ARE YOU itching to get away? Here's everything you need to know about going on holiday abroad this year: 

Foreign holidays could be reintroduced from 17 May at the earliest according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's 'roadmap' out of lockdown. 

Anyone in England who travels abroad without good reason currently faces a £5,000 fine.

The Government announced plans for a new 'traffic light' system on Monday that would require travellers arriving in the UK from low-risk countries to take pre-departure and post-arrival coronavirus tests.

READ MORE: Where to get a COVID-19 test in Sussex - full list

READ MORE: Covid: Holidays to start in May with traffic light system

When can we go on holiday?

A government taskforce report is due on 12 April, about how and when international travel can resume. The earliest possible date for holidaying abroad had been given as 17 May - if the coronavirus situation allows it.

For England, the government has yet to confirm travel can take place from that date. 

The Argus:

The PM is hoping to stick to May 17 for holidays but we will find out more on April 12 (PA)

The Prime Minister said: “I do want to see international travel start up again. We have to be realistic. A lot of the destinations that we want to go to at the moment are suffering a new wave of the illness, of Covid, as we know.

“We can’t do it immediately, but that doesn’t mean that we’ve given up on May 17.

“We will be saying as much as we can, as soon as we can, about international travel.

“I know how impatient people are to book their holidays if they possibly can but I think we just have to be prudent at this stage.”

What is the traffic light system? 

On Monday, the Government unveiled the outline of a traffic light system for enabling foreign holidays to resume.

Assessments will be based on a range of factors, including the proportion of a country’s population which has been vaccinated, rates of infection, emerging new variants and the country’s access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing.

The Argus:

A new traffic light system will be introduced in order to allow people to travel abroad (Unsplash)

Travellers returning from countries rated “green” will not be required to self-isolate, although pre-departure and post-arrival tests will still be needed.

  • Green: No isolation needed on return to the UK - although pre-departure and post-arrival tests required
  • Amber: Details yet to be given, although there is speculation it would require a 10-day quarantine at home on return to the UK, with the possibility of an early release with a negative test
  • Red: There is a already a list of countries where any British national or resident visiting and then returning to the UK must pay for a 10-day quarantine in a hotel. Non-British nationals/residents are refused entry into the UK if they have passed through these countries.

What are the rules for going abroad?

The earliest date people from England will be able to travel abroad for a holiday is 17 May, when the country moves into step three of its lockdown exit plan.

That is only if the government is satisfied the four tests for lockdown easingare being met: 

1) The coronavirus vaccine programme continues to go to plan

2) Vaccines are sufficiently reducing the number of people dying or needing hospital treatment

3) Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospital admissions

4) New coronavirus variants do not fundamentally change the risk of lifting restrictions

At the moment, there are lots of rules for foreign travel, including having to quarantine when you re-enter the UK.

What are the rules for having a staycation? 

Holidays within the UK won't be allowed until 12 April at the earliest.

This is subject to four tests being met - including the vaccine rollout going smoothly and no surge in Covid-related hospital admissions.

If that happens, people can stay away from home with other members of their household, or bubble, in self-contained accommodation, such as a holiday cottage.

Hotels and B&Bs are set to open for holidaymakers in England on 17 May at the earliest.

But guests will have to obey the stage three social mixing rules, which are that a maximum of six people or two households can stay together indoors.

The earliest that all restrictions on mixing could be lifted is 21 June, as part of step four, the final stage of lifting lockdown.