Spain to reopen to Brits on Monday despite amber list status

The country has dropped its requirement for visitors from the UK to prove an essential reason for travel to Spain. UK arrivals will not need to present a negative Covid-19 test certificate, as long as they have remained in the UK for the past 14 days.

Holidaymakers will still have to take a test before returning to the UK, and because Spain is on the UK government’s amber list, they will then have to self-isolate for 10 days at home and take PCR tests on days two and eight after their return.

Separately, the Foreign Office is advising against “all but essential travel” to Spain and the Balearics.

However, FCDO advice excludes the Canaries, meaning there should be no issues with consumers obtaining insurance for travel to the islands.

Spain’s decision to reopen to Britons from midnight on 24 May came after the EU postponed the decision on adding the UK to its “white list” allowing non-essential travel to the continent.

The delay in the EU decision until at least 4 June is believed to be due to the spread of the Indian variant of Covid-19 that has been spreading in some parts of the UK.

Many EU countries, including green-list Portugal, have already decided to reopen to UK visitors.