Spain imposes new restrictions on UK travellers heading to Majorca and Ibiza as EU nations tighten rules

Ibiza Town

(Picture: PA)

Spain will start to demand a negative Covid-19 test or proof of vaccination from British tourists who want to enter Mallorca, Ibiza and the surrounding Balearic islands, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday.

“What we are going to do is apply to British tourists who go to the Balearic islands the same requirements we make of other European citizens,” Mr Sanchez told Cadena SER radio.

“They will need a full dose of vaccine or a negative PCR,” he added, referring to a type of test for the coronavirus.

The new rules will come into force within 72 hours, Mr Sanchez said, without specifying a day.

The move was needed because of a worrying rise in infections in the United Kingdom, TVE quoted him as saying.

Spain had previously decided to lift the requirement for UK travellers to present a negative PCR test from May 20.

Authorities in Mallorca, a popular holiday destination for Spaniards and foreigners alike, are investigating a coronavirus outbreak involving more than 600 students.

It comes as UK holidaymakers arriving in Portugal who are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 must quarantine for 14 days on arrival.

Anyone travelling to mainland Portugal by air, land or sea, from Monday, will have to confirm they are fully vaccinated at least two weeks ago or have to isolate.

The new rules were introduced by the Portuguese government and will last until at least July 11.

They said the decision “may be revised at any time, depending on the evolution of the epidemiological situation”.

The rule does not apply in Madeira, which has been moved back to the UK’s green list.

Malta will also only allow those who are fully vaccinated to enter the country without having to quarantine.

The Maltese government will impose the new restrictions from June 30 in response to rising cases of the Delta variant in the UK.

On Monday, it was announced that the UK will be added to Hong Kong’s list of “extremely high risk” countries and passenger flights will be banned from entering the nation from Thursday.

The law will take effect from July 1 and anyone who has been in Britain for longer than two hours will be restricted from boarding passenger flights bound for Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, Germany will on Monday launch an attempt to ban British travellers from the EU, including those who are double jabbed.

German chancellor Angela Merkel previously called for a European Union-wide quarantine on British tourists, with Environment Secretary George Eustice criticising the move as “not justified.”

According to the Times, Ms Merkel wants to designate Britain as a “country of concern” due to the spread of the Delta variant.

The paper reports that senior European and national officials on the EU’s integrated political crisis response committee will discuss the plans.

However, Spain has said they do not plan to back the EU-wide quarantine and are adamant about setting its own border policy.