On 17 March, the Foreign Office (FCO) issued an unprecedented advisory: it warned against all non-essential international travel.
The advice was given in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which saw borders closed around the world and travellers stranded abroad.
It didn’t make leaving the UK illegal as such, but it did mean travel insurance was largely invalidated for those who went abroad against the advice.
Download the new Independent Premium app
Sharing the full story, not just the headlines
Since then, the FCO has softened its rules, with certain countries deemed “low risk” put on an exemption list.
This list has evolved drastically since early July, with new destinations added and struck off as Covid-19 infection rates rose and fell around the world.
Recent high-profile removals include holiday hotspots such as Spain, France the Netherlands and Malta.
Destinations can be removed at the last-minute with little warning for travellers; the FCO says: “All our advice will remain under constant review to take into account the latest situation in each country.”
Here’s the full list of countries currently exempt from the FCO’s advice against ‘all but essential’ international travel:
Europe
- Austria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal (only The Azores and Madeira)
- San Marino
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Switzerland
- Turkey
Americas
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Cuba
- Curaçao
- Dominica
- Falkland Islands
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe
- Jamaica
- Martinique
- South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Maarten
- St Martin and St Barthélemy
- St Pierre and Miquelon
- St Vincent and The Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
Asia-Pacific
- Australia
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- Cook Islands
- Fiji
- French Polynesia
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- Laos
- Macao
- Malaysia
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Samoa
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Wallis and Futuna
Africa
- Reunion
- St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- Antarctica
- British Antarctic Territory
Source: Read Full Article