Spain holidays now come with a plethora of travel rules as the country battles to limit rising coronavirus cases. The latest travel advice requires tourists to present a negative covid test on their arrival into Spain. This will come into force on Monday, November 23.
Spain travellers must take the coronavirus test within 72 hours of travel to the country.
The covid-free certificate is in addition to the current regulations which require the completion of a health form and a QR tracking code, as well as temperature and visual controls at Spanish airports.
Spain’s Ministry of Health confirmed the new rule yesterday evening in an official statement: “Spain will require international travellers from risk countries to have a negative PCR in the 72 hours prior to arrival in Spain in order to enter the country.
“This measure is in addition to the health controls that are currently being carried out on all international passengers at the points of entry. Thus, temperature control and visual control are maintained.
“The Health Control Form that all passengers must complete before entering the country will from now on contain a question about whether they have a negative PCR performed within 72 hours prior to arrival in Spain.”
Travellers must ensure they have a valid test and may face a diagnostic test for covid if they’re suspected to have the virus.
“At any time, the passenger may be asked to accredit the test result, ” continued the statement.
“The document must be the original, written in Spanish or English and may be submitted in paper or electronic format.
“When the Form has not been completed electronically, through the QR code generated through the website www.spth.gob.es or the Spain Travel Health-SpTH application, it may be submitted in paper format before boarding.
“Those passengers who, after carrying out the temperature, visual or documentary controls, are suspected of suffering from Covid-19 must undergo a diagnostic test at the airport, upon arrival in Spain.”
Spain says it will follow EU guidance as to which countries will be required to follow the new rule.
One of the criteria will be the coronavirus ratio per 100,000 residents in 14 days, however, the Spanish government has not yet specified what this threshold will be.
It is not yet known whether this requirement for a negative covid test will be applied to UK travellers.
Currently, under national restrictions in England, Britons can only travel abroad for work, education or other legally permitted reasons.
It remains to be seen how UK travellers will be affected by Spain’s new regulation once the country emerges from lockdown on December 2.
Spain is not yet on the travel corridor list, meaning anyone who does travel to the country currently has to quarantine for 14 days.
However, the Canary Islands are exempt from this and were added to the ‘safe’ list prior to lockdown.
Nevertheless, the archipelago also has strict entry requirements in place.
From November 14 until further notice, if you’re travelling to the Canary Islands and are booked into regulated tourist accommodation, there are two requirements you must follow.
You need to “produce an official, negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours earlier when checking in to your accommodation,” explained the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
You will also need to “download and activate the Radar COVID notification app throughout your stay on the islands, and for 15 days after your return home.”
Even children must show proof of a negative covid test.
“These measures apply to all guests aged six years and over unless they have proof of travel confirming their uninterrupted presence on the islands for the previous 15 days,” stated the FCDO in its latest update.
