Latest updates from Spain, France and the UK

Update. SPAIN. Spanish Health extends the validity of PCRs to enter Spain from 48 to 72 hours. The General Directorate of Public Health has modified the sanitary controls to be carried out at the points of entry in Spain and from this Wednesday the PCR tests carried out 72 hours in advance will be valid, instead of the 48 hours established until now, while the validity of the antigen tests is maintained within 48 hours, as published this Tuesday in the Official State Gazette (BOE)

FRANCE announced a «reinforced regime» for travelers from the U.K. who are not fully vaccinated – a negative COVID test taken within 24 hours of travel, in addition to having compelling reasons for travel. This is a change from the existing regime which requires a test taken within 72 hours of travel.

This means the new rules from the U.K. are:

• Fully vaccinated travelers – can travel to France for any reason, do not have to quarantine on arrival but do need a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of travel. Travelers from the U.K. who had AstraZeneca’s Covishield vaccine do not count as ‘fully vaccinated’ under French rules.
• Unvaccinated travellers – can only travel to France for essential reasons (which includes French citizens and residents returning home), must quarantine for seven days on arrival and need a negative COVID test taken within 24 hours of travel.
• Spain and Portugal are both on France’s green list, along with the rest of the EU and Schegen zone, but testing has also been tightened up for non-vaccinated travelers who now require a negative test taken within 24 hours of travel, not 72 hours as previously.

This means the new rules for Spain and Portugal are:

• Fully vaccinated travelers – can travel for any reason, do not need to quarantine or present a negative COVID test.
• Unvaccinated travelers – can travel for any reason and do not need to quarantine, but must show a negative COVID test taken within 24 hours of travel.

Tests are required for all travelers aged over 11. All entrants to France need to present a declaration that they are in good health.

In travel terms, fully vaccinated is defined as someone who has received a vaccine approved by the EMA – Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca (but not Covishield) or Johnson & Johnson – and is two weeks after their second dose, or four weeks after the injection if they received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson injection (which is known in France as Janssen).

UK. Fully vaccinated UK residents arriving in England from amber travel list destinations will no longer have to quarantine from 19 July. However, they will still need to pay for Covid tests before and after their return
Under the change, fully-jabbed people travelling from amber list countries will still be required to take a test three days before they return and on the second day after they are back – but they will now be exempted from a day eight test.
Fewer than 30 destinations are on the green list – meaning travellers do not have to self-isolate when they get back to the UK, while more than 50 countries are on the strictest red list, which requires arrivals to pay to self-isolate in a hotel. But most places – including holiday hotspots such as mainland Spain, Greece and the US – are on the amber list. However, it has updated on July 15 its list and it now has several amber list countries including France, Greece, Morocco, Switzerland, the US, Jamaica and mainland Spain.
Spain, including the Canary Islands, is on the amber list for entering England. The Balearic Islands are on the green list for entering England. From 4am on Monday 19 July the Balearic Islands will move to the amber list for entering England

If you’re travelling to an amber list country from this date, then check entry & quarantine requirements.