Kirsty Mckenzie
TRAVELLERS who can prove that they have completed a full vaccination schedule can enter Spain without restrictions from today.
Last month, Spain’s Prime Minister announced that from June 7, the country would be ready to welcome all vaccinated tourists from anywhere in the world so long as they had been fully vaccinated two weeks before travelling.
“From June 7th, all vaccinated people and their families will be welcome in our country, Spain, regardless of their country of origin,” Sánchez said at an international tourism fair in Madrid on May 21st.
But confusion was met when a message from Spain’s Interior Ministry on the country’s official BOE State Bulletin said entry restrictions into the country would be extended until June 30.
In the final hours however, the Spanish governement kept their promise.
Spain has “modified the criteria for the temporary restriction of non-essential travel from third countries to the EU and Schengen countries” the new BOE document, released over the weekend, read.
The BOE is the first document to put Sanchez’s pledge to reopen the borders to international travellers in writing.
Released less than 48 before the new rules came into effect, it said people who wish to travel to Spain from outside the EU/Schengen Zone can do so from June 7th if they have a vaccination certificate and have had their full vaccination treatment or last dose 14 days before travel.
The vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency which are valid, include the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Janssen, as well as the Chinese sinopharm and sinovac vaccines.
Holidaymakers must also complete the Spain Travel Health form at least 48 hours before departure in order to generate and obtain a QR code to allow entry into the country.
Today also marks the first day international cruise ships can also return to Spanish ports after almost a year since they were prohibited from docking.
Cruises arriving must limit their capacity to 70 or 75% with a maximum two people per cabin and staggered hours to eat, embark and disembark.
Travellers from the UK are already exempt from any restrictions including the need for a negative PCR and have been arriving since May 24.
Spain, however, remains on the UK’s ‘amber list’ of travel destinations and those returning from any Spanish destination will have to undergo mandatory quarantine.
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