Travel between the UK and Spain affected due to Omicron variant

The Embassy of Spain in the United Kingdom has announced new rules for those who want or need to travel to and from Spain to the UK.

From Wednesday 1 December 2021, full vaccination will be an unskippable requirement for non-essential travelers from the United Kingdom to the Kingdom of Spain. Exceptions are children under 12 years old, Spanish or EU citizens and their family members, people who legally reside in Spain, and those who travel under the category of “essential trip”.

Essential trips include:

• Long-term residents in the European Union, Schengen Associated States, Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City, and San Marino in transit to their country of residence.
• Third-country citizens with a national long-term visa issued by an EU Member State or Schengen Associated State.
• Healthcare and elderly care professionals (including healthcare researchers).
• Transport personnel, such as sailors and other aeronautical staff.
• Military or civil protection personnel, diplomats, staff of international organizations and humanitarian aid workers, etc. (as long as the travel is required for their functions).
• People studying in an EU Member State or Schengen Associated State who have a permit to study abroad (only if they’re traveling to the country where they study during the academic year or 15 days prior to the start of the academic year).
• People traveling for duly accredited imperative family reasons, force majeure, humanitarian reasons, or highly qualified work that is urgent and unavoidably presential (such as athletes in high-level sports competitions). 

The Embassy of Spain has also published a summary of current entry restrictions to the Kingdom of Spain that were updated on December 1st, 2021. 

• From that date, there are three categories of travelers: 
  • (A) Spanish and EU citizens and their family members;
  • (B) British and other third-country nationals coming from a risk area or country (including the United Kingdom) on essential trips; and
  • (C) British and other third-country nationals coming from a risk area or country (including the United Kingdom) for non-essential reasons, such as tourism. 

People in the first category don’t have to provide a reason for traveling to Spain. Those who are under 12 years old must only present the SPTH Form (a health control form that everybody can download from the Spain Travel Health website). Adults must present the SPTH form and vaccination certificate, recovery certificate, or a negative COVID-19 diagnostic test of one of the following types: PCR, LAMP, TMA, or rapid antigen test.

People in the second category are subject to the same requirements because they’re essential travelers. But those in the last category must obligatorily present a vaccination certificate. This means that from now on, unvaccinated people from third countries (including the United Kingdom) are not allowed to enter Spain for non-essential reasons. 

This is due to the Omicron variant, which is more contagious than the “normal” COVID-19 strain and is quickly infecting people in six continents around the world. 

A few hours ago, the Omicron cases in the United Kingdom were nearly 700, versus 11 registered cases in Spain.