Winter travel corridor hope for Canaries and Balearics

Under new rules agreed by Spain’s central government, both sets of islands will allow anyone to enter without being tested on arrival provided their home country has fewer than 50 Covid cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the previous 14 days.

Arrivals from countries with more than 50 cases per 100,000 will need to present a negative test certificate obtained no more than 48 hours before travel.

The proposals will mean no immediate change for the UK as its rate is far above this.

Moreover, UK FCDO advice is against all travel to Spain, which invalidates standard travel insurance policies.

Under the islands’ plan, tests for departing passengers will be carried out at approved centres and those that fail the examination will be placed in quarantine, with expenses and accommodation paid for by the islands.

“The protocols are a useful measure to reach agreements with our European partners to allow us to recover mobility and reactivate the flow of tourists with safe conditions,” said Spain’s industry, trade and tourism minister Reyes Maroto.

“These protocols are the first and we hope to be able to extend them to other popular tourism destinations within Spain’s mainland.”

An FCDO spokesperson added: “We are monitoring the international situation very closely and keeping our travel advice under constant review so that it reflects our latest assessment of risks to British people."