Australia, Portugal, Gibraltar and Israel are among 12 countries and territories on the government’s “green list”.
The designation means people in England can return from holidays without having to self-isolate when they get home.
Under Boris Johnson’s roadmap for easing England’s lockdown, May 17 is the earliest that overseas leisure travel will be allowed.
Countries will be categorised as red, amber or green, with different quarantine and testing requirements.
People travelling to a green list country will not need to self-isolate on return and will only need one post-arrival test.
Arrivals entering England from an amber country must quarantine at home for at least five days, and take a minimum of two post-arrival tests.
While those returning from a red list country must stay in a quarantine hotel for 11 nights at a cost of £1,750.
Green list
Portugal including the Azores and Madeira,
Australia
New Zealand
Singapore
Brunei
Iceland
Faroe Islands
Gibraltar
Falkland Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Saint Helena
Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Israel and Jerusalem
Meanwhile Turkey, the Maldives and Nepal have been added to the red list.
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference on Friday, 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.”
The most popular European destinations with UK holidaymakers – such as Spain, Italy, France and Greece – are on the amber list.