UK lifts travel restrictions for Bangladesh and 31 other countries

The UK government has lifted its advice against non-essential travel to Bangladesh and 31 other countries and territories.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK government on Wednesday updated its previous international travel red-list and relaxed the travel restrictions to Bangladesh and the 31 other countries after assessing the recent development in the coronavirus situations of these destinations.

In this regard, the FCDO said the change means people will be able to travel to a larger number of destinations with greater ease, reports NDTV.

This will make it easier for people visiting those locations to obtain travel insurance, the FCDO stated.

Before Wednesday's changes, the FCDO advised against non-essential travel to 117 countries and territories owing to the virus.

The advice is expected to be lifted for more locations in the coming days.

The FCDO said the change in policy followed "improved public health in many countries" and the "decreased risk to British nationals" as a result of the administration of vaccines, reports the National News UK.

The FCDO also stated that fully vaccinated residents – and unvaccinated under-18s – from more than 50 countries and territories can now arrive without taking a pre-departure lateral flow test, a day-eight post-arrival PCR test, or having to self-isolate.

In this regard, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said, "These rule tweaks will make travelling more straightforward, supporting businesses and families right across Britain – and allow more of us to see friends and loved ones with greater peace of mind.

"We're striking the right balance between keeping people safe, which remains our priority, and giving them the freedom to exercise personal responsibility, while supporting the travel sector as it continues to recover."