Spain to reopen to overseas tourists in July 2020

July in Spain, going to be hot in Andalusia,
Guess you can stay north.
Carlos, the OP, was so helpful a year ago when we were planning our May 2019 Spain trip.

Thank you for sharing Carlos. I have such fond memories of my visits to Spain. Looking forward to returning.

Sandy

Neither article defines "international tourism". Perhaps the government hasn't given the details yet.
Is there a possibility that you could find out who's in and who's out.

No further guidelines or interpretation of international (overseas) tourism was given in this specific address, so I think they are still working it all out. Italy is opening its doors to international tourism a whole month before, on June 3, so I think Spain is holding off and watching what happens in Italy before making any definitive announcement on procedure or country specific restrictions.

Yes if you do plan to visit Spain in July/Aug/Sept certainly the north, from Galicia to the west to the Pyrenees to the east, makes for a prime destination!

Edit to add:

This from another Spanish newspaper I read: "“en los próximos días” los responsables de los ministerios de Industria, Comercio y Turismo y Transportes, Movilidad y Agenda Urbana, irán concretando, en colaboración con las comunidades autónomas, todas las cuestiones relativas a la entrada de turistas extranjeros." - https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20200523/481348559163/sanchez-turismo-extranjeros-desescalada-turistas-espana.html

Basically, in the coming few days, the Tourism Ministry, with the collaboration of the regional governments, will be working together on specifics of this July reopening of international tourism. We may be getting some more detailed info in the coming days.

Woot! Looks like our September trip to South France and North Spain is a go!

I have Seville planned for late October (bought tickets early - in January - to use miles). I figured I’d be canceling, but maybe not. We will see...

How about Barcelona and Madrid? We are scheduled for a RS tour starting Oct 1 in Barcelona.

I'm still waiting until next year. No one is taking precautions where I live and I fear that more people will get sick because they are gathering together. I do feel for their health care workers as it's probably the last thing they need right now.

Hopefully, there will be safeguards in place for the citizens. I can't understand why people can't put off travel for a year but maybe that's me.

I particularly like this sentence in the statement: "We will guarantee that tourists will not run any risks, nor will they bring any risk to our country" - whatever that means.

Great news, and I’ll keep my fingers crossed that my scheduled trip will go. I see La Rioja and Aragon provinces in my future.

I don’t know how the government can “guarantee” that tourist won’t t be bringing in the virus? Testing? A negative test result is only good (if accurate) for that point in time.
The next few weeks may be an eye opener here in the US, as large numbers pack into bars, restaurants, beaches, churches, and other businesses without a care in the world. A lot of non mask users where I live and a lack of concern about social distancing as well.

@janabyoung - in theory this would also include Barcelona and Madrid, although they have been lagging behind in the phased reopening these past few weeks.

The PM was pretty clear in his address that July would be the month that Spain would reopen for overseas tourists, and that the safety of both the local population and visitors would be assured, at least that's the plan. Little specific details have been shared with the public and to be honest this was a bit of a surprise announcement, I personally thought it would take a few more months longer to reopen.

Though there was this interesting comment he made during the address - "We are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Now the epicenter has moved to other parts of the planet, as is happening, for example, on the American continent." I assume by the new epicenter on the American continent he refers to Brazil and perhaps the USA.

You wrote>>>>Though there was this interesting comment he made during the address - "We are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Now the epicenter has moved to other parts of the planet, as is happening, for example, on the American continent." I assume by the new epicenter on the American continent he refers to Brazil and perhaps the USA.

The statistics are contextually fraudulent and filled with omissions. It's just a scam to gain greater control over the proles.

It's a shame really.....I've been to Madrid for the last 5 years straight. I'm much more concerned with hassle than the virus.

Don't want to turn this political but Americas can also refer to Central and South America where the virus is spreading at a rapid rate.

That said, it will be interesting to see the results. Gracias.

Thanks everyone. We'll continue to watch and wait. It's been very interesting coping with all the changes we've made to keep the virus at bay. My area (Oregon) has done well but do understand it is not so everywhere for a variety of reasons. Would expect, if Spain does actually happen, to wear a mask when outside my own hotel room. And social distance as well. Use common sense. It will be different to not attend some of the activities that involve larger groups of people (tapas crawl) but to remain safe we are willing. And seeing the history of Spain is a very important part to us.
We also have another hurdle to cross in our trip. We have a 4 day stop in Britain to see old friends before we head into Spain. The two areas may not have the same regulations. Watch and wait....

Interesting news - thank you Carlos for keeping us posted!
We are in Canada. Had a lovely trip planned for early October - mostly in the north, but flying in and out of Madrid. Air Canada has suspended the Madrid flights until late October and booked us into Munich instead (not sure why? The city name starts with "M"?). We have cancelled our flight so far. Although we have access to a refund, they are asking $150/per person for said refund - therefore we are sitting with a voucher. We'll see how things transpire but am thinking we will likely wait a year.

This US Embassy in Spain COVID-19 info should be useful for US citizens wanting to travel there this year. There are lots of links that lead to more details.

I'd expect it will continue to be updated promptly and regularly.

UPDATE (25/5/20): Spain will lift two-week coronavirus quarantine for overseas arrivals from July 1

The Spanish government is planning on lifting the two-week coronavirus quarantine requirement for all overseas arrivals on July 1. The decision was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting held today via video conference call.

Before May 15, the isolation period had only been applied to repatriated Spaniards and residents of Spain traveling from Italy. The rules currently in place apply to all international travelers, with a few exceptions for specific types of workers.

The Spanish government has recently shifted its position on the summer season, having initially suggested it would have to be written off due to the coronavirus crisis. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Saturday during a televised address that the sector should start to get ready for the summer season, and that overseas tourists would be welcomed into the country under safe conditions from July. He also encouraged Spaniards to start planning domestic vacations from as early as June.

On Sunday, Finance Minister and government spokesperson María Jesús Montero said during a press conference that Spain would be seeking international consensus on the free movement of travelers “at least” with countries that send the highest number of tourists to the country, such as Portugal, France, the United Kingdom and Germany. The minister added that the government would seek an agreement with countries from the Schengen area, rather than bilateral deals with a variety of countries.

source: https://english.elpais.com/economy_and_business/2020-05-25/spain-will-lift-two-week-quarantine-on-overseas-arrivals-from-july-1.html

... told you so, didn't I?

But then, that pompous announcement by the Spanish government, as if it had been their own decision, hides behind a discreet meeting that happened last week in Brussels in which the EU Commission got very tough with Spain and Greece in regards of this matter. They were told to announce that European citizens would be allowed to travel anywhere within the EU without having to quarantine -same that had happened a few weeks ago with France when a similar measure was announced and retracted a few hours later. The only exception to this "policy" will be the UK since, given the (awful) state of the negotiations for Brexit, they have decided not to add injury to insult and won't press the UK to do the same -given they're still de facto sort-of an EU member until the end of the year at least.

Funny to see they're now selling it to the public as if it had been a sovereign decision. Hypocrites!

Yes Enric, congratulations you "called it"... you win. All I can do is hope and pray that this change in policy will not negatively effect our fellow citizens.

Not a p***g contest dear Carlos, it's a matter of perspective and, more importantly, not blindly following one single source of information, which furthermore, is known to be well-financed by the government. Anyhow, I share with you the concern, it's important to somehow ensure that similar preventive policies are applied all over Europe if we're to trust each other and continue permitting freedom of movement among member states, one of the pillars of the European Union. Still, last wind from Brussels seems to question certain suggestions made by the (EU) Commission and we might see unexpected decisions coming from the EU Parliament in the next few weeks. In all, this uncertainty and back and forth changes are simply a real mess for us plain citizens. We'll see.

On another matter... I would suppose those forum members planning to travel abroad these coming months have already considered that your plans need to allow for far more time in each of the sites you intended to visit, didn't you?

In destinations like Catalonia or Andalusia for example, despite having (most likely) far fewer tourists this year, you'll come across a lot of internal tourism -in Catalonia in particular- and also some restrictions in place, such as reduced maximum capacity inside buildings, or at the beach, or the terraces.

This means that if you had planed say to visit two sites in one morning, you might need to allow for more time. This might not be so critical in places in which you need to pre-book a time slot, such as in Sagrada Família or Casa Batlló in Barcelona for example since they'll simply reduce the hour availability. If you book this or that slot, you'll be able to visit at the given time -and, as a bonus this year, you'll be able to visit with fewer visitors!

In any case, do ask in the forum when the time to travel gets closer so either Carlos, myself or anyone else familiarized with the local culture/procedures can point you to any last minute thing you "need to know" (ie emergency procedures in place, health risk status, etc). Don't just rely on the "US State Dept travel warnings", their info is often too vague and even obsolete -sorry to point out!

Of course it's not a contest I was merely being sarcastic, though I'm not too sure what you think you have "proven". If anything, the information I've referenced from El Pais in previous posts have been on-point.

Prime Minister Sánchez has said he would like to extend these new measures (including the quarantine) until June 29, if he can obtain the congressional backing for another extension of the State of Alarm.

For example this above is what I posted a month back, in April, as you can seen, the State of Alarm has since been extend multiple times and the deescalation measures (including the quarantine) are still ending in late June, what comes after in July, one could only make educated guesses until further information was provided.

Later, in May, you said:

As I said, those that have been long working in or with these institutions, much like in DC, know the jargon and what it does end up meaning, and, mark my words, there'll be tourism within the borders of the EU in summer :)

To which I responded:

I agree, I'm also fairly confident there will be tourism within the borders of the EU this summer, what form will it take, now that's the question. My feeling is that we will have some form of domestic tourism by mid-late summer, and even if it is technically possible to "travel" from one EU country to another, I think most citizens will opt to stay within their own borders during these summer holidays. It think it will take several more months before true international tourism returns in any meaningful sense.

Just setting the record straight, not sure I want to keep going down this rabbit hole, people come to this topic as a source of practical travel information, not a political lecture on the EU or a discourse on the current state of the Spanish press.

To both Carlos and Enric; continued thanks for keeping the forum updated on the current travel restrictions. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that those from the U.S. will be able to travel to Spain later this year.

We have a trip to Spain and Portugal planned for this fall. We will put it off until next year. Being in our seventies we have no interest in taking chances with our health.

Agreed Carlos, no more rabbit searching, LOL!. I also only wanted to put the record straight on some bits you extensively replicate from the El Pais... sometimes the assertive tone seems as if you were the Government speaker yourself -no pun intended- :))... and as you said, this is supposed to be informative, not propagandistic.

But again, the situation is gradually de-escalating and hopefully, we all will soon be able to travel again. For example, in Barcelona, so far we're no longer confined within the city limits, from Monday we can move -albeit not freely yet!- among the cities within the metropolitan area and a bit more.

Btw, I suppose this is of little help to most people now as hardly anyone is travelling, but those non-locals that chose to confine in Barcelona (or anywhere else in Catalonia) might be interested in knowing how de-escalation is proceeding and what can you and can't you do in each phase/geographical area, check the official source here and do Google Translate: https://interior.gencat.cat/ca/arees_dactuacio/proteccio_civil/consells_autoproteccio_emergencia/malalties-transmissibles-emergents-amb-potencial-alt-risc-/index.html You'll find concise FAQs.

On behalf of us in the US who love Spain and will gladly visit again as soon as the applicable travel bans are lifted: What is your best guess as to how soon we in the US will be able to visit Spain for “non-essential” purposes? I had to cancel a trip to Northern Spain scheduled for June, and I am in the process of rebooking. Thank you!

Hi gr88, no one can tell you for certain, any guess is still just a guess. I'd say July is a 50/50, considering the Greeks excluded USA Citizens when they reopened, so Spain may follow suit or they may not. With every passing month the odds get better and better in my opinion. September is my best guess, but don't hold me to that, any travel plans made this year are still pretty risky.

Adding to Carlos, it's not only about when Spain "lifts" the travel ban to non-EU citizens, which actually will most likely be a common EU decision rather than a national decision, but also when the US allows its citizens to travel to Europe. If I recall correctly, the US government imposed a travel ban in mid-March, which I am not sure whether it's still in place, is it?

Adding to Carlos, it's not only about when Spain "lifts" the travel ban to non-EU citizens, which actually will most likely be a common EU decision rather than a national decision, but also when the US allows its citizens to travel to Europe. If I recall correctly, the US government imposed a travel ban in mid-March, which I am not sure whether it's still in place, is it?

It was never a "Ban" more like 'selective actions to make the world think we were doing something'. But for US Citizens it never stopped them from coming back into the country.

I love Spain and am sorely tempted... I can self quarantine both before and after my visit so that's not really a problem.

Thanks James.

I would imagine it'll have to be tit-for-tat otherwise I doubt the EU will allow US citizens either. In the Lisbon Treaty (think one of the "founding" documents of the EU as we know it today) we've got here something called the "Non-discrimination on nationality rules" which apply to all citizens of the EU and which governs third party agreements too, like for example with the US.

Furthermore, if the so-called "corridors" are finally put in place, the US will have to demonstrate Covid-19 is under control before letting their citizens into the EU area. Albeit it's a few weeks old, I believe talks about plans for these corridors are still being discussed: https://www.euractiv.com/section/transport/news/eu-transport-tourism-plan-aims-to-protect-summer-vacations/

For anyone making plans to travel to Europe, I would keep an eye on this because it's likely to be the basis by which tourism in Europe will be directed this summer and fall. But again, it's just my gut feeling.

According to the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE) total number of tourist dollars spent in Spain in April was "zero". They expect the same in May and June, which is a 30 Billion Euro hole in the economy just from tourism in that time frame. And since even Schengin countries will continue to require individuals visiting Spain after the planned "opening" it's entirely likely the loss of tourist dollars will impact over 100 Billion Euros in a country that can ill afford it.

"Spain needs tourism." Truer words were never spoken.

Do not expect the places you've planned on visiting, staying in, or eating at to still be in business. This is going to change all travel, not just in Europe, but everywhere.

I think sometimes things get lost in translation, like the context and difference (in English) between the words "overseas" "international" and "foreign", and the difference between "assuring" and "guaranteeing". Plus a lot of hopeful inferring.

Hey,

Anymore news on whether or not Americans will be allowed to travel to Spain in July? I have a ticket from New York to Barcelona on July 6th and was wondering if I'll be able to go. Thank you.

Hi Nick, no other major updates on specifics of the reopening of the country to foreign tourists. I'd say there's still a chance as an American you will be able to go in July, but you may need to quarantine for two weeks. Right now there are negotiations going on between EU Member States on how best to reopen internal/external borders.

Most Member States want to restore free travel by June 15, at least within the Schengen area. However Spain's Interior Minister is opting for a more conservative position in opening the borders. The central government in Spain has been very sensitive about reopening its external borders to visitors from other countries, especially those currently experiencing significant Covid-19 outbreaks, such as the United States and several Latin American nations. Though in Spain, there is a lot of internal pressure from regional governments and the tourism industry to reopen as soon as possible.

Unfortunately it's now a bit of the old "wait and see" game. I will post any major updates here as soon as they are announced ;-)

Thank you Carlos! My flight to Barcelona is layover en route to Greece, but as you pointed out, it seems like Spain hasn't figured out what they're going to do yet.

It looks like our August trip to Mallorca might well be going ahead! The UK government has announced plans to lift the (far too late in the day) 14 day quarantine requirement in early July and the FCO will be removing their advice against non essential travel to most EU countries so our insurance will be valid (not for pandemic issues obviously).

We've been to Mallorca many, many times and have visited pretty much all the major sights so for us this is going to be more of a bit of cultural downtime. We have our own villa with garden and barbecue, there are pools for every eight villas and they are rarely busy and often empty, we self cater often but when we do eat out it is done so outside which would adhere to the safety guidelines. Other than flying to and from the island we will have a rental car so no requirement to use public transport. So for us, our two weeks will not be vastly different to current life at home other than guaranteed sunshine, excellently priced wine and a bit of Spanish flair.

JC, glad things appear to be lining up in the right way, of course it could be dependent on the pilot program set to take place next week. Some 6,000 German visitors will be allowed to visit the Balearic Islands starting June 15th, without the need to quarantine for two weeks. A "test run" of sorts, this program is designed to assess whether the coronavirus safety protocols in airports, hotels, and holiday destinations are working correctly ahead of July 1 reopening to foreign tourism.

"The regional premier of the archipelago, Francina Armengol, is expected to provide more details about the tourism pilot test on Tuesday. What’s known so far is that 6,000 tourists from Germany will visit the Balearic Islands – 4,000 in Mallorca, 1,000 in Ibiza and 1,000 in Menorca, according to government sources. These visitors will not have to observe the 14-day quarantine for international visitors, even though the requirement will remain in place in the rest of Spain until July 1."

US citizen here dying to go back to Spain at the end of August into early September. A friend of mine in Spain showed me a news still saying that foreigners will be welcomed back starting July 15. Does this include US citizens? I'm tempted to start making reservations now, but I think it's also wise to wait until next month to see where things stand.

Hi Gabriel, I can understand you pain ;-) do you mind sharing the link to that bit of news you mention? The only 2 firm dates I know of are June 15, when German tourists will be allowed back into the Balearic Islands, and July 1st when in theory Spain will be opened back to "overseas tourists", though my understanding is that the exact details are still being worked out.

Oops, I made a mistake. It was supposed to be June 15, which is the date already being discussed here in the forum. He sent me a picture of the TV with the news showing the headline that foreigners will be allowed starting June 15 (but it specifies for Balearic Islands).

Apparently, the Baeric Islands government is still trying to figure out how to implement the reopening so soon so things might change.

Oops, I made a mistake. It was supposed to be June 15, which is the date already being discussed here in the forum.

Ah ok no worries ;-)

UPDATE (22/6) - Spain to decide this week which non-European tourists can visit

Spain will decide this week which visitors from outside Europe can enter as it welcomes back travelers from neighbouring nations in an effort to revive a tourism industry hammered by the coronavirus lockdown. Borders between European Union (EU) nations have reopened, prompting thousands of French to cross into Spain on Sunday seeking cheap tobacco and alcohol. Health Minister Salvador Illa told Cadena SER radio station that Madrid would discuss with European Union (EU) partners whether to also let in travellers from outside the continent and make a decision this week.

Spain’s Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya confirmed to COPE radio that a two-week self-quarantine for visitors had been lifted, but non-Europeans were still not allowed in except for Spanish passport-holders, health workers or people in transit. Health Minister Illa said there were some new, small coronavirus outbreaks, but they were under control. Restrictions to mobility were reimposed in three villages in the Aragon region where one of the outbreaks was spotted.

While there are already a number of exceptions in Europe, the rules for non-EU and non-Schengen countries are yet to be defined at all. Spain is counting on the 27-member bloc to agree on a list of safe countries, with scaled entry dates according to the epidemiological situation in each one.

Making a decision about the United States is particularly complex. While the management of the crisis by the Donald Trump administration has been very erratic, Europe has a huge interest in opening up its borders to that country. Before the pandemic struck, Spain received more than three million tourists a year from the US, and was among the top-10 destinations for US investment. But economic interests are coming up against two other principles: health and reciprocity. Washington is still vetoing the entrance of Europeans on American soil, which is prompting the EU to respond in kind.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-spain/spain-to-decide-this-week-which-non-european-tourists-can-visit-idUSKBN23T0U7
Source: https://english.elpais.com/spanish_news/2020-06-21/european-borders-are-reopening-but-there-is-a-lot-of-small-print-to-digest.html

". While the management of the crisis by the Donald Trump administration has been very erratic"

This isn't a discussion site for bashing USA politicians... It would be more harmful than good for the federal government in Washington, D.C. to do more than they are doing about the pandemic. Mainly it is each states job to make their own local decisions on what to do or not do about the pandemic.

Hmmm, I don't see any "USA Politician bashing" on this topic, merely an observation of the obvious. The fact is that the EU has 13 metrics when considering if a country is safe to open up to, and the USA has not fulfilled any of them, not one. Besides those are not my words but the words of the article I linked, you can take up your concerns with the Spanish press.

On centralised vs decentralised, from a European perspective, a hands off approach did no favours for the Swedish. Germany, on the otherhand, employed a very aggressive centralised response to COVID-19, and you can see how it worked out for them.

Sorry to duplicate, as there's another topic with a similar title, but I think it's important for those planning their holidays to visit Europe in the next few weeks/months... see post 06/29/20 09:54 AM at https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/spain/u-s-visitors-to-spain-2020

UPDATE (30/6/20) - US visitors set to remain banned from entering Spain and the EU

"The European Union agreed on Monday to open its borders to a list of 15 countries on July 1st, which have reciprocal deals with the EU and are considered safe due to their epidemiological situation."

"Under the agreement, which needs to be approved by a majority of the 27-member bloc, travel to and from the following countries will be permitted from July 1: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Japan, Georgia, Morocco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. The list also includes China, but only if visitors from the EU receive reciprocal treatment, given that is one of the conditions for reopening."

"The approved list leaves out 150 nations, including the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Russia and India."

"The list, which will be updated every two weeks, is only advisory and EU member states can deviate if they wish. But the capitals have been warned of the dangers if they go their own way and expand the number of countries from where travel is permitted."

"In Spain’s northwestern region of Aragón, a coronavirus outbreak among fruit pickers has forced four comarcas – administrative divisions smaller than provinces – to return to Phase 2 of the central government’s deescalation plan. These workers, most of whom are migrants, have few resources and live in overcrowded conditions favorable for the spread of Covid-19. Similar outbreaks have also been detected in the Catalan province of Lleida and the region of Murcia."

"Spain’s foreign minister, Arancha González Laya, told Spain’s Cadena SER radio: “This is not an exercise to be nice or unfriendly to other countries, this is an exercise of self-responsibility.”

source: https://english.elpais.com/society/2020-06-30/as-eu-prepares-to-reopen-borders-spanish-experts-stress-importance-of-coronavirus-safety-measures.html
source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/29/us-visitors-set-to-remain-banned-from-entering-eu

@marctshark, I don't know what happened to that thread, probably deleted because it derived from the original question. Anyway, Carlos did summarize its contents two posts above.

My guess is that thread got deleted because it led off with a post casting aspersions on various Americans . . . and then doubled down. It had little to do with actually traveling to Spain.