The UK Government has moved to add India to its “Red List” from Friday, after a rise in cases from the country
Welcome to the United Kingdom.
The travel ban from India to England will be active from 4 am on Friday 23 April 2021.
Only British, Irish and third-country nationals with residence rights (including long-term visa holders) will be allowed to enter the United Kingdom. On arrival, they will be required to self-isolate in a government-approved quarantine facility for 10 days.
International visitors who have departed from or transited through India in the previous 10 days will be refused entry into England.
Arrivals must enter the United Kingdom via a designated port too.
During their managed quarantine stay, passengers will be required to take a coronavirus test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8, and they will not be allowed to shorten their quarantine period on receipt of a negative test result or through the Test to Release scheme.
In terms of flights, direct flights from India will continue to be permitted, but passengers are advised to check their travel plans before departing for England.
According to the Department of Transport, their reasons are:
The situation in India has deteriorated with an extremely rapid rise in cases detected throughout April, which is accelerating. Over the last week, local rates have almost doubled, increasing to 111 cases detected per 100,000 per week – higher than any other point in the outbreak. Despite the current travel measures, there is a high volume of travel between India and the UK, and we have already seen 103 cases of the variant under Investigation (VUI) in the UK.
If you’re a British National, travelling from a Red List country back to the UK, you should make use of the commercial options available if they wish to return to England. Commercial routes that will enable British and Irish nationals and residents to return to England continue to operate.
The Red List
At the time of writing, the England Red List is at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transport-measures-to-protect-the-uk-from-variant-strains-of-covid-19.
The countries on it include:
- Angola
- Argentina
- Bangladesh
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Burundi
- Cape Verde
- Chile
- Colombia
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Ecuador
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- French Guiana
- Guyana
- India (will be added to the list 4 am, Friday 23 April)
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Rwanda
- Seychelles
- Somalia
- South Africa
- Suriname
- Tanzania
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
For international visitors, if you have been in or through any of the countries listed below in the previous 10 days, you will be refused entry to the UK.
If you are a British or Irish National, or you have residence rights in the UK, you will be able to enter. You must quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days.
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