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Country Specific Risk of Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Update 41)

03 December 2021

International travel continues to be impacted by COVID-19. In November 2021, many countries put travel restrictions in place to respond to the emergence of the Omicron variant. 

On 26th November 2021, a number of countries were added to the UK red list, which details the COVID-19 testing and quarantine rules that travellers must follow on arrival to the UK if they were in a red list country in the 10 days prior to arrival.

  • The list of countries on the red list is kept under constant review.
  • Countries and territories may be added or removed at short notice.

Prior to arriving in the UK, all travellers, regardless of their vaccination status, who have been in a red list country in the previous 10 days must:

Travellers arriving in the UK from countries not currently on the red list still need to follow specific rules, depending on whether they are fully vaccinated or not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 using a UK government approved vaccine.

Travellers should be aware that even if the country they plan to visit is not on the travel red list, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) may still advise against travel to that country due to the risk of COVID-19 at their planned destination.

  • All travellers should be advised to review the latest FCDO foreign travel advice guidance for each of the countries they intend to travel or transit through.
  • It should be noted that the UK red list rules do not stipulate which destinations are allowing UK travellers to enter, this needs to be checked in the 'Entry Requirements' section of each country page on the FCDO foreign travel advice guidance.

Before booking travel, travellers should be advised to consider all of the following:

  • Check if their planned destination is on the red list of countries and territories
  • Review the FCDO guidance on individual country entry requirements, restrictions, screening and quarantine requirements
  • Be aware that travel regulations may change at short notice.
  • Check the risk of exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19) at their destination: this will be listed under the 'Emerging Health Risks' tab of each TRAVAX country page
  • Consider their risk of developing severe COVID-19 and the availability of medical facilities at their destination (be aware that services may be overwhelmed due to COVID-19)
  • Ensure they have adequate travel insurance cover for the duration of their trip
  • Consider how they will arrange COVID-19 testing at their destination prior to return to the UK if required to do so
  • Be aware of UK Border Force rules for entering the UK during return travel

Detailed advice on the above points including advice on reducing the risk of exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19) during travel is available on the fitfortravel COVID-19: Health Considerations for Travel page.

Country Specific COVID-19 Risk

All TRAVAX country pages include a COVID-19 country specific risk-rating which identifies the country as having either a 'high risk' or a 'risk' of exposure to COVID-19 for UK travellers.

  • This risk-rating can be found in the 'Emerging Health Risks' drop down section on every country page and each risk-rating is accompanied by appropriate travel advice.

Travellers should be advised to avoid non-essential travel to 'high risk' countries, even if they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 due to the increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 and/or emerging or known variants of coronavirus (COVID-19) in that country to the traveller.

As of 1 December 2021, the following countries have a FCDO advisory warning against travel and have therefore been classified as having a high risk of exposure to COVID-19:

  • Afghanistan
  • Angola
  • Botswana
  • Burundi
  • Democratic People's Republic of Korea
  • Eswatini (Swaziland)
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Haiti
  • Lesotho
  • Malawi
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Nicaragua
  • Papua New Guinea
  • South Africa
  • Timor Leste (East Timor)
  • Turkmenistan
  • Venezuela
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

Travellers should be aware that the COVID-19 risk rating for all countries is being kept under constant review and a country risk can change at short notice.

Prevention in Travellers

Currently COVID-19 vaccines are not available solely for the purposes of travel, however travellers should be encouraged to participate in the UK COVID-19 vaccination programme if they are eligible.

Travellers should be advised to always seek medical advice if they develop a fever and have recently travelled abroad, and tell the health care professional about their recent travel history.