Travelling to Spain from the UK in March? Here are the Covid Rules You Need to Know

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, many people have been wary about international travel. Not only because of the risk of contracting the virus, but because of the myriad of testing requirements to understand and conform to. These have changed regularly throughout the pandemic, meaning as soon as you knew what you needed to do, the rules changed again!

But there’s good news for British travellers of all kinds hoping to visit Spain, because the country has dramatically relaxed its testing requirements again, making it one of the most straightforward countries for Britons to travel to right now. With that in mind, here’s a March 2022 update on everything you need to know about travel between the UK and Spain:

Entering Spain from the UK if you’re Vaccinated

If you are fully vaccinated, the from the 26^th January 2022 travellers from the UK are able to enter Spain without the need for either testing or quarantine. Fully vaccinated means that you have completed your vaccination within the last 270 days: If your second dose was received more than 270 days (approximately 9 months) before you enter Spain then you will need to have received your third booster dose to be considered fully vaccinated. This additional dose should be clearly shown on your vaccination pass, which you can download directly from the NHS Covid App.

This requirement only applies to tourists visiting from the UK, but does not apply to Spanish nationals, EU citizens and their non-EU family members or British residents in Spain. If you fall into one of these categories, and your second vaccination dose was more than 270 days ago, then you will need to demonstrate one of the following:

• A negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of entering the country
• A negative antigen test taken within 24 hours of entering the country
• A medical certificate proving that you have recovered from Covid-19 in the last six months

If you have only just received your second dose of the coronavirus vaccination then you won’t be considered fully vaccinated until 14 days after the second dose is administered.

If you are travelling with a child under 12 then children of this age are not currently eligible for vaccination in the UK. At this point, these children don’t require any proof of vaccination, or a negative test, to enter Spain.

As well as meeting these testing requirements, you will also be required to complete a health control form, which you can find on the Spain Travel Health app or website . This form should be completed before you travel to Spain.

Entering Spain from the UK If You’re Unvaccinated

If you are not considered fully vaccinated (as outlined above) then, for the first time, you can now visit Spain. Unvaccinated visitors both from the UK and from other third-party countries who have recovered from Covid-19 in the past six months can now enter Spain with their proof of infection (often in the form of a recovery certificate).

If you are travelling with young people who are aged between 12 and 17 then, from 14^th February 2022, these young people are now able to travel from the UK to Spain, provided they provide one of the following:

• A negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before you arrive in the country
• A negative antigen test taken within 24 hours before you arrive in the country.

This is a big change, as previously these young people were unable to travel to Spain unless they were fully vaccinated.

If you are an unvaccinated adult travelling from the UK then you still cannot enter Spain, even if you supply a negative Covid test. This only applies to British visitors at this point, so unvaccinated Spanish nationals, EU citizens and any non-EU family member as well as British residents in Spain are exempt but do need to show a negative PCR or antigen test or proof of recovery.

The vaccination rule also doesn’t apply to children under the age of 12, who are free to enter Spain without needing proof or a negative test or a vaccination certificate.

Travelling to the UK from Spain

The rules have also changed if you are travelling to the UK from Spain, and this will also depend on if you are vaccinated or unvaccinated. Since 11^th February, fully vaccinated travellers entering the UK (regardless of their country of origin) no longer need to test on arrival in the UK, and if you’re fully vaccinated then you also no longer need to take a pre-departure test. The only requirement that you will have to comply with is that you will have to complete a passenger locator form.

If you are not vaccinated then you will still need to test to enter the UK: You will need to take a pre-departure test and a Day 2 test (taken two days after your arrival), but you won’t have to quarantine on your arrival any more. Just as those vaccinated travellers, you will also have to complete a Passenger Locator Form, and you will need to include a booking reference number for your test before it can be completed and submitted.

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