Holidaymakers planning a trip to Spain this half-term have been warned about Covid travel restrictions that remain in place. Jacob Wedderburn-Day, CEO of luggage storage network Stasher, has issued an urgent reminder to UK travellers who have upcoming trips booked to Spain.
The popular European destination is the only country in the EU that still has COVID-19 restrictions in place for UK travellers. The rules apply to the whole of Spain, including the Canary Islands and the Balearics. The same restrictions do not apply to tourists visiting from other EU nations which could cause confusion.
Jacob said: “Tourists entering Spain from the UK will still be asked to provide proof of full vaccination, recovery from COVID-19, a negative antigen test result (taken in the 24 hours before departure) or a negative PCR test (taken in the 72 hours before departure).
“These rules are expected to be in place until after the October half-term school holidays with some predicting mid-November. British travellers will be subject to health screening at all Spanish airports and ports to ensure they comply with the ongoing COVID rules.
“The good news is UK tourists no longer need to manually fill in Spain’s Health Control Form with their vaccination or test details to get through border controls. Instead, Spanish authorities are now accepting all certificates as proof of vaccination (including the NHS COVID Pass either digitally or printed out) so long as they meet the same conditions as the EU Digital COVID Certificate.
“Travellers must be “fully vaccinated” which means they must receive their second jab of an WHO or EMA-approved vaccine at least 14 days prior to departure.
“But importantly, booster jabs will be required for anyone who had their second jab more than 270 days ago (or nine months). This is in line with other EU countries.
“Rest assured though, there is no expiry date for booster jabs and you can gain entry to Spain if you had your booster less than 14 days before the date you travel.
“If you are unvaccinated or have missed the deadline for your second or booster jab to be accepted by Spanish authorities, you can still enjoy your holiday.
“You will just need to prove you don’t have the virus by providing a negative test certificate – either a PCR taken within 72 hours of travel, or an antigen test taken within 24 hours. If you have recently had COVID-19, authorities will accept a certificate of recovery at least 11 days after testing positive for the virus which is valid for six months.
“For children the rules are slightly different. Children under 12 years old are not required to show proof of vaccination or take a test. Children between the ages of 12 and 17 can gain entry with a negative PCR or antigen test – they do not have to be vaccinated.
“UK holidaymakers should also be aware that masks must still be worn on all public transport systems in Spain, such as airplanes, buses, trains, metros and taxis. Masks are no longer required in other public spaces such as restaurants, museums and cafes, or in outside settings.”
