If you’ve been eagerly awaiting a sign that a sailing holiday could still be possible this year, then this is it. In an announcement that will bring relief to many British holidaymakers, summer travel plans and holidays are now back on the cards. 

While Coronavirus regulations advise British nationals against all but essential international travel, starting from 10 July 2020, passengers arriving from a select group of countries and territories won’t be required to self-isolate on arrival back into England. 

Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, published a list of countries where the Government has abandoned its quarantine policy. Whether you jump on some last-minute sailing deals or plan for a more cautious late-summer getaway, the good news is, you’ve got 59 countries to choose from. 

In the Caribbean, you can consider The Bahamas, St Lucia and Grenada, all part of our Top Places to Sail in the Caribbean. For some island hopping a bit closer to home, you can hit up a host of European hotspots in Greece, Italy and Spain.

The Government said, “We will keep the conditions in these countries and territories under review. If they worsen, we will not hesitate to reintroduce self-isolation requirements.”

Notably, you’ll see some of Britain’s most popular holiday destinations not included on the list including Portugal, the US and Sweden. These have all been deemed not to have a sound enough grip on their coronavirus infection rate by the Government.

It’s important to note that while arrivals from the listed countries are excluded from the self-isolation policy, UK residents will still need to comply with coronavirus requirements in the country they travel to. For instance, Australia is also on the list but currently, only Australian citizens, residents and immediate family members are permitted to go there. Similarly, New Zealand is also included on the Government’s list but the country requires UK arrivals to quarantine for 14 days.

Countries and territories exemption list

• Andorra
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Aruba
• Australia
• Austria
• The Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belgium
• Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba
• Croatia
• Curaçao
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Dominica
• Faroe Islands
• Fiji
• Finland
• France
• French Polynesia
• Germany
• Greece
• Greenland
• Grenada
• Guadeloupe
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macao (Macau)
• Malta
• Mauritius
• Monaco
• the Netherlands
• New Caledonia
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Poland
• Reunion
• San Marino
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• South Korea
• Spain
• St Barthélemy
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Pierre and Miquelon
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turkey
• Vatican City State
• Vietnam

The 14 British Overseas Territories are exempt as are Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man because they are part of the common travel area. For now, these travel exemptions only apply to England, with information for travel into Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to be published in due course.

Before any travel, make sure you’re up to date with the most recent travel guidelines from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as with all things COVID-19, restrictions can change.