Hurrah, all UK travel restrictions have now been lifted meaning you no longer have to do passenger locator forms and expensive Covid tests on arrival.
From 4am on Friday March 18, these last remaining rules will be scrapped, the government announced.
Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, said the changes were “possible due to our vaccine rollout” and would mean “greater freedom in time for Easter”.
The forms required people to fill in travel details including their address in the UK and vaccination status. The scrapping of the travel rules is part of the government’s plan for the UK to live with Covid.
So now that the process for travelling is lengthy no more, many of us will be tempted to peruse Skyscanner and the like for an Easter or general spring getaway.
If that is you then you’re in luck, we’ve found some countries that are easy to get to and also have lax entry requirements.
Dubai
You can count on Dubai for some delicious sun and luxury tourist antics. And the process to get there and back isn’t too difficult either.
Nicky Kelvin, head of travel site The Points Guy, UK, says: “When booking Easter holidays, holidaymakers are going to be looking for places where travel is at the simpler end of the scale, destinations that have fewer testing requirements or have seen low volatility in the entry rules and restrictions on the ground.
“Destinations like Dubai have remained open as holiday spots relatively consistently and the testing requirements have now been relaxed. Dubai will continue to ride this popularity wave due to this, along with the guaranteed sunshine and availability of hotels and activities for every type of traveller.”
Spain
Fan-favourite Spain is a travel staple for Brits every year, with its warm sunshine, pristine beaches and tapas on offer.
Kelvin adds: “Spain remains a great choice for last-minute holiday-goers as there are no requirements to enter the country from England if you are fully vaccinated. Spain is also an expansive country, consisting of destinations such as the beautiful Canary islands and picturesque Tenerife, so there is plenty of room to travel around and soak up all of the southern sun whilst the British weather remains dim.”
Nordic countries
After a cold and wet winter, not many of us are too keen on visiting a cold country but try to make an exception for the Nordic countries – the places you’re most likely to witness the Northern Lights.
Kelvin says: “If you’re after a cooler holiday, Norway has for months led the charge towards restriction-free travel, and on February 12 became the first European country to lift all Covid-19 travel restrictions. Similarly, Iceland was among the first places in the world to drop all covid restrictions. Since March 1, all border restrictions were lifted meaning that anyone can enter the country with nothing more than a passport.”
Ireland
Who says you have to travel far for a cheerful holiday? Look no further than Ireland.
Ireland has lifted its last remaining Covid restrictions on travellers coming to the country, including its passenger locator form.
Previously, passengers arriving in the Emerald Isle were required to fill out a passenger locator form as well as show proof of vaccination or negative Covid test, but now visitors only require a passport. You might have missed St Patrick’s Day celebrations, but Ireland is always up for a good time.
Slovenia
Don’t sleep on Slovenia, it has stunning lakes, landscapes and dramatic scenery.
And like the aforementioned countries, Slovenia has ended its restrictions too. Travellers can now enter the territory of Slovenia without having to present a vaccination or a recovery certificate, or a negative Covid test.
Since February, they scrapped restrictions on shops, services, and other businesses. The restrictions imposed on nightclubs and out hours of establishments have also been lifted.
Happy days.