HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

The Spanish Government has announced that the temporary restrictions for non-essential travel to Spain from most third countries, including the UK, have once again been extended.

The only exceptions are China, Colombia, Indonesia, Kuwait, Peru, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The announcement that was made on March 29, means that travel restrictions will stay in place for another week, until April 3.

Although the UK recently relaxed its entry rules, Spain’s decision to extend its entry restrictions for at least another month means that anyone from the UK, who has not yet been fully vaccinated or recovered from the Covid virus in the last six months, still can’t travel to the country.

Fully Vaccinated

According to the UK’s government website www.gov.uk, "If you’re fully vaccinated and travelling from the UK, you can enter Spain without needing to test or quarantine regardless of your reason for travel. Your vaccination status must meet the Spanish authorities’ validity period requirements."

“At least 14 days must have passed since being fully vaccinated (with both doses of a 2-dose vaccine or one dose of a single-dose vaccine) before arrival in Spain. Your date(s) of vaccination must be specified and your final dose must have been administered within 270 days prior to travel to Spain. If you completed your vaccination (with both doses of a 2-dose vaccine or one dose of a single-dose vaccine) more than 270 days prior to travel to Spain, you must be able to show proof of having received a booster jab.”

Their website also states that there is “no requirement for 14 days to have passed between receiving your booster jab and entering Spain. Booster jabs can be administered at any time prior to travel to Spain. There is currently no expiry date for booster jabs.”

Spain’s Travel Safe website also verifies that a booster vaccine is required for international travellers if more than 270 days have passed since being fully vaccinated. This follows recommendations by the EU for the vaccination rules to be changed.

Your date(s) of vaccination (including the booster, if applicable) must be specified and you need to have had a vaccine authorised by the European Medicines Agency or by the World Health Organisation.

The UK Government also says that “Your NHS appointment card from vaccination centres is not designed to be used as proof of vaccination and should not be used to demonstrate your vaccine status.”

The booster vaccine rule is only applicable to UK tourists not Spanish nationals, EU citizens and their non-EU family members or British residents in Spain, only to UK tourists.

In their case, if more than 270 days have passed since their initial Covid vaccinations, they must provide proof of either a negative antigen test taken within 24 hours of travelling to Spain, a PCR test taken within 72 hours or a medical certificate that proves recovery from the virus in the last six months.

For UK tourists who are visiting Spain and have had their initial Covid vaccines within the previous 270 days, proof of a booster jab is not required.

As well as the double shot Astra-Zeneca, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines and the single jab Johnson & Johnson, or in fact any other WHO or EMA approved vaccine, Spain considers anyone who has recovered from the Covid virus and then received one dose, as fully immunised.

Children under the age of 12 years are not required to provide proof of vaccinations or a negative test. They are however still required to complete and sign an online Health Control Form, no more than 48 hours before travel.

Whether arriving in Spain by sea or air, everyone, no matter where they are from, is required to complete and sign a health control form before travelling.

The Health Control Form can be found on the Spain Travel Health App or website.

Unvaccinated

According to Spain’s Interior Ministry, anyone who has had Covid-19 and recovered from it in the past six months can enter Spain. This is regardless of whether or not they have been fully vaccinated against the virus or if their Covid vaccination certificate has expired due to not receiving a booster vaccine.

The Spanish Health Ministry says that the recovery certificates that are accepted as valid are those “issued at least 11 days after the first positive NAAT or RAT, and up to a maximum of 180 days after the date of sampling”.

RATs stand for Rapid Antigen Tests, while NAATs are Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests are usually PCR tests.

Please note that self-test kits are not valid, the Covid test taken must be carried out by an accredited laboratory.

Non-resident teenagers aged 12-17 years who are unvaccinated, are allowed to travel to Spain from the UK but must provide a negative antigen test that was taken within 24 hours prior to travelling or a PCR test that has been taken within 72 hours before travelling.

Travellers aged over the age of 18 years, who are not vaccinated or in receipt of a ‘recovery from Covid’ certificate and regardless of whether they have proof of a negative Covid test, will not be permitted entry into Spain.

There are however a few very specific exceptions to this rule. They include if you are an accompanying family member of an EU citizen, you are an EU citizen or if you have a student visa for an EU country.

The full list of exemptions can be found at https://www.sanidad.gob.es/en/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov/spth.htm

Meeting any of the listed requirements means that you can enter Spain by providing a negative Covid-19 test.

The vaccination ruling is only applicable to UK visitors. Spanish nationals, British residents in Spain, EU citizens and any non- EU family members are exempt, however, they do still need to provide proof of a negative antigen or PCR test or proof of recovery certificate.

Children aged 12 to 15 years travel to Spain with an NHS Covid Pass, if they are fully vaccinated.

The vaccination rules do not however apply to children under 12 years of age.

Travelling to the UK from Spain

On March 18, 2022, the UK withdrew all of its entry restrictions.

Therefore, anyone wishing to visit the UK from any country from around the world, including Spain, will no longer be required to complete a Passenger Locator Form or provide proof of a negative Covid test.

The cancellation of all entry restrictions applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers. This is good news for anyone from Spain who wishes or needs to travel to the UK, as they will no longer be required to take a pre-departure test or a day-2 post-arrival test.

The requirement to wear a face mask has also changed. London Heathrow airport has said that ‘while mask-wearing is no longer mandatory, it will still be encouraged.’ And British Airways, Jet2, Tui and Virgin Atlantic airlines have all said that they will drop the face-covering rule ‘under certain circumstances'.

If you are travelling to Scotland or Wales, however, you will still be required to wear a mask on board the plane.

Sources

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/spain-extends-current-covid-19-measures-for-incoming-eu-eea-travellers-until-april-3/
https://www.thelocal.es/20211129/key-points-what-are-the-new-covid-travel-rules-between-spain-and-the-uk/