After months of lockdown and accompanying travel bans, countries around the world have begun to lift restrictions and reopen their borders. That said, no travel is risk-free and spikes in cases will occur until we have a vaccine. Authorities are, understandably, remaining cautious and are continuously reviewing travel guidance, imposing quarantines, self-isolation and entry restrictions at short notice to protect public health.

Nevertheless, many of us still want to travel, or need to. To help this process, here we round up some of the best resources for keeping up to date with the latest advice.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

As a whole, the FCO is advising British nationals “against all but essential international travel”, with a 14-day quarantine in place for those returning from a country outside of the Common Travel Area (Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man). In July, the UK government announced an easing of restrictions, introducing a list of “travel corridors”: countries and territories exempt from this rule. Note that Scotland has its own list of exempt countries. These countries are viewed as no longer posing a high risk for UK travellers. You will not have to self-isolate as per government regulations, unless you made a transit stop in a country that is not on the list in the 14 days before arriving in the UK. This list is subject to change at any moment – as we went to press, France, the Netherlands, Monaco, Malta, Turks and Caicos Islands and Aruba had recently been removed – so visit the website before booking any travel. You can sign up for country email alerts to stay informed of any changes while there. gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus

Overseas government websites

While you might have the green light from the UK to travel, you still have to comply with regulations in the country you are visiting. Measures can vary from a requirement to self-isolate, quarantine or undergo a Covid test to simply providing your details to local authorities. This information can be found on government websites, and the FCO has a page for each country.

Passenger locator form

Regardless of whether the country you have visited is classed as being part of a “travel corridor”, both UK residents and visitors must complete the government’s passenger locator form prior to entering the UK. This must be done online in the 48-hour window before travel, and you have to show either a digital or paper version of the document attached to your confirmation email at the UK border. This is so the government can get in contact if you or someone you have travelled with develops symptoms. People arriving from the Common Travel Area do not have to complete the form, nor do certain people with specific job roles. Failure to comply can result in a fine of up to £100. gov.uk/provide-journey-contact-details-before-travel-uk

World Health Organisation

The UN body has plenty of useful advice on its website, including a Q&A for travellers that provides advice on topics such as the wearing of face masks, ventilation on board aircraft, and guidance for high-risk passengers. The website also has a useful Covid-19 “dashboard” with a map showing up-to-date information on cases and deaths by country, territory and area. who.int; covid19.who.int

American Express Global Business Travel

Amex GBT recently unveiled “Travel Vitals”, an online platform that aims to give travellers all of the information they may need before, during and after a business trip. Free to use, it draws on data from hundreds of sources and allows you to search for real-time travel information by destination, airline, airport, hotel chain, rail operator and ground transport provider. There is also a handy “know-before-you-go” tool that outlines travel restrictions for specific locations and identifies Covid-19 hotspots and spike areas. travelvitals.amexgbt.com