Where can you go in Europe without the risk of quarantine?

In July, when borders started to reopen, the UK government announced a number of travel corridors. Initially, there were 59 countries from which you could travel without the need to quarantine on arrival. The government also introduced a list of countries and territories exempt from the advice against ‘all but essential international travel.’

Brits, desperate for sun, sand and sea flocked to the airports for European holidays. However this freedom proved short lived and within weeks, some of the ‘travel corridors’ had been removed. Other countries have since followed suit. Your options for a summer holiday are shrinking, and as countries report surges in cases, the list could shrink further.

Agia Anna beach, Mykonos
Wouldn’t you want to dip in the clear waters of Agia Anna beach on Mykonos? (Although it may not be an option for long…)

Where can you go in Europe without quarantine?

I have updated the list of ‘travel corridors’ below to show which in Europe require quarantine on arrival and whether they are excluded from ‘essential travel only.‘  If the country ticks all three criteria, then it could be a a candidate for a last minute summer break.

Covid experience in these countries

The data also shows the number of cumulative numbers of Coronavirus infections for 14 days per 100,000. The UK government uses this data (albeit based on 7 day data) to establish when a country should be removed from the quarantine exemption. If the country exceeds 20 cases per 100,000 over seven days, it is a potential candidate for the reintroduction of quarantine. These numbers change rapidly so even if a country ticks all three boxes today, it may not in a few weeks.

coronavirus in Europe

I have highlighted any countries in red which exceed the magical 20 number. This means they could soon require quarantine on arrival into the UK.

Covid statistics

Country Cases per 100,000 over 14 days (Source: ECDC) Exempt from ‘all but essential international travel’ (FCO guidance) No need to quarantine on arrival
Cyprus 20.4 √ but with negative Covid test provided within 72 hours of travel
Denmark 30.7
Estonia 8.2 √ providing the country from where arriving has an infection rate of 16 or fewer cases per 100,000 people for the previous 14 days
Faroe Islands 299.9
Finland 5.3 ×
Gibraltar 97.9
Germany 17.9
Greece 24.4
Greenland 0
Hungary 4.3 x
Iceland 30.5 x
Ireland 25.4 x
Italy 10.3
Latvia 3.9 x
Liechtenstein 20.8 x
Lithuania 12.1 x
Norway 13.6 x From midnight on Friday 21 August, all travellers from the UK will be required to quarantine for 10 days on arrival.
Poland 25.6
Portugal  
San Marino 58.1
Slovakia 10.2
Slovenia 12.8
Turkey 20.6
Vatican City 10.3

Note, that quarantine may still be imposed if you show signs of Covid during travel or on arrival in any country on the list above.

European quarantine
Check the relevant websites for details of European quarantines

What countries are quarantine free?

Countries highlighted in gold do not impose a quarantine on arrival or on your return to the Uk. They also are exempt from essential travel only requirements so your insurance should be valid. More importantly they do not exceed the limit above.

In Europe therefore there are currently 16 countries that you can visit without quarantine on arrival or on your return. If you remove the countries in red this number drops to just 8 countries.

One last tip

Given how quickly the position can change, my last piece of advice would be to book refundable hotels. That way you can obtain a refund if you must cancel due to government imposed changes.

Mykonos old port
Mykonos old port

Have your say

Given the rapidly changing situation, would you travel currently? Even if quarantine was involved? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

This post may contain affiliate links which pay me a small commission should you click on them and make a purchase. Creating blog content takes up a lot of time including researching, fact checking, editing and more and for very little reward. It would be great therefore if you could use these links if anything catches your fancy. These small commissions help towards the cost of running the site, and the occasional glass of wine.
Spread the love

About Anne

Anne is the founder and editor of Frommilestosmiles. If she isn't travelling, she is thinking of travelling or planning her next trip. She has visited over 90 countries on six continents and sampled everything from backpacking to bank bursting travel. Her mission is to help you enjoy more luxurious travel without the luxury price tag through the use of airline and hotel rewards and other money-saving travel tips

12 comments

  1. As a US passport holder, I recently entered Serbia, Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Turkey with no quarantine there, intermediate countries, or when returning to the US. I had to fill out a brief form when landing in Albania but that was it. I’m not sure if the UK would require quarantine upon return.

    • Many of those countries currently require quarantine on the UK if you have entered them within 14 days of arriving in the UK. Those travelling directly from the United States also definitely need to quarantine on arrival. Of course the problem is that this relies on the integrity of entering travellers many of whom I suspect will not adhere to the entry requirements. Obviously each country is different as can clearly be seen from the above, and indeed the situation changes day by day as countries experience spikes in cases. Sounds like you had a great trip. I love that part of the world.

      Where did you get to?

  2. Norway has a 10 day quarantine on arrival for uk. If you are able to enter at all.

  3. What about Netherlands, Belgium

  4. Thank you for changing the table. The FCO isnt to be relied on for the destination rules.

    People have to look at the information from the destination goverment. People are still arriving in Iceland not being aware of the change – as reported in their local newspapers

  5. There is a tick against your Iceland entry not a cross. The FCO actually doesnt give information for other countries, only the UK rules.

    https://www.covid.is/categories/tourists-travelling-to-iceland

  6. Your table is wrong. iceland has mandatory 5 day quarantine on arrival for everyone since the 19th August. It was announced 10 days ago.

    I dont undertand why every tracker site still has this information wrong when the governement has made this very clear in their announcements

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.