Travel restrictions to enter Spain
What are the rules to enter this country from an EU Member State or Schengen Associated country?
- If you travel by air, a form must be completed and signed electronically (from 48 hours before the flight departure) before your arrival in Spain. You can access the form and sign it via the Spain Travel Health website or apps for Android or iOs devices. After you sign it, you will receive a QR code which must be presented upon arrival in Spain (you can carry your QR code on your mobile phone or printed on paper). Remember that you must fill in a separate form for each trip and each person. All travellers should complete the form, including children of any age, and travellers in transit.
- If you travel by sea, a form must be completed and signed electronically (https://spthm.puertos.es/ or on our mobile app) in order to obtain and show the QR code before boarding and at the health control upon arrival in Spain.
Entering this country with the EU Digital COVID certificate
All persons travelling to Spain from another country (including children of any age, travellers in transit and residents in Spain returning home), must complete the Health Control Form associated with their trip. When travelling by air, this can be done via the WEB www.spth.gob.es or the APP, Spain Travel Health-SpTH (available for Android and iOS). When travelling by sea (ferries), this can be done through the following link: spthm.puertos.es
After finishing the form, you will get a QR code that you will have to present both at the time of boarding and upon your arrival in Spain at the health controls. At the present time it is not mandatory to present any form if the trip to Spain is by land.
The EU Digital COVID Certificate may be of three different types (vaccination, diagnostic test or recovery) and any of them may be used by travellers to enter Spain, as long as they meet the following criteria:
- COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate. Valid 14 days after receiving the complete regimen. Any vaccine authorised by the European Union (European Medicines Agency, EMA) and WHO will be accepted.
- Certificate of a diagnostic test for SARSCoV2 with negative result. The following diagnostic tests shall be admissible:
- NAAT- nucleic acid amplification tests (e.g.: RT-PCR, RT-LAMP, TMA, HAD, NEAR, CRISPR, SDA), with sampling within the previous 72 hours to arrival in Spain.
- RAT-rapid antigen test, with sampling within the previous 48 hours to arrival in Spain. You can consult the list of rapid tests approved by the European Commission through this link
- A COVID-19 Recovery certificate (valid from day 11 after the first positive NAAT and up to 180 days after the sample date) Children under the age of 12 years are exempt from submitting these certificates, but not from completing the Health Control Form and obtaining a QR code.
Entering this country without the EU Digital COVID certificate or with a certificate not compliant with national requirements
Any passenger coming from a country/area considered at risk for COVID-19 must present a certificate or document certifying vaccination, an active infection diagnostic test (AIDT) or recovery from COVID-19. You can find this information on the list of risk countries/areas.
Please note that the list of high risk countries /areas, as well as the criteria used to define them, will be reviewed every seven days and their update will be published on this page.
Similarly, passengers from third countries who meet the requirements to enter Spain as listed on the Government’s website, may travel by presenting any of the following certificates, as long as they meet the same conditions as the EU Digital COVID Certificate:
- a certificate of vaccination against COVID-19,
- a negative diagnostic test (NAAT or RAT) performed within 72h (NAAT)/ 48h (RAT) of arrival,
- a certificate of recovery from COVID-19
if you travel to Spain under any of the previous certificates, you can only do so if you have a certificate of being fully vaccinated with an EMA/OMS authorized vaccine, and the last dose was administered more than 14 days ago.
For persons resident in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland coming directly from this country, in addition to the vaccination certificate, diagnostic certificates of NAAT tests (nucleic acid amplification tests, e.g.: RT-PCR, RT-LAMP, etc.) will also be considered valid.
Any of these certificates must be provided in Spanish, English, French or German.
If it is not possible to obtain the original certificate in any of these languages, the document must be accompanied by a translation into Spanish by an official authority.
What are the rules to enter this country from outside an EU Member State or Schengen Associated country?
If you are a third-country national, in order to enter Spain, you must comply with the entry requirements set out by the Ministry of the Interior in Order INT / 657/2020, of July 17, which modifies the criteria for the application of a temporary restriction of non-essential travel from third countries to the European Union and Schengen partner countries for reasons of public order and public health due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19.
According to Orden SND/821/2021, of July 30th, people from the following countries must undergo a 10-day quarantine upon arrival in Spain: Republic of Argentina, Republic of Bolivia, Federal Republic of Brazil, Republic of Colombia, Republic of Namibia and Republic of South Africa. Specific national legislation according to the country of origin is available here.
On the webpage of the Ministry of Health, traveller can get information access information on the health requirements to pass the health control at air and sea entry points (and land in the case of France) in Spain here
Any third-country national will be subject to denial of entry, for reasons of public order or public health, unless they belong to some of the categories from (a) to (k) that the Spanish Government recognise from the list in the “Entry requirements for entry in Spain from third countries“.
All third-country nationals, even if they belong to one of the categories, who, after verification by the health authorities, do not meet the health control requirements for COVID-19 established by the Ministry of Health, will be subjected to denial of entry for public health reasons.
In the case of persons arriving at any airport in Spain, on flights from airports located in third countries, who are subject to quarantine by Order of the Ministry of Health, while this order is in force, have special conditions to enter in the country.
Flights from any airport located in the Federative Republic of Brazil or the Republic of South Africa to any airport located in Spain, have special conditions to enter in the country.
Entry Rules for the Canary Islands
Entry rules for the Canary Islands are available at hellocanaryislands.com
General measures. Catering establishments
Autonomous Regions are the competent authorities regulating access to these places.
Autonomous Regions might require the EU Digital COVID certificate (or equivalent) to access indoor bars and clubs. Checking the regional websites is highly recommended for being updated with the new possible regulations.
In general, social distancing of 1.5 metres at the bar is mandatory, and tables should at least be 1.5 metres apart. For restaurants, limits of persons per table applies and indoor dining is limited, according to the rules in place in different autonomous regions.
For more info: Recommendations from the Spanish government for the service industry (in Spanish).
