Spain drops demand for Covid test or jabs

Outside Europe, travel into a number of countries remains difficult without proof of vaccination

Ramblas on: Barcelona’s principal tourism street (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Just ahead of half-term for many British families, Spain has suddenly announced the ending of Covid-19 restrictions.

The nation, which is the most popular overseas destination for British holidaymakers, has lagged well behind most of the rest of Europe in removing vaccination and testing rules.

At present all travellers to Spain from countries outside the EU who are over the age of 12 must submit proof of one of the following:

• full vaccination, including a booster if the original course was completed more than 270 days previously
• recovery from Covid
• a negative Covid test, either antigen or PCR

But for arrivals from one minute past midnight on Friday 21 October, all the requirements will end.

In the official state bulletin, the health ministry in Madrid resolved to abandon the “sanitary controls to be carried out at the entry points of Spain”.

A month ago, Spain removed the requirement for British holidaymakers to complete a health declaration form and present it on arrival. But the country kept its Covid travel restrictions in place.

During the coronavirus pandemic, British holidaymakers repeatedly found trips to Spain interrupted by rules imposed by one government or the other.

In July 2020, quarantine was abruptly imposed on travellers returning from Spain to the UK, and later that year the Canary Islands were opened up for just a few weeks by the British before the requirement to self-isolate on return was re-imposed.

Later, British holidaymakers to the Canaries who intended to stay in tourist accommodation (as opposed to a private apartment or villa) were required to produce test certificates.

Travellers to Spain who have booked Covid tests are not automatically entitled to a refund, though some testing companies may give money back.

Outside Europe, travel into a number of countries remains difficult without proof of vaccination – notably the US, which does not allow in tourists who have not been double-jabbed.