Spain to welcome tourists from non-EU countries deemed ‘safe’ from Monday, ‘without health requirements’

Spain’s prime minister has announced plans to allow the entry of certain non-EU travelers without health controls from Monday, as well as vaccinated tourists from the US in June.

“From Monday, Spain will be delighted, very delighted to welcome all British tourists and tourists from all the countries that I’ve just mentioned. They are welcome to our country without restrictions and without health requirements,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday. 

He stated that an order would be published on Friday which exempted citizens from the UK as well as New Zealand, South Korea and China, among other countries, “from temporary restrictions for non-essential trips to Spain.”

The prime minister added that vaccinated tourists from other non-European nations, including the US, would be allowed in from June. 

While Madrid will allow British tourists to enter on Monday, the UK government currently prohibits Britons traveling to Spain without an essential reason and imposes a 10-day isolation period for travelers on return. Both the Spanish mainland and the Balearic Islands are on Britain’s amber list.

Last week, Madrid added the UK to its list of safe countries, joining a group that includes Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Israel. Britons are Spain’s biggest source of tourist revenue. 

Despite an improving epidemiological situation, Spain still mandates face-coverings on all forms of public transport and in many other indoor and outdoor public spaces for anyone over the age of six. 

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