UK allows travel to resume from India starting 8th August

With effect from 8^th August 2021, India will be removed from UK’s red list of travel, which means that thousands of Indian students, as well as other travellers who were waiting to travel from India to UK, will not have to quarantine themselves for ten days in managed quarantine hotels. The quarantine can be managed at home or wherever they are staying.

“India, UAE, Bahrain and Qatar will be moved from Red List to Amber List”, tweeted, UK transport secretary Grant Shapps MP on Wednesday night. These changes will take effect at 4 a.m. on Sunday, August 8^th. On the other hand, Pakistan and Bangladesh will continue to be on the Red List. The minister said “Leveraging on the gains that we have made through the successful vaccination program and helping the families, friends and relatives to reunite, we’re committed to opening up international travel safely. This will also aid in opening the routes for businesses.” The statement also stated that travellers who have spent their previous 10 days in a country which is on the Red List are prohibited to enter UK borders except for British or Irish citizens or those who have UK residency.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla conveyed on July 24 that he has requested the UK government to reconsider its ban on tourists and students from India. The travellers who have quarantined in hotels have repeatedly expressed their dissatisfaction with poor food quality, inability to open windows and get fresh air and being treated like prisoners by the security staff.

Fully vaccinated travellers from India who have taken Covishield, Sputnik V or Covaxin will have to home quarantine themselves for ten days. However, fully vaccinated people from UK or jabbed with a vaccine which is approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for Europe, Swissmedic for Switzerland, or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be barred from home quarantine.

“Data for all countries will be reviewed on a regular basis, and the government will not hesitate to revise the border rules if the infection rates of any country change,” a government spokesperson said. 

Now that India will come under the Amber List, Indian citizens who do not have residency rights of UK will also be able to travel to Britain. This will also require home quarantine for 10 days along with two COVID-19 negative tests.