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Covid restrictions abroad: updates & observations

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Butts

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OK, I just checked those.

Malta has the UK on its red list banning travel.
Gibraltar doesn't allow entry for tourism.

So you're only option is Iceland. But! They ban travel for anyone who hasn't had both vaccines so only a limited few at the moment.

For me, that means nowhere for my summer hols. Yay!

I wouldn't panic this will all change within a couple of months , and is after all nothing but speculation.

You forgot Ireland and the Channel Islands both in the CTA.
 

TravelDream

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Channel Islands from April 26th

Ireland from May 29th

Both liable to be pushed back.

To me, it's a foreign holiday or nothing (it just doesn't feel like a holiday here in the UK). Luckily I was able to get abroad during the Christmas period so not as long as some others.
 

Peregrine 4903

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Did Madeira not even make it on the list. I heard that the portugese government wanted tourists to go there specifically and they have very low covid rates.
 

Butts

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Both liable to be pushed back.

To me, it's a foreign holiday or nothing (it just doesn't feel like a holiday here in the UK). Luckily I was able to get abroad during the Christmas period so not as long as some others.

What makes you think Jersey will be pushed back ? - It starts next Monday

They have the equivalent of Green Amber and Red for the UK broken down to Country and then County / Region.

Have a look on their website.
 

LAX54

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This must be a joke. According to the model, only the USA, Gibraltar, Israel, Iceland, Ireland, Malta, and Australia and New Zealand will be on the green list.


Australia and New Zealand have said no foreign tourists until 2022 at least. The US, Ireland and Israel ban foreigners from traveling there for tourism at the moment, but may open up for the summer to some. The others might have restrictions too.
Of course the UK can say, these Countries are OK to travel to, due to how they are dealing with the virus, however of course we cannot tell other Countries to let us in ! although I did hear the USA was looking a a 'UK only green light' in June or thereabouts.
 

nlogax

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Of course the UK can say, these Countries are OK to travel to, due to how they are dealing with the virus, however of course we cannot tell other Countries to let us in ! although I did hear the USA was looking a a 'UK only green light' in June or thereabouts.

Right now only Iceland is the only country on that list already supposedly allowing UK visitors without quarantine requirements for those with confirmed two-vaccination certification. There's also a lack of direct flights at the moment but that looks to be changing as we approach June.

My money on who'll be next would be Israel, the US and Malta although the latter two have both somewhat plateaued in terms of falling case numbers.
 

Butts

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Right now only Iceland is the only country on that list already supposedly allowing UK visitors without quarantine requirements for those with confirmed two-vaccination certification. There's also a lack of direct flights at the moment but that looks to be changing as we approach June.

My money on who'll be next would be Israel, the US and Malta although the latter two have both somewhat plateaued in terms of falling case numbers.

Also Ireland, in the CTA and Gibraltar which is a British Overseas Dependent Territory are likely to be amongst the first from those listed.
 

nlogax

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Unexpected plot twist. Not Europe but we've talked about it here already.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...aced-on-us-do-not-travel-covid-list-flb8xlqqs

The US government has added Britain to its “do not travel” list along with 100 other countries, citing a “very high level of Covid-19”, potentially dashing hopes of a transatlantic summer travel corridor.

This week, the State Department announced that it would expand the number of countries receiving its highest precaution rating to about 80 per cent of the world, up from just 34 countries. It said that the update would bring its guidelines more in line with those from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and “does not imply a reassessment of the current health situation in a given country”.
 

ExRes

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This smacks of a political decision, just like pretty much every global covid decision. I wonder what the US are after?

Of course it's political, the US are after what they're always after, power over everyone else, no doubt countries will be gradually removed from the covid blacklist when they agree to whatever trade terms are offered by the Americans
 
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TravelDream

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Of course it's political, the US are after what they're always after, power over everyone else, no doubt countries will be gradually removed from the covid blacklist when they agree to whatever trade terms are offered by the Americans

As it always is.

At the end of the day, the US is the big whale in our pond and we aren't.

Though I do strongly suspect the US will open to foreigners this summer who have had both vaccines if their national rate stays relatively low.
 

Butts

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Jersey have turned the "Traffic Lights" on so prospective visitors from the UK can check entry requirements depending on where you reside.

Falkirk is Amber :oops: so I won't be going for a bit.

Open for business on Monday with virtually no restrictions if you live in a Green Zone.
 

Yew

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Perhaps the main pandemic we are facing is small minded nationalism...
 

SouthEastBuses

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Meanwhile, some good news for those who wish to go to Spain (for example: myself)


Spain has said it hopes to open up to overseas travellers from June, as plans for an EU-wide digital certificate go before the European Parliament.
Tourism minister Fernando Valdés said a pilot test would take place in May so that Spain would be ready to receive travellers the following month.
The EU has been working on a digital pass in time for the summer holidays.
It would cover anyone who is either vaccinated against Covid-19, has a negative test or recently recovered.
Several countries have already begun using digital or paper passes to help ease local lockdowns.
Mr Valdés told a travel conference in Mexico his country would be "ready in June to tell all travellers worldwide that you can visit us".
However, any scheme to open up to non-European tourism would be dependent on the EU's digital green certificate and Mr Valdés said it was not a magic wand.
Spain has long been a favourite destination for British holidaymakers but they will have to wait several more weeks to find out if they can start booking. From 17 May, overseas leisure travel could resume for people in England under Prime Minister Boris Johnson's roadmap for easing restrictions.
The UK government is also expected to set out which countries fall into the "green", "amber" and "red" categories under a new risk-based traffic light system. These will determine testing and quarantine requirements for travellers when they return from various countries.
In a debate ahead of Wednesday's EU Parliament vote on the new scheme, EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders warned of the possibility of "fragmentation across Europe" if an agreement could not be reached.
"We would risk having a variety of documents that cannot be read and verified in other member states. And we risk the spread of forged documents, and with it, the spread of both the virus and the mistrust of citizens," he said.
Dutch MEP Jeroen Lenaers stressed that the proposed system would ensure "full equality and avoids discrimination between those who have been vaccinated and those who have not" by allowing travel to people who had tested negative or had recovered from the virus.
However, questions remain about how long immunity lasts after an infection and whether further jabs are needed amid the rapid spread of more contagious Covid variants.
Other issues include what data would be used to prove an individual was not infected with coronavirus and privacy concerns.

How will the passes work?​

Key to the EU's digital certificate is a QR code - a machine-readable graphic code made up of black and white squares - that contains personal data and the EU's Commission says it will be safe and secure. It is working with the World Health Organization to ensure the certificate is recognised beyond Europe.
The 27 member states also want to include non-EU countries such as Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, with officials saying earlier this week that vaccinated travellers from the US may also be able to visit Europe this summer.
However, the European Commission has said that there have been "no contacts" with the UK over the issue.
The UK government is working on a digital system for international travel that would prove travellers' vaccination status. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the BBC he would discuss the issue next week with G7 industrialised countries, including the US and Canada.
More details were expected to be released in the next few weeks, he added
A number of countries have already begun unveiling their own passport systems.
In Denmark, the Coronapas app is being used to allow customers who have been vaccinated or recovered from an infection to enter bars, restaurants and museums.
A similar scheme in Israel, which has one of the highest levels of vaccinations in the world, permits users to access hotels, gyms and theatres. The "Green pass" has also created travel opportunities for Israeli citizens, following deals with Greece and Cyprus.

Brits will be allowed in Spain from June provided they either have a negative Covid test or a vaccine.

I'm certainly looking forward to the moment I finally can go abroad once again!
 

Butts

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Meanwhile, some good news for those who wish to go to Spain (for example: myself)





Brits will be allowed in Spain from June provided they either have a negative Covid test or a vaccine.

I'm certainly looking forward to the moment I finally can go abroad once again!

Just to have wait and see the requirement (if any) from this end to take up their offer :E
 

ExRes

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Meanwhile, some good news for those who wish to go to Spain (for example: myself)





Brits will be allowed in Spain from June provided they either have a negative Covid test or a vaccine.

I'm certainly looking forward to the moment I finally can go abroad once again!

I may well be reading it wrongly but I'm not sure it's as straightforward as that, Spain may well want to open up but will they be able to unless the EU Parliament agree to introduce the digital pass?
 

kristiang85

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I've taken a risk and booked return flights to Portugal in August. At only £40 base price return on Eire O'Flot slap bang in the middle of the school holidays it was a no brainer really (even after adding on front row seats, luggage, speedy boarding it was still less than £100 each way, with flexible dates).

The downside is that I cancelled our honeymoon to Colombia but iberia gave us a full refund no questions asked.
 

Bantamzen

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I may well be reading it wrongly but I'm not sure it's as straightforward as that, Spain may well want to open up but will they be able to unless the EU Parliament agree to introduce the digital pass?
Well last year it was clear that the EU was leaving decisions on border controls to individual member states. So in the absence of a universally accepted app, they are not in much of a position to stop Spain.

Of course this then leads to the problem of actually getting to having such an app. There have only been a few countries that have put anything into use, and these have not been without their problems. Getting something in place that can securely use people's health records internationally in the space of a few weeks is going to be, well challenging to say the least.
 

westv

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I won't be going anywhere abroad if I still have to wear a mask. Hopefully 2022.
 

nlogax

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Well last year it was clear that the EU was leaving decisions on border controls to individual member states. So in the absence of a universally accepted app, they are not in much of a position to stop Spain.

Of course this then leads to the problem of actually getting to having such an app. There have only been a few countries that have put anything into use, and these have not been without their problems. Getting something in place that can securely use people's health records internationally in the space of a few weeks is going to be, well challenging to say the least.

Grant Shapps has confirmed that the NHS app (the general one, not the Covid tracker) will be doing the heavy lifting as the UK's vaccine passport du jour. It may need some 'clearing up' in terms of a specific Covid jab status highlighted in green or something, right now your Covid record is there amongst all and any other vaccinations on your health record.

I can't tell from news stories if this will be the one app able to be used for an entire journey or if something different would be required by destination countries and the NHS app only being used on exit from or re-entry to the UK.
 
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Bantamzen

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Grant Shapps has confirmed that the NHS app (the general one, not the Covid tracker) will be doing the heavy lifting as the UK's vaccine passport du jour. It may need some 'clearing up' in terms of a specific Covid jab status highlighted in green or something, right now your Covid record is there amongst all and any other vaccinations on your health record.

I can't tell from news stories if this will be the one app able to be used for an entire journey or if something different would be required by destination countries.
He has, but without having a standardised QR it will be of little use. And the EU have said the UK "has not been in contact", so make of that what you will. Plus the government haven't exactly shone when it has come to rapid deployment of such apps.
 

nlogax

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He has, but without having a standardised QR it will be of little use. And the EU have said the UK "has not been in contact", so make of that what you will. Plus the government haven't exactly shone when it has come to rapid deployment of such apps.

Sadly this is my expectation for UK travellers come May 17th. All dressed up and nowhere to go.
 

SouthEastBuses

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Grant Shapps has confirmed that the NHS app (the general one, not the Covid tracker) will be doing the heavy lifting as the UK's vaccine passport du jour. It may need some 'clearing up' in terms of a specific Covid jab status highlighted in green or something, right now your Covid record is there amongst all and any other vaccinations on your health record.

I can't tell from news stories if this will be the one app able to be used for an entire journey or if something different would be required by destination countries and the NHS app only being used on exit from or re-entry to the UK.

And thankfully, regarding the app, you can have a negative test result if you're not vaccinated.
 
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