Spain's Balearic Islands to request PCR test or vaccination certificate from British tourists
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Monday that UK tourists visiting Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza or Formentera will have to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test or that they’ve been fully vaccinated.
Sánchez made the announcement on Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, stating that his government will "apply the same conditions to British tourists who go to the Balearic Islands” as to other international travellers.
“They will need a complete vaccination certificate or negative PCR test.
“The measure will come into force in 72 hours”, Sánchez added, meaning Thursday July 1st.
Numerous Spanish news sources have reported that the Spanish Prime Minister’s announcement actually extends to all of the country’s 17 regions, even though he specifically stated the Balearic Islands.
The news also comes just days after the UK government included the Mediterranean archipelago on its "green" travel list, which allows returning British tourists to avoid the ten-day quarantine mandatory for travel to all other regions in Spain as they're on the "amber" list.
The announcement is reported to have caused a spike of 3,000 percent in holiday bookings by budding travellers looking to fly to the archipelago which includes the islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.
UK holidaymakers travelling to Spain have not had to present a negative PCR test or show proof of their Covid-19 health status since May 24th, but now travellers who had hoped to go to the Balearics and avoid quarantine upon return will have to at least carry paper or digital proof that they've had a PCR test within the last 72 hours or completed their vaccination treatment more than 14 days before travel.
The Balearic Islands have also been at the centre of a huge Covid-19 cluster which occurred after an end-of-year student trip in Mallorca, with hundreds of youths testing positive for Covid-19 across at least eight Spanish regions.
"British tourists have to be tested upon return to the United Kingdom so we have also told the national government that we want controls with proof of testing on arrival or a certificate of complete vaccination," spokesperson Iago Negueruela told Cadena Ser last Friday, hinting that there would "be no problem" for Madrid to adopt this measure.
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Sánchez made the announcement on Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, stating that his government will "apply the same conditions to British tourists who go to the Balearic Islands” as to other international travellers.
“They will need a complete vaccination certificate or negative PCR test.
“The measure will come into force in 72 hours”, Sánchez added, meaning Thursday July 1st.
Numerous Spanish news sources have reported that the Spanish Prime Minister’s announcement actually extends to all of the country’s 17 regions, even though he specifically stated the Balearic Islands.
The news also comes just days after the UK government included the Mediterranean archipelago on its "green" travel list, which allows returning British tourists to avoid the ten-day quarantine mandatory for travel to all other regions in Spain as they're on the "amber" list.
The announcement is reported to have caused a spike of 3,000 percent in holiday bookings by budding travellers looking to fly to the archipelago which includes the islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.
UK holidaymakers travelling to Spain have not had to present a negative PCR test or show proof of their Covid-19 health status since May 24th, but now travellers who had hoped to go to the Balearics and avoid quarantine upon return will have to at least carry paper or digital proof that they've had a PCR test within the last 72 hours or completed their vaccination treatment more than 14 days before travel.
The Balearic Islands have also been at the centre of a huge Covid-19 cluster which occurred after an end-of-year student trip in Mallorca, with hundreds of youths testing positive for Covid-19 across at least eight Spanish regions.
"British tourists have to be tested upon return to the United Kingdom so we have also told the national government that we want controls with proof of testing on arrival or a certificate of complete vaccination," spokesperson Iago Negueruela told Cadena Ser last Friday, hinting that there would "be no problem" for Madrid to adopt this measure.
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