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Country Specific Risk of Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Update 40)

02 Nov 2021

International travel continues to be impacted by COVID-19 and during October, several changes were made to the UK government guidance relating to international travel.

The red list is a list of countries and territories with significantly high case numbers and/or COVID-19 variants of concern. There are specific COVID-19 testing and quarantine rules that must be followed to enter the UK from a country on the red list.

  • As of 1 November 2021, there are no countries on the red list. However, this is kept under constant review and countries and territories can be re-added to the red list at any time.

If you are arriving in the UK from a country not currently on the red list, you will still need to follow specific rules, depending on whether you are fully vaccinated or not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 using a UK government approved vaccine. 

Even if the country you plan to visit is no longer on the travel red list, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) may still advise against travel to that country due to the risk of COVID-19 in the country you plan to visit. 

  • You must review the latest FCDO guidance for each of the countries you intend to travel or transit through.
  • Be aware that the UK red list rules do not stipulate which countries are allowing UK travellers to enter; you will need to check this in the 'Entry Requirements' section of each FCDO country page.

Before booking any travel abroad, you should consider all of the following:

  • if the country you plan to visit is on the red list 
  • carefully review the FCDO guidance on entry requirements, restrictions, screening and quarantine requirements for the country you are visiting
  • check the risk of exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19) at your destination: this is detailed in the ‘Alerts section’ of each country page
  • consider your risk of developing severe COVID-19
  • make sure you have valid travel insurance
  • check the availability of medical facilities at your destination should you become unwell
  • check if you need to arrange COVID-19 testing at your destination prior to your return to the UK
  • review the UK Border Force rules for entering the UK during return travel

Detailed advice on the above points including advice on reducing your risk of exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19) during travel is available on the COVID-19: Health Considerations for Travel page.

Country Specific COVID-19 Risk

All fitfortravel country pages include a COVID-19 country specific risk-rating which identifies each country as having a 'high risk' or a 'risk' of exposure to COVID-19 for UK travellers. 

Countries which have been categorised as 'high risk', have a high risk of exposure to COVID-19 and/or risk of emerging or known variants of coronavirus (COVID-19).

  • You should avoid non-essential travel to 'high risk' countries, even if you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

This risk rating can be found in the 'Alerts' section on each country page and is accompanied by some travel advice.

As of 1 November 2021, the following countries have a FCDO advisory warning against travel and have a high risk of exposure to COVID-19. 

  • Afghanistan
  • Burundi
  • Democratic People's Republic of Korea
  • Guadeloupe
  • Guatemala
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Nicaragua
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Timor Leste
  • Turkmenistan
  • Venezuela
  • Yemen

The COVID-19 risk rating in each country is being kept under constant review and may change at short notice.

Prevention in Travellers

Currently, COVID-19 vaccines are not available solely for the purposes of travel, however you are encouraged to participate in the UK COVID-19 vaccination programme if you are eligible.

After you return home from travelling abroad, always seek medical advice if you develop a high temperature, telling them about your recent travel history.