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People arriving in England from countries including France, Spain, Germany and Italy will no longer need to quarantine from 10 July, the government has confirmed.
Currently, most passengers arriving into the UK have to self-isolate for two weeks under Covid-19 measures.
A full list of exempt countries will be published on Friday.
The government said this would cover destinations which pose “a reduced risk” from coronavirus.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will also set out a number of destinations which will be exempt from its advice against all non-essential international travel, with changes coming into effect on Saturday.
The new measures mean people arriving from selected destinations will be able to enter England without needing to self-isolate, unless they have been in or transited through non-exempt countries in the preceding 14 days.
The Department for Transport said a risk assessment had been conducted by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, in close consultation with Public Health England and the chief medical officer.
It considered factors including the prevalence of coronavirus, the numbers of new cases and potential trajectory of the disease in that destination, the department said.
The list of exempted countries will be kept “under constant review”, so that if the health risks increase, self-isolation measures can be re-introduced, it added.
The government said its “expectation” was that a number of the exempted countries will also not require arrivals from the UK to self-isolate.
All passengers, except those on a small list of exemptions, will still be required to provide contact information on arrival in the UK, including details of countries or territories they have been in or through during the previous 14 days.
The DfT said the devolved administrations “will set out their own approach to exemptions” and passengers returning to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland “should ensure they follow the laws and guidance which applies there”.