Canadians - whether fully vaccinated or not - will be able to travel to the UK without quarantine.
The updated measures take effect Monday, 30AUG and come as Britain updates its ‘traffic light,’ colour-coded list of countries with different levels of travel restrictions.
Canada was one of seven countries that moved into the ‘green’ list, along with Denmark, Finland, the Azores, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Lithuania. On the other hand, other countries were moved into the ‘red’ list.
As a ‘green list’ country, Canadian travellers to the UK will still need to take a pre-departure test and a COVID-19 test on or before Day 2 of arrival. Regardless of whether they are fully vaccinated, no quarantine will be required, unless an individual tests positive.
The news is welcome on both sides of the pond.
As of 07SEP, Canada will permit fully vaccinated residents of any country to enter Canada without quarantine. The easing of restrictions in both directions will allow family members to visit again in person, and begin to restore tourism and transatlantic travel.
“We are thrilled by the news that Canada will be added to the UK Government’s green list as of
Monday, August 30th.” VisitBritain Senior Vice President, The Americas Paul Gauger said. “Canada is a robust and growing inbound market for Britain with strong cultural ties.”
VisitBritain reveals that in 2019, new records were set, with 874,000 Canadian visits to the UK.
“We know Canadians have been eager to visit again, and with Britain’s tourism and hospitality businesses reopened, we are ready to welcome them back.”
The move was labelled by some observers as a “Transatlantic Breakthrough.”
“With Canada expected to open its borders to fully vaccinated UK travellers in early September, today’s addition of Canada to the UK’s green list is a strong step forward for the safe return of bilateral transatlantic travel and economic activity,” Andrew Crawley, American Express Global Business Travel’s Chief Commercial Officer, said.
“The transatlantic travel corridor is one of the busiest trade routes in the world. The US now remains the sole obstacle to the full return of commerce across one of the busiest trade routes in the world.”
VisitBritain notes that all arrivals must complete the passenger locator form, which can be filled out online in the 48 hours before arriving in the UK. Travellers can find test providers in England by visiting the test provider website.
Each country within the UK may have different rules in place. Visitors are encouraged to confirm specific arrival requirements before arriving in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
More information on British arrival guidelines can be found at www.gov.uk.
