These are all of the countries currently safe to travel to - according to Foreign Office guidelines

At the start of July the UK government released a list of travel corridors, which named all the countries and territories that are considered safe to travel to.

More than 70 countries were initially included on the list, allowing UK nationals to travel to these regions without having to quarantine on their return.

However, following a rise in coronavirus cases in some parts of the world, several countries have since been removed as they currently pose a high risk to tourists.

Which countries have been removed?

On 27 July, Spain was removed from the list of approved travel corridors, with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advising against all non-essential travel to mainland Spain, including the Balearic and Canary Islands.

The advice was updated in response to an increase in coronavirus cases in several regions, but most particularly in Aragon, Navarra and Catalonia, which include the cities of Zaragoza, Pamplona and Barcelona.

Belgium, Andorra and the Bahamas were also removed from the list in early August, meaning travellers who return to the UK from these countries will now be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

France, The Netherlands, Monaco, Malta, Turks and Caicos, and the island of Aruba were all removed from the approved travel list on 15 August, with quarantine restrictions applying to all travellers returning to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Croatia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago, have also been added to the quarantine list, with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announcing the news on Thursday (20 August) evening. The new quarantine rule will take effect from 4am on Saturday 22 August.

Scotland has also removed Switzerland from the safe travel list, meaning travellers returning from this country will also have to self-isolate for a fortnight on their return.

What if I have a holiday booked?

The FCO is now advising all British nationals against all but essential travel to all of the countries listed above, based on the current assessment of coronavirus risks.

Travellers who decide to go ahead with their travel plans after 15 August will be required to self-isolate for two weeks on their return to the UK.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has said that travel insurance will remain valid for people who are already in quarantine countries, including France, until they return home. However, those who travel to countries against FCO advice will “likely” find that their insurance is invalid, the ABI added.

As for employees who will have to go into quarantine, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab previously said that no worker who is required to self-isolate should be penalised by their employer, including by being put on sick pay.

Will any other countries be added to the quarantine list?

Any countries that record more than 20 new cases per 100,000 population are added to the government’s watch list.

Both Turkey and Greece were thought to be at risk of being placed back onto the quarantine list after a recent increase in infections. However, their daily cases are not currently high enough to see travel restrictions reinstated.

It was also expected that Portugal would be unlikely to be removed from the quarantine list, as the number of daily cases is still rising. However, the country has managed to reduce its number of daily cases overall, with the number now at 14.4 per 100,00 of the population – well below the necessary 20.

As such, the UK government announced on 20 August that Portugal has been added to the safe list, meaning holidays to the country can go agead.

Which countries are safe to visit?

The following countries and territories currently do not require travellers to self-isolate for 14 days on returning to the UK.

If you visited or made a transit stop in a country or territory that is not on the list, you may be subject to quarantine restrictions.

Here’s the full list of countries that are considered safe to visit:

Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Anguilla

Antigua and Barbuda

Australia

Barbados

Bermuda

Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba

British Antarctic Territory

British Indian Ocean Territory

British Virgin Islands

Brunei

Cayman Islands

the Channel Islands

Curaçao

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Dominica

Estonia

Falkland Islands

Faroe Islands

Fiji

Finland

French Polynesia

Gibraltar

Germany

Greece

Greenland

Grenada

Guadeloupe

Hong Kong

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland

the Isle of Man

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Macao (Macau)

Malaysia

Mauritius

Montserrat

New Caledonia

New Zealand

Norway

Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands

Poland

Portugal (to be added at 4am on 22 August. If you arrive in England from Portugal before 4am 22 August, you will need to self–isolate)

Reunion

San Marino

Seychelles

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Korea

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

St Barthélemy

St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

St Kitts and Nevis

St Lucia

St Pierre and Miquelon

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Switzerland

Taiwan

Turkey

Vatican City State

Vietnam