Vaccinated travelers around the world, including the United States and the United Kingdom, are allowed to enter Spain without quarantine, and many of the restrictions associated with the pandemic have ended. If you are planning a trip to Spain this year, here’s what you can expect.
Can I go to Spain from the EU?
Spain has adopted the EU’s COVID digital certificate, which facilitates the return of free movement through the block. This is a digital or paper certificate stating that the owner meets the conditions of travel: fully vaccinated (last dose administered at least 14 days before departure), or cured of COVID-19, or has a negative COVID-19 result from PCR or antigen test, made within 48 hours of the trip.
If you come from an EU country with a good epidemiological situation, ie to a green area in the traffic light system of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, you do not need to present a COVID digital certificate to travel to Spain.
Can I go to Spain from a non-EU country?
Spain, in line with EU recommendations, allows unrestricted entry for people traveling from non-EU countries and regions with good epidemiological situations. These include the United States, Australia, South Korea, Israel, Japan, Lebanon and Rwanda. Visitors to these places do not need to provide proof of testing, vaccination or recovery to enter Spain. The UK is on this green list, but as of 2 July, travelers to Spain from the UK will be required to provide a negative COVID test or vaccination / recovery confirmation.
Visitors from other non-EU countries coming to Spain must show confirmation of vaccination with one of the vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or the World Health Organization (WHO), with a second dose administered at least 14 days before the trip. Unvaccinated travelers from other non-EU countries will not be allowed to enter Spain for tourism, even if they are tested.
Do children need to be vaccinated to enter Spain?
Children under the age of 12 traveling with an adult who has been fully vaccinated with an EMA or WHO approved vaccine may enter Spain without any restrictions on testing, vaccination or quarantine.
Can I take the test in Spain?
Many countries, including the United States, require passengers to submit a negative COVID-19 test result before boarding a flight from an international trip. According to the US Embassy in Spain, US citizens can get a free COVID test from a health doctor. Or they can get it in a private medical institution at their own expense (about 120 euros).
What is open in Spain?
Spain is the second most visited destination in the world after France and receives 80 million international visitors each year. When a state of emergency was declared on March 25, 2020, and the borders were sealed, the tourism sector, which accounts for about 12% of the country’s GDP, came to a halt.
While the threat of the virus is still present, Spain is looking to the future as vaccination rates rise and infections continue to fall. The alarm ended on May 9, lifting the national curfew and regional travel restrictions, but various local restrictions remain in place in 17 regions of the country. Before traveling, consult the local regulations of the region to which you are traveling.
As of June 26, masks are no longer legally required outdoors, provided people can keep 1.5 meters apart. But it is advisable to always bring a mask, as they are still needed in crowded open spaces, public transport and taxis, as well as in areas such as restaurants, airports, supermarkets, shops and museums.
Throughout Spain, restaurants, cinemas, theaters, cultural attractions and museums operate with limited capacity. Amusement parks and water parks work with enhanced safety protocols. The beaches are open in compliance with the requirements of social distances, and some tourist resorts use curfews, for example, in Mallorca, where the beaches are closed from 21:00 to 6:00.
Nightclubs opened in June for the first time since the pandemic began. The rules vary by region, but in general nightclubs can remain open until about 2 or 3 o’clock at night, and the restriction of bar capacity has been continued. In some areas, dance floors are open, although face masks are needed.