Booster jabs have been offered to all over-18s in the UK and are now showing on the NHS Covid Pass for travel. Britons are not required to have a booster dose to avoid quarantine when arriving in the UK – but this could change.

The requirement to have a third dose for international travel is likely to become “the norm”, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in an announcement on January 4. He added that it would be “very much to people’s advantage” to take up the jabs. 

What’s more, a growing number of countries are putting a time limit on what it means to be fully vaccinated, and your last jab may need to be within the last five months, nine months or a year to avoid quarantine when arriving in your destination.

France, for example, reopened to fully vaccinated UK tourists on January 14, but since January 15 has required all over-18s to have been vaccinated no more than seven months previously to access its pass sanitaire. Without this, travellers will not be able to access a range of venues, including cafes, restaurants and ski resorts. 

The French Government has yet to extend this requirement to enter France, but without the pass a holiday would be all but impossible. It may only be a matter of time until the requirement is extended to the country’s entry rules.

The European Commission has announced that from February 1, vaccine certificates will expire nine months after the second vaccine dose (or the first dose of a single-jab vaccine). This is based on guidance from the EU Centre of Disease Prevention and Control which states that boosters are recommended at the latest six months after the final dose of a vaccine cycle. It has added a three month grace period to allow countries to roll out their booster programmes.

Austria, Greece and Latvia are among the member states that have already confirmed cut-off dates for validity of the final dose of an initial course of the vaccine for entry – each with some requirements that are shorter than those recommended by the EU. 

Countries outside of the bloc will also require boosters for entry. Or, in some cases, boosters have not been specified, but the country places a time limit for validity after the final dose of a vaccine. So far, the countries outside of the EU where you need, or may soon need, a booster for entry or to avoid quarantine, include Israel, Iceland, Switzerland, Vietnam and Kuwait.

France

Since January 15, those who are aged 18-64 years old and who have been fully vaccinated for more than seven months will need to demonstrate they have received an approved booster injection in order to access the pass sanitaire in France. This applies to visiting tourists and those residing in France. The booster rule has applied to those aged over 65 since December.

A holiday would be all but impossible for adults whose last dose was more than seven months before travel. Without a pass sanitaire, you cannot access ski lifts, will not be permitted to enter cafés, restaurants and museums, cannot stay in many hotels nor use long-distance trains.

Austria

Austria also already requires UK travellers aged 18 or over to be triple jabbed or to be double jabbed and to show proof of recovery from Covid-19 to enter the country quarantine-free. However, the second option requires the first vaccination to have been at least 21 days after a positive test or an antibodies test (see our guide on how to prove recovery from Covid) .

Entry is also permitted to those who have been double vaccinated with Janssen, a vaccine for which a single dose is considered as a full course. These vaccine requirements are in addition to a negative PCR test taken within the 48 hours before entry to Austria. 

Rules differ for children. Under-12s do not need to provide a test result or be fully vaccinated or boosted if they are travelling under supervision of an adult who has met the vaccination requirements. However, if children under 12 are travelling without a supervising adult they are subject to the same rules as over-18s. 

Children aged 12-15 are not entirely exempt from the rules. They can, however, make use of a ‘Ninja Pass’ on ski holidays. This scheme requires users to take two antigen tests plus one PCR testing during the course of a one-week stay. 

Netherlands

The NHS Covid Pass has been linked to the EU Digital Covid Certificate since last year. The EU version will require the dose to have been given within nine months of travel. The Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge has confirmed that the rule will be applied in the Netherlands.

As it stands, UK travellers aged 13 or over are subject to 10 days of quarantine on arrival in the Netherlands, regardless of vaccination status. They can take a test on day five and if this comes back negative are able to cut short their quarantine. 

Greece

Greece has indicated that a booster jab will be required within seven months of the final dose of an initial course of vaccination. This will at least be required for domestic travel (i.e. flights within Greece) but may also affect the restrictions applied to those entering the country. 

Iceland

From January 15, vaccination certificates will only be considered valid in Iceland nine months after the second dose. This would likely require travellers to have a booster jab ahead of this date to qualify as immunised. 

An official update from the Icelandic Government on January 7 said: “Regulation on COVID-19 measures at the border will remain unchanged until 28 February. Proposals on measures for the spring will be introduced no later than February 20. This was decided at a cabinet meeting earlier this week.”

Non-essential travel from the UK to Iceland by Britons is only permitted if they are resident in the country or can show that they are fully vaccinated.

Latvia

For domestic purposes, Latvia has set a nine-month validity for Covid-19 certificates after the second dose; five months after a Janssen vaccine. 

Many Britons will have received the final dose of an initial vaccine course more than nine months ago. As such, they would need a booster jab for entry. 

Croatia

Croatia has set a year’s limit on your last dose of a vaccine. However, unlike many countries, Croatia also permits UK travellers to enter quarantine-free with a negative Covid test or proof of recovery from Covid-19 as alternative to proof of full vaccination.

Switzerland

UK travellers must be fully vaccinated to avoid quarantine in Switzerland. The country requires the final vaccine dose to have been administered within 12 months of travel. As such, at some point in 2022 all Britons will need to have had the booster to be considered fully vaccinated. Children under 18 who are not fully vaccinated can enter Switzerland if accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult.

Israel

Israel requires the final dose of the vaccine to have been given no more than 180 days before the day of leaving the country. This means that many UK travellers will need a booster in order to be considered fully vaccinated for entry to Israel. 

Vietnam

Vietnam is currently tricky to visit with fully vaccinated travellers permitted entry, but required to undergo a period of quarantine. Vaccinated travellers with a negative test may be able to shorten their quarantine to seven days, followed by seven days of medical surveillance at their residence.

There is also a time limit to be considered fully vaccinated by Vietnam. The final dose most have been given within the 12 months prior to travel. Alternatively, travellers can use a certificate of recovery from Covid-19 from the previous six months for entry.

Hawaii

Hawaii has not yet reopened to UK travellers. When Britons are permitted to visit, they may need to have received a third dose. David Ige, the state governor, has said that his office is considering changing the definition of “fully vaccinated” from two doses of a vaccine to three. As such, travellers who were permitted to enter but who had not had their booster would be subject to five days of quarantine at their own expense.

Kuwait 

Kuwait does not consider travellers to be fully vaccinated if more than nine months had passed since their second vaccination and they had not received a third booster dose – this rule came into effect on January 2.