UK moves India from red to amber list, the UK has eased Covid-19 travel restrictions on India, and travellers from the country will no longer need to undergo 10-day mandatory hotel quarantine under changes coming into effect from August 8.
Fully vaccinated Indians flying to the United Kingdom will no longer need mandatory 10-day hotel quarantine as India has been moved from the country’s “red” to “amber” list.
Under Britain’s traffic light system for international travel, returning from amber list countries means 10-day quarantining at home or any place of one’s choice.
Earlier in the month of April, the United Kingdom added India to its travel “red list”.
If Indian travellers plan to go to the UK for whatever purpose, they must follow amber list rules.
Before travelling to England
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 and pay for COVID-19 tests – to be taken after arrival in England
- complete a passenger locator form
On arrival in England you must:
- quarantine at home or in the place you are staying for 10 days
- take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8.
Taking to Twitter, UK’s Transport Secretary tweeted, “The UAE, Qatar, India and Bahrain will be moved from the red list to the amber list. All changes come into effect Sun 8th August at 4 am.”
“While it’s right we continue our cautious approach, it’s great news to open more destinations for people wanting to connect with families, friends and businesses across the globe, all thanks to our successful domestic vaccination programme,” he said.
Under the legal rules for countries on the amber list, passengers must take a COVID test three days before departure and book in advance for two COVID tests to be taken upon arrival in England as well as complete a passenger locator form on arrival. On arrival in England, passengers must quarantine at home or in the place they have confirmed as their location for 10 days and take a COVID-19 test on or before day two and on or after day eight.
Under-18 and those fully vaccinated in the UK are exempt from the home quarantine, as well as those who have received two doses of Covid vaccine in the EU and US. Also exempt are those fully vaccinated in the UK or under the UK vaccine programme overseas; under 18 on the day you arrive in England and resident in the UK or in a country with a vaccination programme approved by the UK and part of a UK-approved vaccine trial. Covishield, the India-manufactured Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, is likely to be covered under this exemption.
The update of the travel list came alongside an announcement that the cost for solo travellers from destinations still on the red list staying at a quarantine hotel will go up from August 12, from GBP 1,750 to GBP 2,285. The charge for an additional adult sharing a room will increase from GBP 650 to GBP 1,430. According to the government, this is to “better reflect the increased costs involved”.
