Foreign Office reveals low-risk holiday locations ahead of green list release

The green list for foreign holiday destinations is not expected to be published until later this week, but Government travel advice gives an indication of what destinations could be on it.

Tourists visiting a number of popular summer hotspots do not face a level of risk for coronavirus that is “unacceptably high”, according to the latest updates from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The FCDO is not advising against non-essential travel to Portugal (excluding the Azores), Spain’s Canary Islands or the Greek islands of Rhodes, Kos, Zante, Corfu and Crete.

The ban on foreign holidays is expected to be lifted for people in England from May 17 as part of the next easing of coronavirus restrictions.

A risk-based traffic light system will be introduced, with different rules for returning travellers depending on which list their destination is on.

People arriving from a green location will not have quarantine, while those returning from somewhere on the amber list must self-isolate for at least five days.

The red list requires a 10-night stay in a quarantine hotel at a cost of £1,750 for solo travellers.

Assessments will be based on a range of factors, including the proportion of a country’s population that has been vaccinated, rates of infection, emerging new variants, and the country’s access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing.

There is no guarantee that the green list will match the FCDO’s travel advice, but the latter indicates the Government’s current evaluation of the risks to tourists.

Travel advice was updated on April 14 for Portugal, in October 2020 for the Canary Islands and the following month for the five Greek islands.

An FCDO spokesman said: “Whilst travelling abroad for holidays is currently not permitted there are exemptions allowing overseas travel for listed essential reasons.

“It is important that British nationals travelling or living overseas have access to the most up to date travel advice to help them make informed decisions about international travel and plan for a safe trip.”