London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Quarantine scrapped for English travellers returning from Spain, Italy, France and Germany

Travellers returning to England after holidays to Spain, Italy, France and Germany will no longer need to self-isolate from July 10, the government has announced.
The Department of Transport (DoT) said the full list of countries which will be exempt from a 14-day quarantine period will be published on Friday. It is expected that details of the government’s so-called ‘traffic light’ safe travel system will also be announced later today.

However, all travellers – apart from a small list of exemptions – will still need to provide contact information on arrival to the UK, including details of destinations they have visited or passed through during the last 14 days.

Any travellers that have been in or passed through a country which is not on the exemptions list in the previous 14 days may be asked to self-isolate on return to England. The DoT said the list of countries will be kept under constant review in case there are spikes of coronavirus.

The Foreign Office has also updated its advice warning against ‘all but essential’ international travel, to exempt certain destinations that ‘no longer pose an unacceptably high risk of Covid-19’. The updated travel guidance will come into effect on Saturday and will be kept under review, added the DoT.

The exemptions will apply to passengers who have travelled home using any type of international travel, including trains, ferries and flights.

But the quarantine exemption will not apply to residents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The devolved governments are expected to set out their own travel regulations.

The government said it expects that a number of the countries on its exemptions list will also not ask UK travellers to self-isolate upon arrival, creating a so-called ‘air bridge’ between two nations.

‘This will mean that holidaymakers travelling to and from certain destinations will not need to self-isolate on either leg of their journey,’ added the DoT.

The government added that travellers should keep checking the FCO website for any updates and that existing public health advice on hand hygiene, face coverings, and social distancing must be followed.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: ‘Today marks the next step in carefully reopening our great nation. Whether you are a holidaymaker ready to travel abroad or a business eager to open your doors again, this is good news for British people and great news for British businesses.

‘The entire nation has worked tirelessly to get to this stage, therefore safety must remain our watch word and we will not hesitate to move quickly to protect ourselves if infection rates rise in countries we are reconnecting with.’

The DoT added that the decision to drop the quarantine period following a risk assessment by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, Public Health England and the Chief Medical Officer.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow…
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×