When will UK-US travel reopen?
As the end of summer nears, it looks increasingly unlikely that the UK-US travel corridor will open in the short term.
On 26 July, the Biden administration announced it will maintain restrictions on a range of countries, including the EU and China, for the foreseeable future, because of concerns about the rapidly spreading Covid-19 Delta variant and rising coronavirus cases in the country.
“Given where we are today ... with the Delta variant, we will maintain existing travel restrictions at this point,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told a press conference.
“Driven by the Delta variant, cases are rising here at home, particularly among those who are unvaccinated and appear likely continue to increase in the weeks ahead.”
In June, at the G7 in Cornwall, a new transatlantic travel taskforce was set up to explore ways to reopen UK-US travel.
The group is exploring options for resuming flights at scale on what was once the busiest and most lucrative intercontinental route network in the world.
Travel between the UK and the US has been frozen since March 2020, thanks to a series of presidential proclamations, while the US is on the UK’s amber list of countries, requiring a 10-day quarantine when returning to the UK and two post-arrival PCR tests.
After President Biden arrived in the UK for the G7 meeting in St Ives, the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, tweeted: “We’re pleased to announce a joint UK/US Taskforce to help facilitate the reopening of transatlantic travel.”
Here’s what you need to know about UK-US travel this summer.
How important is UK-US travel?
The market is huge. In 2019, nearly four million Britons travelled to the US, according to the UK’s Foreign Office, while 4.5 million visits were made from the US to the UK, according to figures from VisitBritain.
Pre-pandemic, London-New York was one of the busiest international air corridors in the world (as well as being important economically), with around three million passengers annually.
What are the entry requirements for the US currently?
A ban on travel from the UK to the US was introduced on 16 March last year. The presidential proclamation of 14 March 2020 banned UK travellers from entering the US because their presence “threatens the security of our transportation system and infrastructure and the national security”.
It prevents holidays and non-essential business or family trips to the US. The principle exception is: “Any alien whose entry would be in the national interest.”
According to the UK’s Foreign Office advice, British nationals who have been in the UK, Ireland, Schengen zone, Iran, Brazil, China and South Africa in the previous 14 days will not be granted entry.
Anyone arriving from elsewhere will be subject to usual entry rules: either with a visa or with an Esta visa waiver.
These rules don’t apply to US citizens and permanent residents of the US, as well as close family members and other limited visa holders.
The US is on the amber list - but for how long?
Various factors dictate a country’s entry onto the UK green list: countries must be advanced in their vaccine rollout; have low levels of any virus variants of concern; and have low infection rates. Taken together, the country must pose a low risk for Covid being reimported to the UK.
However, although the US remains stuck on the UK’s amber list, the rules have been softened to allow fully jabbed Americans to swerve quarantine.
On 28 July, transport secretary Grant Shapps confirmed that from 4am Monday 2 August, travellers to England who have proof of vaccination in the US, with a further two weeks for the jabs to take effect, will be able to avoid quarantine. They will be treated the same as people who have been fully jabbed by the NHS.
Mr Shapps tweeted: “We’re helping reunite people living in the US and European countries with their family and friends in the UK.
“From 2 August at 4am people from these countries will be able to come to the England from an amber country without having to quarantine if they’re fully vaxxed.”
They must provide a “test to fly” before being allowed to travel to the UK, and must also prebook a PCR test for after their arrival.
When will the travel ban be lifted?
Although a new taskforce has been announced, talks are ongoing and no firm timeline has been given for it to report back.
On 29 June, the Financial Times reported that talks between the two have stalled, with officials involved saying it was unlikely a conclusion would be reached by the end of July.
Meanwhile, the US has extended the existing travel ban on UK citizens.
On 26 July, the Biden administration announced it will maintain restrictions on a range of countries, including the EU and China, for the foreseeable future.
Both the US and the UK have a high number of Covid-positive cases caused by the Delta variant, although new infections in the UK appear to be decreasing.
“Given where we are today ... with the Delta variant, we will maintain existing travel restrictions at this point,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told a press conference.
“Driven by the Delta variant, cases are rising here at home, particularly among those who are unvaccinated and appear likely continue to increase in the weeks ahead.”
Airlines have been pushing the White House for months to lift the restrictions in the hope to regain lost ground, but summer travel to the US by Europeans and others covered by the travel restrictions now seems unlikely.
Can Americans travel to the UK?
The CDC has raised the UK to its highest risk category for Covid, level 4 or “very high”. It warns travellers not to travel to the UK, but if they must, to be vaccinated first.
However, this is not a legal requirement, and is guidance only.
For fully vaccinated Americans, the path has been smoothed. From 2 August, all double-vaccinated inbound US travellers will follow “green list” rules, and present a negative Covid test at the border and a negative PCR test within two days. Any unvaccinated US traveller will need to self-isolate for 10 days and take two PCR tests on days two and eight.
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