Country Specific Risk of Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Update 42)

International travel continues to be impacted by COVID-19. In response to the emergence of the Omicron variant, many countries are changing their travel rules at short notice.

Travellers arriving in the UK need to follow specific rules regarding COVID-19 testing and quarantine. The rules depend on whether the traveller:

• is arriving from a country which is on the UK red list, or not currently on the red list
• is fully vaccinated or not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 using a UK government approved vaccine

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

• There are currently no countries on the UK red list.

Even if a country is not on the UK red list, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) may still advise against travel to that country due to the increased risk of COVID-19 at their planned destination.

All travellers should be advised to review the latest FCDO foreign travel advice for each of the countries they intend to travel or transit through, checking the 'Entry Requirements' section to find out if the country are currently allowing UK travellers to enter.

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 each 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 07 January 2022, the following countries continue to have a FCDO advisory warning against travel and have therefore been classified as having a 'high risk' of exposure to COVID-19:

• Afghanistan
• Burundi
• Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)
• East Timor (Timor Leste)
• Guinea-Bissau
• Haiti
• Nicaragua
• Papua New Guinea
• Turkmenistan
• Venezuela
• Yemen

The COVID-19 risk rating for all countries is being kept under constant review and a country risk can change at short notice. Before booking travel, travellers should be advised to consider all of the following:

• Check if their planned destination is on the UK 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.

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.