Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Covid Scotland: All you need to know about travelling to Spain, the Canary and Balearic islands this summer

Anfi beach in Gran Canaria.
Anfi beach in Gran Canaria.

Spain is the most popular holiday destination for Scots and many are expected to head there this summer for a well-earned break.

The food, culture and warm weather is all part of what draws Scots to Spain.

But with flights being cancelled and Covid cases surging, it’s important to have all the information you need to hand, to ensure a stress-free travel experience.

Seville.
Seville.

So if you’re heading there this summer, what are Spain’s travel restrictions?

And are the rules different depending on whether you’re heading to mainland Spain or one of the islands?

We’re answering all your questions about travelling to Scotland’s most popular holiday country as we continue to emerge from the pandemic.

Covid questions: What are Spain’s travel restrictions?

If you’re travelling to Spain this summer, it’s important to be aware of the Covid rules, otherwise you could be refused entry.

Firstly, you must provide either proof of:

  1. Being fully vaccinated, or;
  2. A negative Covid test, or;
  3. Recovery from Covid-19 in the last six months.
Barcelona
Barcelona: Spain’s travel restrictions apply regardless of what region you are travelling to.

If you have received a booster, you are considered fully vaccinated for entry into Spain. There is currently no expiry date for booster jabs.

If you or your child have not received a booster vaccine, you can find out about when you must have had your most recent vaccine on the UK Government website.

If you’re not vaccinated, or are partially vaccinated, you can still travel to Spain.

Tenerife.
Tenerife.

You’ll just have to provide proof of a negative Covid test, or of recovery from Covid if you’ve had the virus in the last six months.

If using a negative test for entry, you’ll have to fill out an overseas passenger locator form before travelling, but no more than 48 hours before landing in Spain.

You can find out more information about when and how to do this through your airline.

Are the rules the same for travel to the Balearic or Canary islands?

Yes – whether you’re travelling to Madrid or Majorca, Granada or Gran Canaria, you must follow the above rules for entry.

What are the Covid rules in Spain?

The Covid rules in Spain depend on the region you’re staying in.

However, anyone over the age of six years must wear a face mask in the following situations:

  • On any form of public transport in Spain
  • Visiting a hospital or medical centre (including other healthcare settings such as dentists, opticians, pharmacies etc)
  • Visiting a care or nursing home.

If you test positive for Covid-19 while on holiday in Spain, you may be required to isolate in line with local health requirements.

Madrid.
Madrid.

According to the UK Government, you won’t need to self-isolate in Spain if you have “mild or no symptoms but you should wear a mask and avoid crowded spaces”.

Those with severe Covid symptoms or who are categorised as high risk (those aged 60 or older, pregnant or immunosuppressed) must self-isolate for seven days.

In these circumstances, you may need to contact your accommodation provider to arrange to extend your stay.

Therefore, you should check your travel insurance to ensure your policy provides adequate cover should you need to extend your stay in Spain due to a positive Covid-19 diagnosis.

Are there new travel rules now we’ve left the EU?

Thanks to the Covid pandemic, this might be your first time travelling abroad since the rules changed following Brexit.

The UK left the European Union (EU) in January 2020; however, a transition period meant most of the travel rules didn’t change until December the same year.

Spain is part of the Schengen area. You can visit any country in the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Menorca.
Menorca.

This applies if you travel as a tourist, to visit family or friends, to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events, or for short-term studies or training.

The Schengen area also has certain passport requirements you must adhere to for entry into the country. Your passport must be:

  • issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’) and;
  • valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’).

So, if you’re traveling to Spain today, the date of issue on your passport must be August 14 2012 or after, and the expiry date can’t be before October 14 2022.

Conversation