Travel abroad: Can I go on a foreign holiday from Wales?
- Published
The Vueling flight from Cardiff to Malaga took off at 09:30 BST on Tuesday
The first holiday flight has left Wales after rules changed to allow trips abroad again.
The Cardiff to Malaga flight on Tuesday morning took off despite the first minister saying foreign travel was "best avoided".
Wales now has a traffic light system of travel, like in England and Scotland, meaning countries are categorised due to risk.
Can I go on holiday?
Spain is currently in the amber list - requiring a 10-day quarantine at home on your return
Rules surrounding travel in Wales have been lifted slowly over the past few weeks, with First Minister Mark Drakeford saying more restrictions could have been lifted if not for concerns about the Indian variant.
Shortly before the Easter holidays, travel restrictions changed, allowing people to journey outside their local area for the first time in months to see loved ones and to go on holiday.
On Monday all holiday accommodation in Wales was allowed to reopen and people were allowed to travel abroad for a holiday.
Mr Drakeford admitted his advice against foreign travel was not a rule because it would be "unenforceable", with many people from Wales flying from Manchester, Bristol and London airports.
Although he said people "should not feel guilty" about holidaying abroad, he said they could consider staying in Wales as an alternative.
How does the traffic light system work?
Countries are categorised into red, amber and green categories.
Green: No quarantine is needed on return to Wales, but you must book and pay for a PCR test on or before day two of their return
Amber: It is a legal requirement to quarantine for 10 days at home on your return. You are also required to book and pay for PCR tests on day two and on day eight
Red: Quarantine of 10 days on arrival at a designated UK port in a government-managed facility at your own cost, starting from £1,750 per person
All those who do not follow the rules for red-list countries face fixed penalties of £10,000.
Unlike in England, Wales does not allow an additional test to be taken on day five to reduce the period of quarantine, which it says is due to 30% of people who develop Covid-19 doing so after day five.
If people from Wales do travel abroad, Mr Drakeford said there would be "extra assistance" when they return from countries where the decision to put them on the green list was "more marginal", including Portugal, Israel and Singapore.
Do I need to be vaccinated?
Over two million people in Wales have now received their first dose of a vaccine
From 24 May, a "paper-based vaccination status" is available for people in Wales who have had two doses of vaccination and need to urgently travel to a country that requires proof of Covid vaccination.
The Welsh government said residents must consult the requirements for visitors for any country they plan to travel to as restrictions may be in place - including proof of vaccination, tests, quarantine and reasons for entry.
Spencer Birns, chief executive of Cardiff Airport said: "We note the Welsh government's announcement on travel, and we remain open and prepared to welcome customers back to the airport over the coming months.
Many people who travel abroad from Wales would be doing it from airports like Bristol, the first minister has said
"Airlines are reviewing their flying programmes on a global basis, and we advise all customers to check with their airline or tour operator for the latest updates on their trip, and to check the latest government guidance on travelling to and from Wales.
"For any customers who are unable to fly, we will continue to refund any parking or lounge bookings made on our website.
"We continue to follow government guidance and work closely with Public Health Wales to keep the safety of our team and customers as our number one priority.
"We have a number of safety measures in place across the terminal to help customers to travel with confidence, and our 'Travel Safe' guidance can be found on our website."
'I hope I get back in time for my baby to be born'
Alex Meyer's partner Luana is heavily pregnant so if Portugal moves to a different category he could miss his child's birth
Alex Meyer, a gardener and sustainability expert on Anglesey, is hoping to get to Portugal at the end of May to tend to land he has not seen in over a year.
Last year, when lockdown hit, his partner wanted to go back to the UK to help family and they have not been back since.
Forest fires are a problem in the area and he has to go and clear up before the summer months.
He will be travelling on 30 May by plane, train and bicycle and said he would take a Covid test before travelling each way,
Portugal is currently one of the few countries on the green list but if that changes he will have to isolate on his return.
However his partner Luana will be 37 weeks pregnant when he travels and he is hoping the baby does not come early in case he needs to isolate when he gets back to Wales.
He said: "We have land in Portugal and I need to go out to maintain it.
"The laws in Portugal around maintenance are very strict due to the risk of forest fires and I've been in the UK for a year now due to lockdown.
"This is the first chance I'm getting to go and my partner will be 37 weeks pregnant. We're hoping baby doesn't come early."
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