THE government has scrapped the traffic light system, with the amber list being merged into the green list.
Instead, countries are either on the Rest of the World "open travel" list or the red list which bans travel – here are the countries currently on the red list.
Which countries are on the red list?
While the red list remains in place, eight countries have now been removed.
Turkey, Egypt and the Maldives have been removed from the list, along with Sri Lanka, Oman, Kenya, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The full list of countries currently on the red list are:
- Afghanistan
- Angola
- Argentina
- Bangladesh
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Burundi
- Cape Verde
- Chile
- Colombia
- Congo (Democratic Republic)
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- French Guiana
- Georgia
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Indonesia
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Mayotte
- Mexico
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Réunion
- Rwanda
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
The eight countries will be removed from 4am on September 22.
Brits are advised against travelling to the destinations still on the list, with most major airlines and tour operators unlikely to offer flights to the countries.
The new traffic light system will be in enforced from October 4.
What are the rules for red list destinations?
Brits must still pay for a 10-day hotel quarantine package when returning to the UK.
The cost of a quarantine hotel stay increased in price last month, and now costs £2,285 per person, which includes the required Covid tests.
The price for a second adult sharing the hotel room costs £1,430 while kids cost £325.
Children under 5 can stay for free.
Travellers coming into England from the red list countries have to book a stay at a quarantine hotel through an online booking platform.
If passengers leave the quarantine hotel before their 10 days are up, they will be handed a £5,000 coronavirus fine, but this figure can increase up to £10,000.
What are the other travel rules?
Also announced today, fully vaccinated Brits will no longer need to have a pre-arrival Covid test to return to the UK, from October 4.
Not only has the pre-arrival test been scrapped, but double-jabbed travellers will only need a lateral flow test on day two, which cost around £30, instead of a PCR test.
Unvaccinated Brits will have to quarantine for 10 days as well as pay for a pre-arrival test, and tests on day two and day eight.
However, these new rules are likely to be introduced later next month.
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