Madrid, Jun 7 (FN Bureau) Spain has opened its borders to tourists immunized with coronavirus vaccines approved by either the European Medicines Agency or the World Health Organization, giving a start to the summer tourist season. “Today, June 7, the easing of entry conditions to Spain for travelers from the EU or third countries comes into force,” the government wrote on Twitter.
The list of approved vaccines includes those of Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Sinopharm, and Sinovac-CoronaVac. The vaccination must have been completed at least 14 days before arrival in the country. Travelers can get to Spain from any country, except Brazil, India, and South Africa. Children under six years old can travel without any restrictions. Russians vaccinated with homegrown vaccines cannot enter Spain on tourist visas, since these shots have not yet been approved by the WHO or EMA.
EU citizens who are allowed to enter the country or Spaniards returning from abroad can also present antigen tests in addition to a negative PCR test, which must be done prior to entry. The confirmation of successful recovery from COVID-19 can also serve as evidence. As before, travelers need to fill out a special form online or through the Spain Travel Health app. Moreover, Spain is joining a pan-European test of the electronic certificate of vaccination starting Monday, which is expected to become fully operational on July 1. The authorities predict that the easing measures will revive the tourist sector and the country will receive 14.5-15.5 million tourists from July to September, Secretary of State for Tourism Fernando Valdes said.