‘End travel ban earlier,’ says Labour as Cyprus welcomes vaccinated British travellers
As Cyprus becomes the first Mediterranean nation to confirm it will welcome British holidaymakers who have been vaccinated against coronavirus, a senior Labour MP has demanded that the government opens up international travel before its earliest planned date of 17 May.
Ben Bradshaw, a former cabinet minister and current member of the Transport Select Committee, said: “The great news that Cyprus will welcome vaccinated Brits from 1 May means the UK government must end its flawed ban on people leaving the country before the current 17 May date.
“Give our vital travel sector a desperately needed boost.”
Mr Bradshaw is MP for Exeter, the former home of Flybe – the regional airline that collapsed a year ago, with the loss of 2,400 jobs.
The island’s deputy tourism minister, Savvas Perdios, told the Cyprus News Agency: “We shall facilitate the arrival in Cyprus of those British nationals who have been inoculated with vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency.”
The regulator has authorised the two vaccines currently used in the UK, from Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer.
Mr Perdios said British tourists who have completed a course “can come here without needing a negative test and without needing to quarantine”.
While the European Union is working on a “digital green pass” to open up borders, Cyprus and other EU countries are moving ahead independently. Estonia, Poland and Romania have already removed most or all of the entry restrictions for people who have completed a course of vaccinations.
Almost one-third of the UK population have had at least one jab, with 32 million adults expected to have had both doses by mid-July. The whole adult population is expected to have been offered at least one vaccinations by the end of July.
At present all holidays within and beyond the UK are banned. The government says international travel will not be permitted before 17 May.
Cyprus currently has extremely tight restrictions on the few people – mainly its citizens – legally able to travel from Britain to the island. They must take a test before departure, another on arrival and undergo at least 10 days in quarantine.
The government in Cyprus has already indicated it will loosen restrictions for British holidaymakers from April, requiring only a PCR test in the 72 hours before arrival on the island. That was the requirement for UK visitors to Cyprus last year, but it is an onerous and expensive obligation.
With inoculated holidaymakers deemed to present a lower risk to the local population, British visitors who have been vaccinated are likely to be particularly attractive to Mediterranean nations that are heavily dependent on tourism.
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is seeking clarity on the proof required of vaccinated visitors.
Since November the UK government has promised to work towards some kind of globally accepted certification, but there no sign of any imminent agreement.
On the travel ban, it says: “The government will determine when international travel should resume, which will be no earlier than 17 May.”
What are the current rules for visiting Cyprus?
All holidays within and beyond the UK are banned – and anyone seeking to travel to Cyprus from here must either be an EU citizen or a Cyprus resident, or have special permission to visit, as well as exemption under Britain’s Covid rules. Everyone who is allowed to travel to Cyprus needs a test before departure, a test on arrival, and to spend at least 10 days of quarantine.
From 1 April visitors from the UK may be admitted to Cyprus if they take a test in advance, though British rules mean a holiday is still not possible until 17 May at the earliest. The government says international travel may be possible on or after 17 May.
What is changing?
The deputy tourism minister of Cyprus, Savvas Perdios, told the island’s news agency: “We have informed the British government that as of 1 May we shall facilitate the arrival in Cyprus of those British nationals who have been inoculated with vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency, so that they can come here without needing a negative test and without needing to quarantine.”
Both the Oxford AstraZeneca and the Pfizer vaccines have been approved by the EU’s medicines regular. It is likely that completing the course of two jabs will be necessary, with a wait of at least a week from the second one before full protection is deemed to have been acquired.
What proof will be required?
It’s unclear. At present people in the UK being vaccinated will usually get a card, and their vaccination status may also be registered on the NHS app if they have signed up for the scheme.
Several other EU countries, including Estonia, Poland and Romania, allow in visitors from the UK who have been vaccinated with proof such as a note from their GP – though doctors’ representatives here say they have plenty on at the moment without writing letters for holidaymakers.
The UK government says it is working with international partners on some kind of globally accepted certification, though we are far from agreement on a scheme.
Is the Cyprus move connected with EU plans for a ‘digital green pass’?
No. The European Commission is certainly urging progress on a certification system showing vaccination, testing or recovery status, that it hopes will help to unlock Europe.
But it seems unlikely at present that the EU will prove any more unified on tourism in 2021 than it was last year.
“Every nation for itself” appears to be the order of the day, and this year the Mediterranean charge is led by Cyprus and Greece.
The Greek tourism minister, Haris Theoharis, has been talking up the prospect for weeks of vaccinated British holidaymakers being allowed in without formality – though Cyprus is the first Mediterranean nation to come up with a coherent plan including a date.
Meanwhile leaving the UK is about to get even trickier...
From Monday morning passengers leaving the country by air, sea or rail will have to complete a form before being allowed to depart.
The Declaration to Travel will be checked by the airline, ferry line or train operator to ensure that the traveller is legally allowed to leave the UK under the exemptions for personal or business reasons. It’s not clear where to find the form, or the information necessary.
The Home Office has only said that more information will be available “in due course”, presumably over the weekend.