back to the UK. The expensive and prohibitive Day 2 PCR tests are being replaced with the much cheaper lateral flow tests.
Mr Shapps tweeted: TRAVEL UPDATE: we’re making testing easier for travel From Mon 4 Oct, if you’re fully vax you won’t need a pre-departure test before arrival into England from a non-red country and from later in Oct, will be able to replace the day 2 PCR test with a cheaper lateral flow.
“In addition, EIGHT countries and territories will come off the red list from Weds 22 Sept at 4am, incl. TURKEY, PAKISTAN and MALDIVES.
“We’ll also be introducing a new simplified system for international travel from Mon 4 Oct , replacing the current approach with a single red list and simplified measures for the rest of the world – striking the right balance to manage the public health risk as No.1 priority.
The NI Executive are expected to announce that they are following the UK.
