The Government has announced the green, amber and red lists for international travel.

Here the PA news agency answers 11 key questions on what this means for holidaymakers:

– Why are the lists important?

They determine the quarantine and coronavirus testing requirements people will face when returning to England once the ban on overseas leisure travel is lifted on May 17.

– Why is everyone talking about the green list?

Travellers returning from a country on that list will not be need to quarantine, and will only be required to take one post-arrival test.

– Sounds good. What’s on it?

It consists of Portugal, Gibraltar, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, plus several small remote islands which are British Overseas Territories.

Beach volleyball on one of Tel Aviv’s beaches (Adam Davy/PA)
Beach volleyball on one of Tel Aviv’s beaches (Adam Davy/PA)

– So I can go on holiday to anywhere on that list?

Not quite. Entry to Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei and the Faroe Islands is severely restricted.

– Where can I go?

Portugal plans to welcome UK tourists who have had a recent negative test, have recovered from the virus and therefore have antibodies, or had both doses of a vaccine.

Gibraltar will not require UK visitors to be tested or vaccinated, whereas Israel will initially reopen its border on May 23 only to groups of foreign tourists who have had both jabs.

None of these destinations will require arrivals to quarantine.

– What about the amber list?

That covers the most popular holiday destinations such as Spain, France, Italy and Greece.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said “you should not be travelling to these places right now”

– What if I go against that guidance?

People returning from amber countries must take two post-arrival tests.

They are also required to self-isolate at home for 10 days, although they can reduce that time if they take an additional negative test on day-five.

– How about the red list?

Those returning from a red list country must stay in a quarantine hotel for 11 nights at a cost of ÂŁ1,750.

– Will the lists change?

The lists can be amended at any time, but wholesale changes are not expected to occur until the situation is reviewed at a “checkpoint” on June 28.

– How does the Government decide which countries are on each list?

There are four key tests that the Government will take into account when deciding how to categorise a country within the traffic light system.

These include the percentage of the country’s population to have been vaccinated, the rate of infection, the prevalence of variants of concern and the country’s access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing.

– What about vaccine passports?

Grant Shapps confirmed that people in England will be able to demonstrate they have had both doses of a vaccine through the NHS app.

– Can people living in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland go on a foreign holiday?

The devolved administrations have not set dates for the restart of overseas leisure travel, although announcements are expected in the coming days.

Grant Shapps there was “a large degree of agreement and cooperation in developing the system”.