In-Depth
Covid 19 - Traveling to Spain
Covid 19 - Traveling to Spain
Since the state of alarm was declared back on the 14th of March, vacationers who had planned on traveling to Spain have had precious little to celebrate. Now there seems to be a ray of hope up ahead, after the Spanish government has announced that on July 1st it will lift its international travel ban.
Here you will find all the up to date travel information you will need during this crisis.
The current travel restrictions the Spanish government has imposed on travel in and out of the country are very strict and detailed, and can be hard to navigate. In the following article we will go step by step and review the current status of the travel restrictions in Spain.
When will I be able to travel to Spain?
On the 25th of may the Spanish government decided to lift all restrictions on international tourism after the 1st of July and travelers will no longer have to self-quarantine for 14-days upon arrival.
Even though this is great news for vacationers looking to enjoy all the delights Spain has to offer, the government has not yet determined which markets or countries will be allowed to travel to Spain, after said date. The Spanish government is currently trying to figure out how to re-establish international travel within the EU and which countries are safest to travel to and from.
The state of alarm in Spain will be in effect, at least, until June 7. The Spanish government is gradually relaxing some confinement restriction within Spain progressively in phases over the following weeks. The precautionary measures vary from region to region, so travellers should be vigilant of local reports to stay up to date with the specific restriction of the part of Spain they plan on visiting.
The Spanish ministry of health has issued a requirement for everyone within their borders making it obligatory to use face masks (ages six and older) in enclosed spaces and public areas where it is impossible to maintain six feet of social distance. The order also strongly recommends but does not require the use of masks by children between age three and five.
Because of the official state of alarm declared by the Government of Spain on 14 March 2020, that effectively closed the countries land borders as well as at ports and airports travel to Spain is, as of now permitted only to:
- cross-border workers and others with documents accrediting force majeure or other situations justifying entrance;
- diplomatic staff and consular agents accredited in Spain, travelling in the course of their duties.
RyanAir has announced that they are now taking bookings for flights from 01 July onwards for destinations to Europe, including Spain. RyanAir will be operating at 40% of its flights in July. Airports and airlines are now preparing to open up again July.
How to travel to Spain during the quarantine
The current restrictions on travel are very strict. All travel options are available but only for necessary travel as we mentioned before. Once travelers are in Spain there are certain measures they will have to take at least until the 1st of July:
Under the current restrictions due to the Covid-19 virus, travelers arriving in Spain from other countries must observe a 14-day quarantine. During the quarantine period, travelers must remain in their accommodations, leaving only for the following activities:
a) Obtaining food, pharmaceutical products and other basic necessities
b) Going to medical centres and getting healthcare services.
c) Evacuation due to force majeure or other exceptional situations.
They will be required to wear face masks in all such movements.
All travel agencies, tour operators and transport companies are required to inform their customers of the current measures before they can legally sell tickets destined for Spain.
You should also keep in mind that, once in Spain:
- Safety masks are required
- Public and private passenger transport have been reduced temporarily
- Retail businesses may provide their services in home delivery only. Depending on which phase the region you are visiting is in, restaurants, bars, etc. may be open to the public or not. Keep reading to find out what phase the area of Spain you are interested in is currently under.
- Entertainment, cultural, artistic, sports and similar venues must remain closed until further notice.
- Hotels and tourist accommodation remain closed to the general public, but
- Accommodation is available to security forces, maintenance workers, healthcare workers, etc. as well as other groups.
- If everything goes as planned, and tourism picks up again after July 1st, there will be specific restrictions and precautions in that scenario.
Where can I travel in Spain?
This map shows every municipality in Spain and what phase of the Covid 19 de-escalation process it is in.
The light Orange municipalities are currently in Phase 2, which means (among other things):
- Gatherings of up to 15 people are allowed.
- Bars can re-open to 40% capacity (always respecting social distancing)
- No time restrictions for people under 70. People over 70 will be able to be out and/ or exercise except from 10h to 12h and from 19h to 20h.
- All retailers may open, including shopping malls.
- Wedding ceremonies may be held for up to 50 people in a closed space and up to 100 in open spaces.
- Places of worship may open to 50% capacity.
- Art galleries may open and tourist visits must follow a certain guided path.
- Theaters, cinemas and others can offer full service to 30% capacity.
- Professional sports may be played without fans in the stadium.
- Sports centers will re-open to 30% capacity. Including outdoor pools.
- Active tourism and guided nature tourism can be held with up to 20 people.
- Business meetings can be held with up to 50 people.
- Beaches can be visited with restrictions
Some of Spain’s top tourist destinations are still under the restrictions of Phase 2. Madrid, Barcelona, Granada and Valencia are making huge strides in decreasing the number of Covid 19 cases.
The green areas are the areas of Spain that are still under Phase 2. The rules in place for regions in phase 3 are (among others):
- There are no more time restrictions and Friends and family can congregate in groups of up to 20 people
- Weddings and places of worship can be attended by a maximum of 75% of the capacity of the establishment, and having a maximum of 150 people in open spaces and 75 in closed spaces.
- All businesses may open to 50% of their capacity
- Restaurants and bars can now, not only serve outdoors, they can also open their dining rooms to 50% capacity always guaranteeing 2m of distancing between tables.
- Discotheques and pubs can re-open to 1/3 of their capacity but with no dance floor. If the establishment has a terrace, it can be used to 75% of its capacity.
- Open air terraces can open to 75% capacity with 20 people max.
- Hotels can now re-open to 50% capacity and give classes and activities to up to 20 people.
- Museums and galleries may open to 50% capacity and visits can be held with up to 20 people at a time.
- Cinemas, theaters and auditoriums will be able to re-open as well as long as they have assigned seating and open to only 50% capacity. During outdoor events in any of these establishments, the audience must remain seated and keeping social distancing. These events may only open to 50% capacity and have no more than 80 individuals in attendance.
- Hikes and other forms of active tourism will be allowed in groups of up to 30 people.
- Zoos aquariums and other touristic areas of this nature can re-open to 50% capacity for outdoor activities and to 1/3 capacity for indoor activities.
- Conferences, meetings and other such events may be held with up to 80 people.
Some of Spain’s major cities have now moved on to phase 3 including: Bilbao, San Sebastian, Seville, Córdoba, The Balearic Islands, The Canary Islands and Santiago de Compostela among others. These are probably your safest bets if you are planning on traveling to Spain in the summer of 2020. We will keep you posted!