23 Feb, 2021 @ 18:45
1 min read

Spain extends ban on most UK arrivals until March 16 – but British tourists could see return from May 17

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SPAIN has extended its current travel restrictions against UK arrivals until at least March 16.

Government spokeswoman Maria Jesus Montero announced in a press conference today that the measures will also continue to apply Brazil and South Africa.

Since the end of December, Brits have been banned from entering Spain unless they can prove residency or that their residency in progress.

The tough measure was announced following the discovery of a more contagious strain, believed to have originated in Kent.

Brazil and South Africa had the same restrictions imposed after declaring their own mutations.

Montero confirmed today that the extension of the ban was to ‘contain as much as possible the countries’ respective strains.’

Spanish citizens are also exempt from the ban.

It comes as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson earmarked May 17 as the date that British holidaymakers could return to enjoying trips abroad.

The announcement was made last night as part of the country’s ‘roadmap’ out of the current lockdown.

It led to a 600% surge in searches on the Jet2 website alone for holidays to Spain, with the likes of the Costa del Sol being among the favourite destinations.

Laurence Dollimore

Laurence Dollimore is a Spanish-speaking, NCTJ-trained journalist with almost a decade’s worth of experience.
The London native has a BA in International Relations from the University of Leeds and and an MA in the same subject from Queen Mary University London.
He earned his gold star diploma in multimedia journalism at the prestigious News Associates in London in 2016, before immediately joining the Olive Press at their offices on the Costa del Sol.
After a five-year stint, Laurence returned to the UK to work as a senior reporter at the Mail Online, where he remained for two years before coming back to the Olive Press as Digital Editor in 2023.
He continues to work for the biggest newspapers in the UK, who hire him to investigate and report on stories in Spain.
These include the Daily Mail, Telegraph, Mail Online, Mail on Sunday and The Sun and Sun Online.
He has broken world exclusives on everything from the Madeleine McCann case to the anti-tourism movement in Tenerife.

GOT A STORY? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call +34 951 273 575 Twitter: @olivepress

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