Dilip Kuner
BRITS visiting Spain will have to be fully vaccinated before they are let in from December 1.
Spain has changed its entry requirements for UK citizens due to a surge in COVID cases across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
At present people who have a negative test or who can prove they have already had COVID can also enter.
This will not be enough from Wednesday, with travellers having to show their certificate of vaccination.
The new regulations were issued Saturday in the Official State Gazette (BOE) under measures taken on travellers from non-EU and associated Schengen countries.
These regulations will remain in force until midnight on New Year’s Eve.
The news comes after Portugal decided to set up mobile random COVID patrols on its border with Spain.
Portugal’s Minister for Internal Affairs, Eduardo Cabrita announced that from December 1 the land border will remain open but ‘we have mobile control mechanisms that we will adopt with the necessary adaptations’.
The controls will make sure people crossing the land border are either vaccinated or have a negative COVID test, with the aim of bringing land crossings into line with airports and ports.
But they stop short of full border checks, relying on traffic police and border agencies to ensure regulations are met.
Meanwhile, Spain has said it will introduce restrictions on flights from South Africa and Botswana in the wake of a new COVID strain discovered in those countries. It has not been announced what restrictions are planned or when they will take effect, with a meeting to discuss the issue scheduled for Tuesday.
The announcement came shortly after the European Commission recommended an EU-wide travel ban to and from southern Africa due to the rapid rise of the B.1.1.529 variant in South Africa.
Scientists are worried that this new strain may be resistant to current vaccines.
READ MORE:
- EU Digital COVID travel certificate can now be downloaded by Costa Blanca and Valencia residents in Spain
- NHS COVID-19 pass now accepted across EU in move that will ease travel for fully-vaxxed British travellers
