Can I travel to Greece and islands Mykonos and Santorini? UK amber list rules and quarantine restrictions
BRITS who have been fully vaccinated can now travel to amber list destinations without having to quarantine on their return.
But with Greek Islands following different rules, here is what you need to know if you're thinking of jetting off to Mykonos or Santorini.
Can I go on holiday to Greece?
Greece remains off the UK's green list and is still on the amber list.
This means Brits will need the following when returning to the UK from Greece:
- A negative test taken pre-arrival
- A mandatory ten-day quarantine at home
- Two Covid tests, taken on day two and day eight
Double vaxxed Brits can skip the quarantine but will still need to have negative Covid tests pre-arrival and on day two, with the new rules in place from July 19.
What about the Greek islands?
Mykonos, Santorini and Rhodes have been added to the EU's "dark red" zone - meaning all travel is advised against.
The Greek islands were issued the new warning by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control's Covid-19 map on Thursday, July 29, 2021, after a rise in infections.
Greece is reporting 2,666 new infections on average each day, according to Reuters, having jumped from lows of 365 per day in July.
The cluster of 13 islands includes Greece's most popular destinations for foreign tourists, with Brits already heading to Rhodes and Santorini.
The islands are enforcing stricter Covid measures which had led to more police deployed to the popular Greek islands due to fears of tourists ignoring them.
What are the travel restrictions for Greece?
Greece welcomed British tourists back in May, despite being on the amber list.
Fully vaccinated tourists can visit, or those with a negative Covid test, and the country has said they will allow Brits to use their NHS paper vaccination cards as proof.
Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis said the country was happy to accept the paper handwritten card to avoid having to take a pricey PCR test to enter the Med holiday hotspot.
He said: “Until the UK has a digital passport, we have seen the paper cards that are provided with the two vaccine appointment dates and we are recognising them. They can be used on the ground and at the borders.”
Greece has been forced to re-impose some lockdown restrictions after a jump in Covid cases.
Restaurants, bars, clubs and entertainment venues can only serve sitting customers with reduced capacity.
CORONAVIRUS TRAVEL ADVICE
Here is the full list of countries on the green list, amber list and red list right now.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
In early August it was revealed that restrictions to Germany and Canada may be eased thanks to low Covid case rates.
We've also explained the latest travel rules for the Canary islands and the Balearic Islands.