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The government has confirmed that people arriving in England from countries such as France, Spain, Germany and Italy will no longer have to be quarantined as of July 10.
A full list of exempt countries presenting “reduced risk” of coronavirus will be released on Friday.
Most travelers to the UK currently have to isolate themselves for two weeks.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also changing its advice against all, except essential, trips to various countries since Saturday
Quarantine restrictions went into effect in early June, to try to prevent the introduction of the coronavirus at a time when infections in the UK were declining.
The new exemptions mean that people arriving from selected destinations will be able to enter England without self-isolation, unless they have been or transited non-exempt countries in the previous 14 days.
Some 60 countries are expected to be included, according to BBC Newsnight political editor Nick Watt.
However, the announcement did not guarantee reciprocal agreements with foreign countries, meaning that UK travelers may have to isolate themselves upon arrival there.
The Department of Transport added that delegate administrations “will establish their own approach to exemptions” and passengers returning to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland “must ensure that they comply with the laws and guidelines that apply there.”
Traffic light system
Confirmation of the exemption for the first four countries comes after weeks of speculation about how quarantine rules could be relaxed.
Last weekend, the government said a traffic light system would be introduced, with countries classified as green, amber or red, depending on the prevalence of coronavirus.
Ministers have been under pressure to facilitate quarantine measures due to the impact on the travel industry, and several vacation companies and airlines have been urging the government to abandon the deal.
The DfT said the Joint Biosecurity Center had conducted a risk assessment, in close consultation with Public Health England and the medical director.
It considered factors including the prevalence of the virus, the number of new cases and the potential trajectory of the disease at that destination, the department said.
The list of exempt countries will be kept “under constant review” so that if health risks increase, self-isolation measures can be reintroduced, he added.
The government said its “expectation” was that several of the exempt countries would also not require UK arrivals to insulate themselves and that it would continue to work closely with international partners to discuss arrangements for UK travelers.
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Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps said the move marked “the next step to carefully reopen our great nation.”
“The entire nation has worked tirelessly to reach this stage, therefore, security must remain our keyword and we will not hesitate to act quickly to protect ourselves if infection rates increase in the countries we are reconnecting with,” said.
All passengers, except those on a small list of exemptions, will still be required to provide contact information upon arrival in the UK, including details of the countries or territories they have been in or for the past 14 days.
A spokesman for the trade association Airlines UK said the announcement was “very welcome” and meant that the airlines “could restart services in many key markets in time for the peak of summer travel.”
“There is no doubt that quarantine has had a devastating impact on our industry, and while it is welcome that the government has removed its blanket ban, we will encourage rigor and science is applied to all future decisions surrounding our businesses.” said.
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