Can I travel to Spain from the UK and what traffic light list is the country on?

18 May 2021, 13:09 | Updated: 2 June 2021, 16:32

What are the rules on travel to Spain and when might it go on the green list?

In new rules introduced on May 17, people living in England, Scotland and Wales have been legally permitted to go on holiday.

The conditions for travel are not straight forward, however, as there are only 12 countries on the 'green list' of countries where visitors won't be required to quarantine on their return from.

Not all of the countries on the green list are allowing visitors from abroad, and it is up to the person travelling to look up the rules for their desired destination.

Many popular European destinations aren't yet on the green list - here's your need-to-know on the rules for Spain.

What list is Spain on?

Spain is currently on the 'amber list', meaning that anyone returning from the country will need to quarantine for 10 days at home when they arrive in the UK.

People arriving from amber list countries must bring a negative Covid test (completed within the last 72 hours) to border control, or they will risk a fine. They must also complete a passenger locator form.

Visitors coming from these countries must also book and pay for Covid tests to take on days two and eight of your 10 day quarantine period.

Most travel testing kits cost between £170 and £240 each, and there are a list of approved sellers on the gov.uk website.

Can you go on holiday to amber list countries?

Many amber list countries are not allowing foreign visitors.

While non-essential travel to amber list countries is permitted by UK law, the government advises against it.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in a recent radio interview: "The red and amber list countries are places that you shouldn’t go to unless you have an absolutely compelling reason."

When asked why travel to amber list countries was not illegal, the Prime Minister's spokesman said: "Our advice is that no one should be travelling to amber countries, that’s in the interests of public health.

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'There may be unavoidable, essential reasons for which people still have to travel to amber list countries, that’s why the rules are there.

"It’s right to have this three-tiered approach because there are some limited circumstances where – for unavoidable work reasons, for example – it’s necessary to travel to these amber list countries, where we know there are concerns but don’t have specific instances of variants of concern."

When will Spain be added to the green list?

We don't yet know when Spain will be added to the green list, but there will be a review of the list every three weeks (with the first due on June 3).

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