Vaccinated Residents of the UK Are No Longer Required to Self-Quarantine After Return

Good news for travelers from the UK who want to visit a foreign country but couldn’t do this due to the quarantine requirement. Starting from 19 July, fully vaccinated residents of the UK do no longer need to self-isolate after their return home. The exemption is valid for a large list of international destinations (so-called amber countries). Note that only vaccination certificates and the NHS app are recognized as legal proofs.

The government decided to take this step after backlash from UK citizens who live abroad and cannot enter the UK without the quarantine requirement although they were vaccinated in their countries of residence. Moreover, many of these people were vaccinated with the same vaccines that the NHS uses. People under 18 who return home from amber list countries will also not need to self-isolate.

This new policy will potentially make traveling to 140 countries, which are on the amber list, easier. Not only hotels in Mallorca or Playa del Sol await travelers from the UK. Many tourist destinations that are popular with UK vacationers are on the amber list. That being said, the new policy doesn’t change the fact that some countries have strict rules regarding travelers from the UK, so they may still be obliged to take PCR tests or do extensive paperwork. Travelers returning to the UK will still be obliged to take a PCR test on the second day. However, the mandatory test on the eighth day is no longer necessary. The requirements for fully vaccinated people are now the same whether they plan to visit a green or amber list country.

Note that the government recognizes people “fully vaccinated” when they received the final dose of the vaccine at least 14 days ago. While British people planning to travel abroad this summer welcome the change, domestic hoteliers are still waiting for any positive shifts. They complain that the government does nothing to save the country’s inbound tourism.

Indeed, keeping the borders of the UK closed is costly. The country is losing £70m in exports every day. Businesses cannot start working properly, donating to the overall recovery after the pandemic. Inbound tourism is the fifth largest sector in the UK, and this branch of the economy is currently dying. The government needs to come up with a plan as soon as possible and let foreign guests visit the country.