Just 44 hours after the Balearic islands were added to the UK’s quarantine-free list, unvaccinated British visitors will have to present evidence of a negative test before travel to Spain.
Previously there were no requirements beyond completing a “health control form”.
The government in Madrid says the prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, personally announced the rule change “in order to protect both residents and visitors, given the rising infection rates in the United Kingdom”.
New coronavirus cases in the UK are running at about twice the rate of Spain.
From midnight 2 July, vaccinated travellers who wish to avoid testing must present “a vaccination certificate issued by the competent authorities in the UK (either electronically or in print) at least 14 days from the last vaccination dose”.
Presently only the Balearic islands - comprising Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca - are on the UK’s “green list”. Mainland Spain and the Canaries are on the amber list, which mandates 10 days of self-isolation.
Spain’s U-turn comes amid other territories tightening restrictions on British arrivals.
The UK joined Malta’s “red list” at the same time as the island was added to the green register, requiring all arrivals 12 and over to be fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, Hong Kong has blocked all arrivals if they’ve spent longer than two hours on UK soil.
