London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 03, 2026

Singapore and Thailand on 'quarantine-free' list

Singapore and Thailand on 'quarantine-free' list

People arriving from Singapore and Thailand in England and Scotland will not need to quarantine from Saturday morning, the government has said.

They have been added to the list of "travel corridor" countries.

But travellers coming from Slovenia and Guadeloupe will have to self-isolate for two weeks.

Both have also been added to Wales' quarantine list, while arrivals there from Gibraltar and Thailand will not need to self-isolate.

The changes come into force at 04:00 BST on Saturday.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said there had been "a significant change in both the level and pace of confirmed cases of coronavirus" in both Slovenia and Guadeloupe.

Data from Slovenia shows that its seven-day rate of cases is 29.1 per 100,000 people, up from 14.4 in the previous seven days.

The rate for Guadeloupe has risen more than six-fold in the past four weeks, the DfT said.

When a country's rate rises above 20, the UK government considers imposing quarantine restrictions.



Travellers who do not self-isolate when they are supposed to can be fined £1,000 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or £480 in Scotland.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps reminded passengers they were required by law to fill in a passenger locator form.

The form asks travellers to provide their contact details and UK address. Passengers can be fined up to £3,200 in England if they do not provide accurate contact details, or £1,920 in Wales.

"This is vital in protecting public health and ensuring those who need to are complying with self-isolation rules," Mr Shapps said.

The decision to remove quarantine restrictions for arrivals from Thailand and Singapore is unlikely to lead in a surge of people from England visiting as both countries are only allowing people to enter for a limited number of reasons, such as if they have a work permit or are the spouse or child of a resident.

Denmark retained its quarantine exemption, despite its seven-day case rate being 33.8.

The DfT urged employers to be "understanding" of people returning from Slovenia and Guadeloupe, as they will need to self-isolate.

The statement gave no update on the possible introduction of testing at airports as a way of reducing quarantine requirements.

The travel industry has demanded this should take place urgently to avoid further job losses.

Earlier this week, British Airways boss Alex Cruz called for trials to be held for passengers flying between London and New York.

He said "this is imperative", adding that the airline is "still fighting for our own survival".

Last week, Sweden was made exempt from quarantine for Wales, England and Scotland.

At the same time, Portugal was placed back on England's quarantine list after a rise in infections.

It comes as coronavirus cases in the UK rose by 3,395 on Thursday, government figures showed, while deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test increased by 21.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Marks Merchant Navy Day With Tribute to Civilian Seafarers
Burnham Pays Tribute to Two Police Officers Killed on Duty in Northern England
Booking.com Left Fake Downing Street Listing Online for Two Months, Which Says
Burnham and Macron to Review UK-France Cooperation on Channel Crossings
UK Business Confidence Improves Slightly but Investment Concerns Persist
Burnham Faces Pressure Over Future North Sea Oil and Gas Licences
Burnham Pushes Wider English Devolution Through ‘Number Ten North’
British Chambers of Commerce Raises 2026 UK Growth Forecast to 1%
Keir Starmer Resigns as Holborn and St Pancras MP, Triggering By-Election
UK Chancellor Faces Tighter Budget Headroom as Long-Term Borrowing Costs Rise
UK Government Weighs Thames Water Nationalisation as Financial Crisis Deepens
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Faces First Commons Questions Over Tax and Spending Plans
Eleven British Seafarers Receive Merchant Navy Medal
Which? Creates Fake 10 Downing Street Rental Listing to Expose Booking.com Vetting Weaknesses
BP Appoints New Chairman in Effort to Stabilise Leadership
Aberdeen Sells Hydrogen Bus Fleet at Heavy Loss After Green Transport Experiment
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record as Climate Change Intensifies Extreme Heat
Scotland Pledges to End Temporary Accommodation for Children and Build 111,000 Affordable Homes
DNO Agrees $396 Million Deal to Acquire Capricorn Energy
Uber and Wayve Launch UK’s First Supervised Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service in London
Britain Expected to Avoid New US Tariffs Targeting European Union
Middle East Conflict Pushes UK Energy Costs Higher and Revives Inflation Concerns
UK Growth Forecast Cut to 1% Through 2027 as Youth Unemployment Is Projected to Rise
Andy Burnham Links Weak UK Growth to Brexit in First Full Commons Session as Prime Minister
Keir Starmer Resigns as MP, Triggering Holborn and St Pancras By-Election
UK Business Confidence Improves but Remains Deeply Negative
Aberdeen Hydrogen Bus Sale Recovers Just Six Pence for Every Pound Invested
Which? Exposes Booking.com Verification Failures With Fake 10 Downing Street Listing
British Business Bank Invests Up to £46 Million in Deep-Tech Startup Fund
Scottish Government Puts Violence Against Women at Center of Legislative Program
FCA Eases UK IPO Rules to Strengthen London’s Listing Market
UK Likely to Avoid Next US Tariff Measures as Washington Targets EU
Macron Visits UK for Bayeux Tapestry Exhibition and Border Security Talks
British Chambers of Commerce Cuts UK Growth Outlook to 1% for 2026 and 2027
Keir Starmer Resigns as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, Triggering By-Election
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Unveils Devolution and Cost-of-Living Agenda
UK Borrowing Costs Surge as 30-Year Gilt Yield Reaches 5.88%
Cleveland Police Receive £2 Million to Tackle Serious Crime in Middlesbrough
Number of Young People in England Without a Close Friend Reaches Record Level
Five Arrested After Newborn Baby Dies From Stab Wounds in Sheffield
Nigel Farage Faces Questions Over Reported Second Parliamentary Standards Investigation
UK Retirement Funding Requirement Rises by £64,000 Compared With 2021
UK House Prices Rise for First Time Since April, Nationwide Says
FCA Chief Faces Allegations of Intimidating Consumer Group Over £9 Billion Car Loan Inquiry
Scottish Government Presses Ahead With Cap on Essential Food Prices
Burnham Government Moves to Overhaul Early Prison Release Scheme
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record in 2026, Met Office Says
UK Government Announces Major Reset of Diplomatic Policy Towards Israel
UK Pushes Back After Trump Reopens Falkland Islands Sovereignty Dispute
Keir Starmer Resigns as MP, Triggering Holborn and St Pancras By-Election
×