Spain will welcome British holidaymakers from next week without the need to quarantine on entry.
The Spanish Government confirmed in a state bulletin on Friday that they will follow in the steps of neighbouring Portugal - where tourists from the UK don't need to isolate upon entering - from Monday, May 24.
However Spain is on the UK Department of Transport's 'amber' travel list.
This means that despite no longer needing to isolate in Spain, once travellers return to England, they must quarantine at home or in the place they are staying for 10 days.
The requirement also includes taking a Covid-19 test on or before day two and on or after day eight following arrival back into the country.
Passengers arriving to Spain must also present a negative PCR Covid test - taken within 72 hours of boarding.
Lockdown measures are also in place in the tourist hotspot, such as social distancing and the mandatory use of face masks in public spaces.
The guidance from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) currently advises against all but essential travel to Spain, including the Balearic Islands but excluding the Canary Islands, based on the current assessment of Covid-19 risks.
In a Downing Street coronavirus conference on Wednesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock stressed countries on the amber and red lists were not destinations suitable for a foreign holiday.
Mr Hancock defended the Government’s cautious approach to international travel restrictions as being due to a “higher rate of the virus” in mainland Europe and the vaccination programme needing to progress further before holidaying abroad is safe.
He said most areas of Europe have a higher rate of the virus than in the UK, and a much more significant presence of the so-called South African variant of concern.
"That’s why we’ve chosen to put only Portugal out of mainland Europe on the green list," he said.
“On the latest data, a proportion of the South African variant in France was around five per cent, and hence we’ve kept it on the amber list."
He said visiting an ill family member or attending a funeral of someone close to you were two justifications for travelling to a country on the Government’s 'amber list'.
It's advised before any foreign travel to check the requirements for your chosen destination and to check the travel advice listed on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website.
