Portugal added to UK Covid-19 safe travel list

Portugal is being added to the UK’s travel corridor list, meaning arrivals from the country will no longer have to quarantine, but Croatia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago are being removed, it has been confirmed.

As revealed earlier by the Guardian, UK government ministers including the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, agreed on Wednesday to changes affecting Portugal, Croatia, and Trinidad and Tobago.

But, after final discussions and the agreement of the UK’s devolved administrations on Thursday afternoon, Austria is also being taken off the travel corridor due to concern over its coronavirus infections. In a sign of diverging approaches between the devolved nations, Scotland is also moving separately to remove Switzerland from its own travel corridor list.

Announcing the move, Shapps tweeted: “Data shows we need to remove Croatia, Austria and Trinidad & Tobago from our list of #coronavirus Travel Corridors to keep infection rates DOWN. If you arrive in the UK after 0400 Saturday from these destinations, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days.

“Data also shows we can now add Portugal to those countries INCLUDED in Travel Corridors. As with all air bridge countries, please be aware that things can change quickly. Only travel if you are content to unexpectedly 14-day quarantine if required (I speak from experience!)”

The move to exempt arrivals from Portugal from 14-day coronavirus quarantine measures is a major boost for the country’s tourist industry, which was dealt a blow when it was left off the travel corridor list earlier this summer.

Last year, UK travellers made more than 2.5 million visits to Portugal, according to Office for National Statistics figures.

Croatia is being taken off the travel corridor list after a surge in infections, with Austria, and Trinidad and Tobago joining it in being removed, giving thousands of holidaymakers 35 hours from the time of the announcement to return in order to escape quarantine measures. The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice to advise against all but essential travel to the three countries. It has also added Portugal to its list of countries exempt from its global advisory against non-essential travel.

It is understood Greece is being kept under close watch amid concern over rising Covid infections. Individual decisions on whether or not to remove destinations from the travel corridor are taken by devolved administrations, which each have legal and political responsibilities for enforcing these travel regulations in their own jurisdictions. Last week’s removal of France from the list was taken in unison by the four UK nations.

Scotland’s justice secretary, Humza Yousaf, tweeted: “If returning to Scotland from Austria, Croatia, Switzerland & Trinidad & Tobago you will have to self-isolate for 14 days. If returning from Portugal you will *no longer* need to self-isolate for 14 days. Above applies to Scotland, all changes come into effect 4am Sat 22nd August.”