Covid travel: France is added to amber list with no return quarantine required for those fully vaccinated

Fully vaccinated travellers returning to Scotland from France will no longer need to quarantine from Sunday.

As the UK government makes widespread changes to its travel system, France has moved from the amber plus list to the amber list.

France had previously been added to the list after concerns about the Covid Beta strain which scientists believe may be more resistant to vaccines.

Norway, Germany and Austria are among seven nations being added to the green list.

Mexico has now been added to the red list.

Despite prior speculation, Spain will remain on the amber list, enabling travellers who are fully vaccinated to continue to enjoy a quarantine-free return.

India, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are being moved from the red list to the amber list as part of the changes, which come into effect from 4am on August 8.

Countries now on the UK green list – which means no quarantine is required for returning travellers with or without vaccines – include:

• Germany
• Norway
• Slovenia
• Austria
• Romania
• Bulgaria
• Slovakia
• Malta
• Croatia (green watchlist – could be moved to amber)

The vast majority of all other countries are still currently on the amber list.

Dozens of countries remain on the red list, including Pakistan, Turkey, Brazil and South Africa.

If you have been in one in the last 10 days, you can only enter the UK if you are a UK or Irish national, or UK resident.

You must quarantine for 10 days in a government-approved hotel regardless of your vaccine status, booked and paid for in advance.

From 8 August, these hotel rates are:

• 10 days (11-nights) for one adult – £2,285
• Additional adult (or child over 11) – £1,430
• Children aged five to 11 – £325