Spain has long been the destination of choice for British holidaymakers looking for guaranteed sunshine. Throw in great beaches, great food and entertainment to suit every taste, and there’s no mystery why, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 18 million UK tourists flocked to Spain every year.
But while Brits have ruled the roost in Spain’s lucrative tourism sector for the past three decades, COVID changed the dynamic. Even as Spain faced its own tough battle with the pandemic, the UK’s persistently high case numbers made the Spanish authorities nervous about opening its borders to UK residents again.
Eventually they did, no doubt influenced by the value of British tourism to the economy. But not until after citizens of other countries had been allowed back in. And when Omicron flared up in autumn 2021, the UK was again singled out with tough conditions of entry.
So what’s the situation now? Are holidays to Spain back on, or is there still a need for caution?
In general terms, Spain is very much open for business to tourists again, and the entry rules for UK residents have now been brought back into line with those of most countries. From the UK side, all government restrictions on travel related to travel, both inbound and outbound, have been lifted.
So yes, you very definitely can book a holiday to Spain this year. But there are a couple of pretty sizeable ‘buts’ you need to take into consideration.
Adults have to be fully vaccinated
First introduced for visitors from certain countries in the aftermath of the Omicron breakout, Spain now has a blanket rule that all overseas tourists over the age of 18 must be fully vaccinated. That means having both jabs. Proof in the form of the NHS COVID Pass or equivalent must be presented at border control or you will not be allowed into the country.
You also need to take care about when you had your jabs. If you haven’t yet had your second dose, you must have it a minimum of 14 days before arrival in Spain to be eligible for entry.
Similarly, you have to have had your second jab within 270 days of travelling. Many UK citizens aged 50 and over, for example, had completed their full vaccination course by May 2021. That will now be considered expired if you are looking to travel to Spain this summer. You will need proof that you have had a booster jab since. There isn’t, however, any time limit on when you had your booster.
What about children?
There are no COVID-related restrictions on children under the age of 12 travelling to Spain. They don’t need to be vaccinated and won’t be required to take a test before departure either.
For children between the ages of 12 and 18, the preference is for them to be fully vaccinated. However, in recognition that vaccination programmes for this age group have not yet been completed in many countries (the UK included), unvaccinated teenagers will be allowed in if they can present proof of a negative test result. It must be a PCR test and it must have been taken within 72 hours of travelling – so care is needed choosing a service that will return the results in time.
Protect yourself with travel insurance
If you are booking a family holiday to Spain with children aged between 12 and 17 who have not been fully vaccinated, taking out travel insurance to cover the cost of your holiday should be an absolute priority.
If the results of their compulsory PCR test come back positive, they won’t be allowed to travel. You’ll have to cancel your holiday. And because it’s so close to the departure date, you may well fall outside the cancellation window offered by many airlines and tour operators.
Spain travel insurance is the only way to guarantee you’ll be able to recoup the cost of your holiday. Check the terms and conditions around COVID-related cancellations and make sure the payout limit is more than the total cost of your holiday.
It’s strongly recommended that everyone travelling to Spain follows this same advice, regardless of vaccination status. While you won’t have to take a test if you are fully vaccinated, you will have to complete a Health Control Form, on which you will have to provide details of any COVID infections you have had. This form is compulsory for every passenger.
If you have had a bout of COVID recently, Spanish authorities reserve the right to ask people to test on arrival at the border. If that comes out positive, you will be asked to isolate. This may not be possible at the accommodation you have already booked and paid for. So again, you could face losing your booking, and then having to pay for alternative accommodation. A comprehensive COVID travel policy will cover you for this.
