Portugal will be removed from the UK's green travel list from Tuesday - but what countries are on the list?

Which countries are on the green list now?

Twelve destinations made it onto the first green list in May.

Some do not currently let in British travellers or are impossible to reach directly, thereby necessitating travel through an amber country and triggering quarantine upon return to the UK.

And just yesterday Portugal was removed from the green list, with changes coming into effect at 4am on 8 June.

There are now 11 nations on the green list.

*will be removed on 8 June

Green list in full

  • Portugal*
  • Israel
  • Gibraltar
  • Iceland
  • Faroe Islands
  • Brunei
  • Falkland Islands
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Singapore
  • Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

What does the green list mean for travel?

The traffic light system introduces a green list, amber list and updated red list of countries, with each colour meaning different rules for testing and quarantining.

Anyone travelling to a green list country is required to take one test before departure, and one PCR test on or before day two of arrival in the UK.

No quarantine is required unless the test is positive.

However, it's important to remember that just because a country is on the green list, doesn't mean UK travellers will be permitted to enter.

For example, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore will not be welcoming tourists.

However, Iceland is allowing vaccinated UK travellers to enter on holiday, or those who can prove they have recovered from a previous Covid-19 infection, as is Gibraltar.

Will the green list change?

The government will review the lists every three weeks, and while it's hoped that more countries will be added to the green list, it's not unlikely that more of the current green countries will turn amber if their Covid cases begin to rise.

Why was Portugal removed?

The Department for Transport (DfT) said the measures are being implemented "to safeguard public health against variants of concern and protect our vaccine rollout".

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it was "a difficult decision" and Portugal was downgraded because the government wants to give the UK "the best possible chance of unlocking domestically" on 21 June.

He said the emerging Nepal mutation of the Indian variant was of concern and Portugal's positivity rate has "nearly doubled since the last review".