Red list of countries and territories

Contents

1. Red list of countries and territories
2. Before you travel to England - red list rules
3. When you arrive in England - red list rules
4. Travelling with children - red list rules
5. Transiting through a red list country on your way to England
6. Medical, compassionate and work-related exemptions
7. Stay up to date

This page tells you what you must do before you travel to England and after you arrive, if you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive.

If you have been in a country or territory on the red list in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you will only be allowed to enter the UK if you either:

• are a British or Irish National
• have residence rights in the UK

If you live in England, you should not travel to countries or territories on the red list.

There are different rules for entering England if you have not been in a red list country or territory.

Red list of countries and territories

Before you travel to England - red list rules

Before you travel to England you must:

• take a COVID-19 test - you must take the test in the 3 days before you travel to England
• book a quarantine hotel package, including 2 COVID-19 tests
• complete a passenger locator form

You must do this even if you are fully vaccinated.

Read more about taking a COVID-19 test before you travel to England.

When you arrive in England - red list rules

When you arrive in England you must quarantine in a managed hotel, and take 2 COVID-19 tests.

You must do this even if you are fully vaccinated.

Travelling with children - red list rules

Children aged 11 to 17 must take a COVID-19 test in the 3 days before travel to England.

On arrival in England children aged 5 to 17 must quarantine in a managed hotel for 10 full days and take 2 COVID-19 tests.

Children aged 4 or under do not have to take any travel tests but must enter managed quarantine.

Transiting through a red list country on your way to England

If you make a transit stop in a red list country on your way to England, you may need to follow the red list rules when you arrive.

A transit stop is a stop where passengers can get on or off the transport in which you are travelling. It can apply to ships, trains or aeroplanes.

Whether you need to follow red list rules as a result of your transit stop in a red list country depends on what happens during the stop.

Air passengers

You need to follow red list rules when you arrive in England if you pass border control at the airport during your transit stop.

Ship passengers

You need to follow red list rules when you arrive in England if, during your transit stop, either:

• you disembark from the ship
• other passengers disembark then re-board the ship
• new passengers get onto the ship

Train passengers

You need to follow red list rules when you arrive in England if you get off the train in a red list country, for example to switch trains.

Private vehicles or coaches travelling through red list countries or territories

If you are travelling to England in a private vehicle, the rules of the countries and territories you drive through apply. If you drive through a red list country, then you must follow the red list rules when you arrive in England.

This applies whether you stop in the country or territory or not. You need to record the countries and territories you drive through on your passenger locator form.

Medical, compassionate and work-related exemptions

Some people are exempt from red list restrictions for medical or compassionate reasons, or because of the job they do.

Read about:

• exemptions from managed quarantine for medical or compassionate reasons
• work-related exemptions

Stay up to date

The risk posed by individual countries and territories is monitored continuously and the red list is reviewed every 3 weeks. Countries and territories can be added to the list or taken off it more frequently if conditions change.

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