Here are the countries you can go to without quarantining

The Government has announced which countries are on the green list as part of their new traffic light system for foreign travel.

In a media briefing from Downing Street Transport Minister Grant Shapps made the announcement of where you'll be able to go on holiday without having to quarantine.

Portugal, Gibraltar and Israel are among the countries people in England can visit from May 17 without self-isolating on their return.

Mr Shapps also announced that from May 17, people who have had both doses of a coronavirus vaccine will be able to use the NHS app to demonstrate their status.

People who do not have the app will be able to request an NHS letter from that date.

What is the travel traffic light system?

Quarantine and coronavirus testing requirements for people arriving in England once foreign holidays are permitted from May 17 will be based on a new traffic light system, with destinations placed on green, amber and red lists.

People arriving from a green location will not need to quarantine on their return and will have to take one post-arrival test.

Those returning from an amber list country must self-isolate for at least five days and take two tests.

The red list requires an 11-night stay in a quarantine hotel at a cost of £1,750 for solo travellers.

Which countries are on the green list?

Portugal

Gibraltar

Israel

Australia

New Zealand

Brunei

Iceland

Faroe Islands

Tristan Da Cunha

St Helena

Ascension

Falkland Islands

Singapore

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Despite being on the green list, people will not be able to go on holiday to Australia, New Zealand or Singapore as they are closed to UK tourists.

The amber list

The most popular European destinations with UK holidaymakers – such as Spain, Italy, France and Greece – are on the amber list.

That means people returning from those countries must self-isolate at home for at least five days.

But Mr Shapps said “you should not be travelling to these places right now”.

No plans for the resumption of foreign holidays have been announced by the UK’s devolved administrations.

Travel plans are 'necessarily cautious'

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the removal of international travel restrictions was “necessarily cautious” and that the Government must “make absolutely sure” the countries the UK reconnects with are safe.

He said: “We in this country have managed to construct a fortress against Covid. But the disease is still prevalent in other parts of the world, most notably at the moment in India.

“In fact, more new cases of Covid have been diagnosed around the world in the last seven days than at any time since the pandemic began.”

He added: “That’s why today’s announcement, removing the stay in the UK restrictions from May 17, is necessarily cautious.

“We must make absolutely sure that the countries we reconnect with are safe, that their infection rates are low and their vaccination rates are high.

“It means making sure we are not incubating the most dangerous variants that they’re not and that they have safe and secure surveillance in place.”

Which countries are on the red list?

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced today that Turkey, the Maldives and Nepal have been added to the red list.

Here are the rest of the red list countries on the government's website:

Angola

Argentina

Bangladesh

Bolivia

Botswana

Brazil

Burundi

Cape Verde

Chile

Colombia

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ecuador

Eswatini

Ethiopia

French Guiana

Guyana

India

Kenya

Lesotho

Malawi

Mozambique

Namibia

Oman

Pakistan

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

Qatar

Rwanda

Seychelles

Somalia

South Africa

Suriname

Tanzania

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Uruguay

Venezuela

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Here are the remaining key dates in the Government's roadmap out of lockdown:

You can hear all the latest UK news on the hour, every hour.

• Travel