Spain has updated and further strengthened entry restrictions for all travelers where the Omicron variant has been reported.
According to the most recent update, which came into effect today (Dec. 6) at 00:00 hours, all fully vaccinated tourists (or people who have recovered from COVID-19) entering Spain from a high-risk country must present a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours before arrival together with their Spain Travel Health form.
“If you come from a high-risk country, to pass the health controls upon arrival in Spain you will have to present, regardless of whether you have a vaccination or recovery certificate, your SpTH QR code along with a SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test certificate, with a negative result,” the Spanish authorities highlighted.
From today until Dec. 12 at 23:59 hours Spain’s “HIGH-RISK countries” include Botswana Eswatini, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Also, Spain labeled Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and The Netherlands as “Countries at RISK” – PCR test on arrival is still not needed but it would.
Only twenty Non-EU countries will be considered safe. The United Kingdom is not one of them.
Until now, visitors from the UK had been able to enter Spain if they could show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test result. Not anymore.
Starting last week, UK travelers who are not EU residents will be only permitted entry if they can produce a vaccine certificate issued more than 14 days prior to departure.
People under the age of 12, Spanish citizens and their family members are exempt from the new entry regulations.
The pandemic has been accelerating in Spain during the last few weeks.
Seven of Spain’s 17 regions have been classified as a medium risk under the revisited traffic light system, which evaluates the pandemic’s risk level.
This means that 26.2 million people now live in an area where community transmission is common and the healthcare system is constantly under strain.
These regions currently include Catalonia, Navarra, Aragón, Valencia, the Basque Country, Madrid and Castilla y León.
The rest of Spain is at low risk, meaning the spread of the virus is not affecting hospitals.