Are any expats currently resident in a red or amber zone in Europe, who don't have anywhere to quarantine in UK, going back to visit family this summer?

[Eeyoreswigwam]

I am sorry if this should be in the Covid topic but I thought I would find more specific info here.

I understand from the UK press today that many restrictions are going to be lifted in the UK shortly, but that travel restrictions are going to stay the same? Is that right?

I live in a country in Europe that the UK has designated an amber zone currently, but we don't have a second home in the UK like many of our friends, nor do our UK family live in houses that can accommodate us all, so we cannot quarantine with them, so it would mean quarantining in a hotel or sc cottage both on arrival (have to check but I think it is five to seven days) and then the same again on arrival back home and that is outside of the time we actually get to spend with family. Plus all the tests needed to travel are expensive.

So we are coming to the conclusion that we may not see our family in the UK this year both for budgetary and logistical reasons as we are busy with commitments and do not have ten to fourteen days (whichever it is) to waste.

Is this the same for you if you are a British expat currently living in Europe Zone 1, say in France, Belgium or Luxembourg? Will you be travelling back home this summer?

I get the impression that doubly vaccinated visitors from amber list countries are going to be exempted from quarantine on arrival in UK very soon. They will just need a negative test on boarding their plane.

Restrictions in EU countries vary from place to place, but again I think that most are taking the view that they will welcome those with two vaccines and/or a negative PCR test without quarantine.

I feel for you. I have a relative in Germany, double vaccinated, who returned to UK last month to attend the funeral of a close relative who had died unexpectedly. Five days quarantine on arrival in UK - but with relatives so tolerable- but they are now doing fourteen days house arrest, in solitary confinement, on their return to Germany. It is not helping their mental health.

Thank you very much for your response Minerva.

I feel for your relative in Germany and hope that her confinement will be ending shortly. Fourteen days alone is a long time indeed.

When you say that doubly vaccinated visitors from amber countries are going to be exempt from quarantining upon arrival in the UK soon, do you have an idea of how soon by any chance please? I heard Chris Mason on Radio 4 or 5 yesterday (I forget which) saying that whereas restrictions withing the UK would be easing on the 19th, he did not anticipate travel regulations changing. But maybe he was referring to something different?

Anyone else?

Grant Shapps the Transport Minister made a statement to Parliament last week saying that they were reviewing it but that as with everything Covid related it was complicated. I think most commentators expect it to change by August provided hospitalisations do not increase in the short term.

hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-06-29/debates/65D669AA-8596-45BA-93C7-19E206117C21/InternationalTravel

I'm in Italy. I haven't seen my family since August 2019. Much as I would like to go, we are not going as a family this summer. Like you said, it's too expensive and tricky to go as a family. My parents could actually host us but it wouldn't be easy and my kids don't want to go and spend the whole holiday in quarantine! I hope to go alone in Sept/Oct if restrictions are lifted.

We're in Germany and haven't been back for 2 years now. It's looking likely that the UK will drop quarantine for the double jabbed soon and that Germany will do the same for travel from the UK, vague mention of August has been made by which time we will have had our second vaccines. Nothing is certain however so we are left waiting to see what gets announced when and will have to plan last minute. I think cases are about to start increasing again here which might change things. We won't be able to go if quarantines remain in place, it's too much with our small children, but when I was looking into going by myself I was planning to book an Airbnb near family for the quarantine which is at least only 5 days on the UK side, but that does beg the question what you do if you then test positive!

I’m in the USA. My mother and stepfather live in a one-bedroom flat in a complex that is for over-55s only. I’m under 55 but they were able to have overnight visitors of all ages ore-COVID. Now the manager has implemented a rule of no visitors as they had a relatively high number of cases and deaths in the complex due to the average age of they residents and the fact that many residents were in the more vulnerable groups.

So I have not been able to visit as I have nowhere to quarantine. At a push I could have stayed on my mum’s sofa but with the “no visitors” rule I can’t even do that. I’d have to quarantine in a hotel and still wouldn’t be able to see my mum.

Thank you again Minerva for that information and link! It is very much appreciated.

And thank you to everyone who has replied on this thread. I am very sorry that many of you are in the same boat and are missing your families and friends.

And yes indeed potatoesofdefiance (love your nn btw!) that is a very pertinent question!

I guess it is a "watch and wait" situation but very difficult for people having to attend functions on fixed dates (eg rsvping wedding invitations) and also for trying to make alternative plans this summer when nothing is certain!

I think, very sadly, for the sake of everyone's schedules both here and in the UK, we are going to have to impose some certainty on the situation and say we are not coming.

I am in an amber European country, moving back to the UK this summer. We are both double vaccinated but concerned the relaxation on quarantine for double vaccinated promised to be brought in some time this month will only apply to british residents.

We have a relative’s house for a week of quarantine, may camp in another relative’s garden for the rest. We are homeless for the following 3-4 weeks anyway (tenant issues) so sofa surfing / camping will be us for august anyway.

Argh @BritWifeInUSA you just have reminded my my quarantine location in uk (grandmother’s house) is an over 55s complex too. I am just betting on any spotting of / action on our infraction takes longer than the quarantine period.. It is a park home and with no garden we have to stay inside so should be pretty low key.

We're in Germany and not expecting to come back this summer but hoping tentatively that restrictions may ease for late autumn or Christmas. We can't travel this summer anyway as I'm pregnant and due in August, but also have an older child in school so need to stay aware of the school term dates.

Would really love to go back this autumn/winter so family can meet the new arrival. We haven't been home or seen anyone since September 2019. We are hoping some family members may be able to come to us in September.

Good luck with your move Frenchfoodie1 and the subsequent quarantine!

And good luck with the birth BertieBotts; I hope your family get to meet the new arrival sooner rather than later.

@BertieBotts

BBC reporting that German quarantine for travellers from UK to be relaxed from 7 July. No quarantine for vaccinated travellers and 10 days plus test to release on Day 5 for unvaccinated. So looking more positive.

Oh brilliant - thanks for that info Minerva :)

I do wonder whether unvaccinated will include children over 12 though. I should be fully vaccinated by about October, but DS1 is unlikely to be. The quarantine requirement just makes everything unfeasible.

I arrived back in Germany from the UK on Monday evening just as they changed the status of the UK. Great, I don't have to quarantine anymore, I thought. No, I had a call from the health ministry yesterday, it only applies for arrivals from today, so I have to stay home for 14 days. Ridiculous.

@franke - depending on where you are I think you get a call on day one and another call on day seven. There is no enforcement beyond that. So I would take a flexible view on the 14 day quarantine - especially if you have been vaccinated.

Thanks Minerva. Yes, I suspect the enforcement will be quite loose. I'm not sure what would happen if I was deemed to have broken the rules. What irks me is that the change in status for the UK has nothing to do with reduced risk of getting covid in the UK but rather new data showing the efficacy of the vaccine (which I've had) and the prevalence of Delta in Germany. On that criteria all arrivals from the UK in the last couple of weeks shouldn't have to quarantine. I don't really know who to ask for confirmation of the rules - none of the major agencies are responding, understandably.

I am in HK. At the moment flights from the UK are banned because of the number of imported cases (lots of school and Uni students returning from UK for holidays who were unvaccinated). If I want to go to UK and then return to HK here's what I have to do:

• Fly to UK, do 10 days home quarantine.
• Have holiday in UK
• Spend 22 days in another country where there isn't a flight ban to HK (most people do Dubai or Phuket although Iceland is getting popular)
• Fly to HK and do 21 days strict hotel quarantine. Go to jail if you leave your room.

Fun times..... and no I'm not going to actually do this

I'm in Spain and won't be going home this summer. On the one hand I've got a 5-week-old, so that complicates everything. But also I can't face isolating in my parents' house and not seeing anyone or anywhere else. Haven't seen family since Christmas 2019, but I'm going to have to hold on till at least next spring I think, as there are currently no direct flights to my home (under normal circumstances there's a daily easyJet flight).

That's the thing Madrilena its not as if you can use the time to see family, (unless they live in a mansion with a substantial guest suite) which is the whole point of going in the first place!

And we do need to follow the rules, within the bounds of common sense, because we have a family member who is vulnerable.

Yikes I thought it was complicated enough just living in Europe Insert1x20p!

Agree it's all as clear as mud atm Franke

I do feel for all these families that are separated.

Just seen this in Twitter, assuming it's reliable:

twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1413100523440455684?s=19

NEW - No10 clarifies that only those vaccinated by the NHS will be exempt from quarantine. So it does not apply to British citizens vaccinated abroad.

Thanks LaMadrilena. So no change at all then for those of us on the other side of the channel.

The Guardian has confirmed it:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jul/08/shapps-confirms-no-quarantine-fully-vaccinated-amber-list-returnees-england-covid