From 6:00 p.m. on December 22, 2020 until 6:00 p.m. on March 30, 2021, no flights from any airport located in the United Kingdom, with or without intermediate stopovers, may land in Spain, and no roll-on-roll-off passenger ships or passenger ships that provide regular service from UK ports may enter Spanish ports, unless they exclusively transport:
- Spanish or Andorran nationals, or
- residents in Spain or Andorra
Can I travel to Spain from the UK?
The Spanish Government is vetoing the entry of people by plane or boat from the United Kingdom into Spain, except for Spaniards or Andorrans already resident in Spain or Andorra. This was established by Order PCM/1237/2020, of December 22, published in an extraordinary BOE on the afternoon of December 22. The main reason that has caused the adoption of this measure is to limit the spread of and contagion by COVID-19 and its new variant.
Spain is not the only state to adopt this measure. There are already several European Union countries that have carried out these actions based on the recommendations of the European Commission's Health Security Committee, which states that non-essential travel to and from the United Kingdom should be avoided.
Likewise, the Order establishes that this restrictive measure may be prolonged if necessary depending on the evolution of the situation and the pandemic.
However, this veto also has several specific exceptions, which include:
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aircraft flights of the State
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entry of ships of the State
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search and rescue services
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flights with a stopover in Spanish territory for non-commercial purposes and whose final destination is another country
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exclusively cargo, positional (ferry), humanitarian, medical or emergency ships or flights
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voyages by ships leaving a UK port before the start of the ban
Is entering Spain from Gibraltar prohibited?
Yes, with no expiry date, entering Spain from Gibraltar is prohibited, except in the case of Spanish citizens, foreigners with legal residence in Spain, cross-border workers and people with legal residence in the territory of Gibraltar.
In addition, we must not forget that there are countries from which a negative PCR test or similar molecular test is required, carried out 72 hours before the trip in the case of entering Spain by air or sea. You can find more information in this post: Do I have to take a PCR test to enter Spain? The United Kingdom is included on that list.
This information may vary or be modified according to social and health circumstances. If you need more information about international mobility, you can get in touch with our professionals.
