Spain has confirmed that UK tourists are welcome back from 24 May and won’t need to provide a negative PCR test. However, the country still remains on the UK government’s amber list.
English residents have been advised not to travel to amber list countries unless for an essential reason and you must quarantine on return. Scottish residents have been told to ‘think carefully before booking travel to a country or area on the amber list for holidays’. In Wales, you are advised to take staycations. Northern Ireland residents are also advised not to travel abroad.
See more on amber list country travel advice
Is travelling abroad legal?
Yes. Travel abroad is now legal again. It was previously banned. However, it is not advisable to visit amber or red list countries.
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Will Spain let me in for a holiday?
Spain has confirmed UK residents can take holidays there from 24 May. Until then, you can only visit for health, education or work reasons. However, this does not mean that you should travel there.
What is the travel traffic light system?
Countries have been rated by the government as red, amber or green. Ratings indicate how many tests you need for travel on return to the UK and whether you need to isolate at home or in a hotel.
Read in detail about what red, amber and green means for tests and quarantines in traffic light Q&A.
Will Spain be a green list country when the traffic light list is updated in June?
Nobody knows which countries will be added or taken off the green list next month. Assume Spain will remain amber until told otherwise. It’s risky to book a holiday to Spain hoping it will be added to the green list.
Key factors in the assessment of whether it will be listed as ‘green’ will include vaccination rates in Spain, rate of infection, the prevalence of variants of concern and whether the country has access to reliable scientific data.
Find out which countries are currently on the green list.
Should I book a holiday to Spain while it’s an amber rated country?
While rated as amber, you shouldn’t travel there for a holiday. If you travel to see family, or for an essential reason, you will have to quarantine for a period of 10 days on your return to the UK. You will also need to pay for a test before you depart home to the UK, plus two PCR tests on day two and eight after landing. Alternately, you can pay for an additional Test to Release test on day five to end self-isolation early.
Additionally, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) currently advises against travelling to mainland Spain as well as the Balearic Islands. This means that if you book to travel there, you will not be able to find insurance. This could leave you unprotected financially if anything went wrong on holiday.
If you’re wondering whether to book for later in the summer, in the hope Spain will later be added to the green list, be aware this is a risk. Not many package holiday companies will refund you if Spain remains on the amber list when you’re due to travel. Most will offer a date change or refund but not all – check the contract carefully. However, if the FCDO advises against travel at the time of the trip, almost all companies will offer a refund – though this excludes some online travel agents. Find out which companies offer flexible booking.
If you do decide to book, make sure you choose a package holiday with a well-rated provider and ask questions about flexibility – we’ve listed important questions to ask travel agents. It’s important to protect yourself in case Spain remains amber-rated and you don’t want to quarantine after your holiday or travel against government advice.
Read our travel agent reviews to help you decide who to book with
What are the coronavirus rates in Spain?
Part of the traffic light rating is based on infection rates. On 20 May, there were 5,733 new cases and 33 new deaths in Spain. This has reduced since we last checked on 28 April, where there were 8,665 new cases and 88 new deaths in Spain.
In comparison, the UK had 2,874 new cases and 7 new deaths on 20 May.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/05/is-it-safe-to-book-a-holiday-to-spain/