Kirsty Mckenzie
SPAIN has become the first county in the EU to announce they are ready to welcome Brits back this summer.
Starting from June 7, UK travellers are allowed to visit the country, providing that they had been fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
Speaking in Madrid yesterday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that Spain would allow visitors without a negative PCR test from non-EU counties that Spain deem low-risk.
Thanks to their successful rollout of vaccinations, UK is on the list of low risk counties, along with Australia, Israel, and New Zealand and Japan.
However, it is still mandatory for all travellers from the United Kingdom entering Spain to fill in a Health Control Form on arrival.
The PM said: “I am pleased to inform you that the ministerial order will be officially published today exempting citizens from the UK and other countries such as New Zealand, South Korea, or China from temporary restrictions for non-essential trips to Spain,” he said. “I can therefore announce that from next Monday, May 24, Spain will be delighted to receive British tourists again into our country.”
So what does that mean for Brits
While there are currently flights to Barcelona, Parma Mallorca, Madrid, Malaga, Alicante, and Ibiza from Heathrow, Spain remains on the UK government’s amber list.
While returning to the UK from amber and red list countries is not illegal, British holidaymakers have been told by the government not to go to those countries. And if they do, they must quarantine for 10 days on their return.
The FCDO currently advises against all but essential travel to Spain, including the Balearic Islands.
The Canary Islands are excluded from the list though, based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks.
In the coming weeks, the UK government will confirm which countries are green, red or amber. They will review the list again at the start of June and decide who will receive the quarantine-free treatment.
Just 12 countries are on England’s green list for travel, including Portugal.
Most of the rest of Europe, including France, Spain and Italy, are all on the amber list, meaning more tests and quarantine on the return leg is needed.
READ MORE:
- LATEST: Spain removes UK from COVID-19 risk list and will allow travellers in from May 24 WITHOUT a PCR
- BIENVENIDO: Spain opens to ALL vaccinated travellers from anywhere in the world from June 7
- EXPLAINER: What Spain’s ‘amber’ classification on UK travel list means for travellers
