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What are the new rules for international travel to and from Spain this Christmas?

Rising Covid cases in Europe and the appearance of the Omicron variant are already leading to more international travel restrictions to and from Spain for the festive season. Here are the new rules and potential changes for travel between Spain and the UK, the EU and outside of the EU this Christmas.

passengers queue at airport during christmas, will spain have more travel restrictions?
Will there be tougher restrictions for you if you're travelling to Spain this Christmas? Photo: ROLAND WEIHRAUCH / DPA / AFP

Covid cases are surging in many countries across Europe, leading to the introduction of new restrictions in many places. Spain is, for the moment, seeing a resurgence of the virus much smaller than many of its neighbours.

However, as we’ve seen throughout the pandemic, a lot can change in very little time, and the appearance of the Omicron variant is already having an impact on international travel, including for Spain. 

READ ALSO: Spain reports first case of Omicron Covid variant

In an interconnected world, even if Spain’s epidemiological situation isn’t unfavourable and the country favours easy and open travel for vaccinated people, there could be changes ahead of Christmas.

Here we take a closer look at the current travel rules and restrictions for travel between Spain and the EU and the UK and the rest of the world.

Within the EU/Schengen Zone

Current rules: If you’ve been fully vaccinated for more than 14 days with one of Spain’s approved vaccines (same as those across the EU), you can travel to Spain and demonstrate your vaccination treatment with your country’s Covid health pass.

If you have not been vaccinated, whether you need to take a PCR or antigen test 48 hours prior will depend on where you’re travelling from in the EU. 

Spain’s Health Ministry has a list of high-risk areas in the EU which it updates weekly. You can check the latest update here under “listado de países/zonas de riesgo”.

If your country or region is on the list, then you’ll need to get tested if you haven’t been fully vaccinated. 

Accepted tests include PCR or antigen tests, which have to be carried out within 72 or 48 hours respectively prior to your arrival in Spain.

In terms of rules for travel from Spain to another EU country, as things stand the rules are practically the same across the bloc and involve being able to prove vaccination, testing or recovery through the EU-wide Digital Covid Certificate.

The latest ECDC map showing the 14-day notification rate, testing rate and test positivity across the EU on November 25th 2021. Map: ECDC

New restrictions? In countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany Covid-19 infections are at some of their highest levels since the pandemic began. 

Before the appearance of the Omicron variant, EU nations’ focus hasn’t been so much on preventing imported cases but rather on ensuring that their own unvaccinated people get inoculated or are prevented from spreading the virus further.

All 27 Member States have quickly agreed to close their borders to travel from southern African nations affected by the new “very high risk” but largely unknown variant, with the first cases already detected in several European countries.

But within the common EU travel framework, it currently seems unlikely that travel to and from Spain will be completely closed over Christmas, unless Covid-19 vaccines are found to be ineffective against the Omicron strain.

It can’t be ruled out that Covid-19 tests in addition to full vaccination may be introduced and the EU has proposed that the Covid Certificate for travel have a validity of 9 months without a booster shot, but neither of these extra measures have been confirmed. 

It also seems unlikely that Spain will change its current rules for EU travellers given the country’s high vaccination rate, dependence on tourism and currently relatively low infection rate and hospitalisations. 

To and from the UK

New rules: As of December 1st, it is no longer possible for unvaccinated UK tourists to visit Spain.

Last week the Spanish government announced that a negative Covid test will no longer be accepted from British visitors looking to spend their holidays in the country.

Only those that can show proof of being fully vaccinated will be allowed in.

Up to now, Spain had made an exception for the UK as its status as a third country and its high infection rate should have meant non-essential travel for unvaccinated travellers was not possible. 

But the appearance of the new variant has forced the Spanish government to introduce further restrictions for its primary tourism market. 

As for travel from Spain to the UK, on Saturday December 4th the British government announced it would demand pre-departure tests for all arrivals from 4am on December 7th onwards.

These tests, which were scrapped only weeks ago, must be taken within two days of travel to the UK. They can be PCR or antigen tests and must be carried out by all travellers regardless of their vaccination status.

The requirement applies for those arriving in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

Recently, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also announced that PCR tests and self-isolation for UK arrivals would be reintroduced amid concerns of the new Omicron variant that was first identified in South Africa.

The new requirements came into force on November 30th. This means that travellers need to book and take PCR tests instead of lateral flow tests, which will no longer be accepted.

People arriving in the UK from Spain will need to take a PCR test by the end of the second day after arriving in the UK and self-isolate until they get a negative test result.

They can only leave home if you need to buy essential supplies, such as food or medication (but only if no one else can buy them for you), to take a test or for urgent medical care.

If you want to read in more detail about the new rules for travel between Spain and the UK this December, click on the link right below.

KEY POINTS – What are the new Covid travel rules between Spain and the UK?

The UK’s Covid travel rules are complicated, vary between its different countries and are changed regularly, so make sure you read them carefully here.  

passengers travelling to spain from the us
The UK is a lot more unpredictable than Spain when it comes to introducing new travel restrictions at short notice. Photo by SCOTT OLSON/AFP

Further restrictions? The new restrictions already represent major changes for travel between the UK and Spain, especially for Spanish authorities, as they have so far given British visitors preferential treatment and are now effectively preventing millions of unvaccinated UK tourists from visiting throughout December. 

Tougher restrictions on the Spanish part seem unlikely, and the country’s less severe epidemiological situation currently means any stricter requirement by the British government for arrivals from Spain would seem unnecessary and unjustified. 

However, the UK government, as has been the case throughout the pandemic, is a lot more unpredictable.

Much will be decided by the impact the Omicron variant has on the pandemic. 

READ ALSO: Christmas travel between Spain and the UK: What can I not pack in my suitcase?

To and from outside of the EU/Schengen Area

New rules: For the first time in months, Spain has travel bans in place, even for vaccinated travellers. 

The emergence of the Omicron variant saw Spain suspend flight connections with South Africa and Botswana last week, making travel between Spain and southern African nations almost non-existent until more is known about the new coronavirus strain worrying health experts. 

Since then, Spain’s Health Ministry has put Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe on its new high-risk list.

Travellers who are able to reach Spain from these nations will have to present a negative PCR or NAAT test taken within 72 hours prior to travel to Spain even if they are fully vaccinated. 

They must also go into quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in Spain, or for their whole stay if it’s under 10 days. 

This period may end earlier if on the seventh day the traveller takes a PCR test and gets a negative result.

For the rest of the arrivals in Spain from third countries, if you’re fully vaccinated and can prove it through an official certificate, you can visit the country from any third country.  

If you haven’t been vaccinated against Covid-19 however, there’s a high chance you won’t be able to visit Spain as non-essential travel isn’t allowed for these travellers.  

There is a list of third countries whose travellers are exempt from the usual requirements (vaccination, testing) due to their favourable epidemiological situation.

The list which is updated regularly currently includes Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, New Zealand, Peru, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.

As for travel from Spain to outside of the EU/Schengen area, it really depends on each individual country’s rules, but by and large full vaccination allows entry to most nations around the globe. 

Further restrictions? Given the current concern over the Omicron strain, it can’t be ruled out that there will be further international travel restrictions over the Christmas period. 

Even if there are few cases of the new variant in Spain, that’s not to say there won’t be countries that operate with a total closed borders policy such as Morocco and Israel have already done in reaction to Omicron. 

It seems more likely that if Spain were to tighten restrictions as a result of rising Omicron infections, authorities would first limit travel with third countries rather than with the EU, and in particular the African continent, where only 7 percent of the population of 1.2 billion has been vaccinated. 

The governments of the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are also keeping a close eye on Europe as it is currently the epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic, so if they were to tighten restrictions for the EU, there’s a high chance Spain would be included in that even if the situation is more under control. 

One way or another, it looks like we’re heading towards a Christmas period of uncertain travel globally, with many nations ready to implement new measures without a moment’s notice. 

Here’s to hoping Omicron doesn’t become the “very high risk” variant the World Health Organisation fears.

READ ALSO: The latest Covid-19 news and updates from Spain

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TRAVEL NEWS

Which flights will be affected by Spain’s airport strikes over Easter?

If you've got a flight booked to or from Valencia or Madrid-Barajas airport over Easter, industrial action by staff could delay your journey or even lead to it being cancelled.

Which flights will be affected by Spain's airport strikes over Easter?

Airport staff in Valencia and Madrid are going on strike over key Easter dates, meaning that as many as a thousand flights could be delayed or cancelled during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Semana Santa celebrations have already been disrupted by rain this year, causing the cancellation of processions across the country, but travel during the busy Easter period is also set to be affected by strike action at two of Spain’s major airports.

At Valencia Manises airport, one of the busiest airports in Spain which welcomed almost 10 million passengers in 2023, flights could be affected over the entire Easter weekend (Thursday March 28th-Monday April 1st inclusive) because workers will walk out between 11am-13am on each day.

At Madrid-Barajas airport, the UGT union has called a strike for Wednesday 27th and Friday 29th March between 7am-12pm.

READ ALSO: Spain’s Valencia set for airport strike over Easter holidays

The walkout at Valencia begins today, March 28th. According to the live departures board provided by Aena, Spain’s national airport operator, which you can follow here, as of 9.30am flights are leaving the airport with minor delays of up to 40 minutes, though this is before the strike officially begins at 11am.

Aena live departures for Madrid-Barajas show that some flights have left with delays of up to 45 minutes this morning, though it is worth noting that staff are not officially on strike there today (walkouts in Madrid are Wednesday 27th and Friday 29th March between 7am-12pm) which could suggest a knock-on effect from yesterday’s strike action.

The industrial action comes during not only during Easter celebrations but operación salida, an intensely busy travel period during which millions of Spaniards travel home or go on holiday for Semana Santa.

READ ALSO: Strike action at Spanish airports set to disrupt Easter travel

Staff at Madrid-Barajas are striking for better pay and a new collective bargaining agreement, arguing their salaries have declined in real terms due to inflation, and employees at Valencia Manises are protesting against long working hours and a lack of staff, plus a dispute with regards to overtime pay.

Spanish media reports suggest that up to 1000 flights could be cancelled as a result of the walkouts. On Wednesday 27th, there was also ‘chaos’ at Palma de Mallorca airport, according to Spanish media, with long queues at security controls meaning it took many passengers an hour to get to their departure gate.

Which flights will be affected by Spain’s airport strikes over Easter?

Knowing exactly which flights could be affected, however, isn’t entirely clear. There seems to be certain airlines and routes more likely to be affected than others.

Madrid-Barajas

It is still unclear exactly which flights could be affected at Madrid-Barajas, so it is advisable to check with your airline. You can check the airport schedule on the Aena website here.

On Wednesday 27th March, the day the strike began in Madrid, both short and long-haul flights were delayed or cancelled.

Departure records from Flight Stats show that long-haul flights to the United States were cancelled throughout the day, and short-haul flights around Europe and to other Spanish cities were running with delays of up to 2 hours. Many also arrived on schedule, however.

Valencia Manises

As the strike action begins in Valencia on Thursday morning, reports suggest that several dozen flights could be cancelled, delayed or rescheduled. If you are uncertain about your flight, check with your airline.

On Thursday 28th, flights that could be affected by the stoppage include:

  • Ryanair flights connecting Valencia with Rome, Milan Bologna, Breslavia and Sofia 
  • United and Lufthansa flights connecting Valencia with Frankfurt and Munich
  • Easyjet and British Airways flights between Valencia and London
  • Turkish Airlines flights between Valencia and Istanbul
  • Air Europa flights between Valencia and Palma de Mallorca
  • Swiss flights connecting Valencia to Zurich
  • Volotea flights between Valencia and A Coruña
  • Eurowings’ Valencia-Stuttgart flights

On Friday 29th, flights that could be cancelled are:

  • Ryanair to Milan, Treviso, Trieste, Dublin, Marrakech and Palma de Mallorca
  • SAP and Tap Portugal flights between Valencia and Lisbon
  • United to Frankfurt
  • Lufthansa to Frankfurt, Munich
  • Austrian to Vienna
  • Air Nostrum to Ibiza
  • Delta to París Charles de Gaulle
  • Air France to París Charles de Gaulle
  • Air Europa to Palma de Mallorca
  • Easyjet to London
  • British Airways to London
  • Brussels Airlines to Brussels
  • Iberia to Tenerife North
  • Tap Portugal to Lisbon
  • Turkish Airlines to Istanbul
  • Swiss to Zúrich
  • Volotea to A Coruña, San Sebastián
  • Vueling to Tenerife North
  • Eurowings to Stuttgart

There is no further information yet about which flights could be affected on Saturday 30th, Sunday 31st and Monday April 1st.

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