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Quarantine measures are in place for Scots returning from the majority of nations around the world.
It means people have to self-isolate at home for 14 days when they get back from holidays or visits to a swathe of countries – or risk a £480 fine for non-compliance.
On the other side, there is a smaller list of countries which the Scottish Government has decided to create so-called “air bridges” with.
These are generally countries deemed as safe as or safer than Scotland in terms of levels of coronavirus in the territory.
When you go on holiday to these countries, you don’t need to quarantine for 14 days when you return home.
But you must isolate for 14 days if you arrive back from Canada, the US, much of Central and South America, and some countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Travellers from Sweden, Russia and anywhere else not on the exempt list also have to obey the measures.
Ministers have repeatedly warned that the list of countries with quarantine-free travel is subject to rapid change should Covid-19 cases in these places rise – making booking any foreign holiday risky.
Already, a growing number of countries have been moved from the exempt list to the quarantine list.
This page will keep you updated about which countries are on which list.
Countries where you must now quarantine on your return
- Andorra
- Aruba
- Austria
- The Bahamas
- Belgium
- Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
- Croatia
- Curaçao
- Cyprus
- The Czech Republic
- Denmark (from 12.30pm on Friday, November 6)
- France
- French Polynesia
- Germany (from 4am on Saturday, November 7)
- Guadeloupe
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Jamaica
- La Réunion
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Monaco
- The Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain (including the Balearic Islands)
- Sweden (from 4am on Saturday, November 7)
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Turks and Caicos
- Vatican City State
Countries where you can travel quarantine-free
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Barbados
- Brunei
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Estonia
- Faroe Islands
- Fiji
- Finland
- Germany
- Greece – including Greek islands (Mykonos from 4am on Sunday, October 25)
- Greenland
- Grenada
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- Latvia
- Macau
- Madeira and Azores
- Malaysia
- Maldives (from 4am on Sunday, October 25)
- Mauritius
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Spain’s Canary Islands (from 4am on Sunday, October 25)
- St Barthélemy
- St Kitts & Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Pierre and Miquelon
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Vietnam
What about measures in other countries?
Simply because a country is on Scotland’s exempt list does not mean you can easily go there.
A number of countries where the Scottish Government has permitted quarantine-free travel have their own strict measures in place.
- Travellers to Australia must get an “exemption visa” to enter the country with strict criteria attached, and if they are allowed in they must quarantine for 14 days.
- Japan has banned travellers from the UK from coming into the country.
- Visitors to Iceland must either quarantine for 14 days or pay for a Covid-19 test on arrival. If they buy a test they must quarantine until they get a free second test five to six days later
- New Zealand‘s border is closed to all except travellers who have a “critical purpose” in visiting the country.
- If going to South Korea, you must take a test and do a 14-day quarantine upon arrival.
