Update on our Spain travel

I got the same email today from Delta for my flight at the end of September. I don't feel like anything changed really. I was planning on having to show my CDC card and I knew about the Spain health form 2 days before arrival. I am a little surprised the testing is still not a requirement for arrival though.

Is this a requirement from the airline or from the Spanish government? I don't see any sources indicating Spain has added a negative test requirement from US visitors.

I haven't heard anything about this just yet from local sources, but I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being the case moving forward.

The European Union put the word on the member countries about Covid spreading in some places--including the U.S. They have left it up to the individual countries to analyze the situation and they suggest making some changes for incoming travelers.

So some countries are kicking restrictions up a notch. Tourism is much of the economies in some countries--like Greece, Italy and Spain. Take out foreign travelers, and their economies tank. The incredible drop in tourism last year is about all that many countries can stand, so they'll most likely be reasonable on foreign travelers.

We're coming into Germany in a few weeks, and we're fully vaccinated. So far we just have to show proof of the vaccinations and register online with the government website. We'll have to give them the names and addresses of the hotels we're staying in on a card filled out in the airplane. And a Covid test is required to get back into the U.S.

That's reasonable.

I found this official statement in Spanish and you could easily translate it into English by using Google translate.
https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2021/09/03/pdfs/BOE-A-2021-14455.pdf

Spain officially took out US from the Covid-safe countries list.

So after reading the Ministry of Health’s website a little more closely am I correct in interpreting that any passenger from a third country not on the safe list must present proof of vaccination? A negative test is not enough?

Under the entry requirements for 3rd countries it lists a bunch of points you can qualify for such as being a visa holder, a health worker, working in transport, etc. etc. I assume the point that most tourists from the US will fall under is the last bullet, point K:

k. Persons with a vaccination certificate, that the Ministry of Health recognizes for this purpose, after verification by the health authorities, as well as their accompanying minors (under 12 years of age). 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, TMA, HAD, NEAR, CRISPR, SDA.....) will also be considered valid.

And then under the accepted certificates section, for those that do not have the EU pass it says the following:

ATTENTION !!!, if you travel to Spain under point k) of the section "Entry requirements for entry in Spain from third countries, 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, TMA, HAD, NEAR, CRISPR, SDA.....) will also be considered valid.

To me this reads as if vaccination is a requirement. Or am I mistaken?

Ultimately it makes no difference to me as I am vaccinated and it would actually be more reassuring that everyone on the plane is vaccinated as well, but I thought I would post this in case others may be thinking of just getting a negative test. It seems to me like that might not be enough? Or am I wrong? Thanks!

Seems I interpreted it correctly, visitors from the US need to be vaccinated to enter. From the Spanish Embassy’s USA Twitter (https://mobile.twitter.com/SpainInTheUSA/status/1433896971274760192)

Since September 6, US travellers and other non-EU residents in the US will only be authorized to enter Spain if they are fully vaccinated and carry a valid vaccinatation certificate and the QR code provided at https://spth.gob.es.

I believe US citizens are allowed to enter if you are either fully vaccinated, or have recovered, OR if you are able to provide proof of negative PCR or Rapid antigen test. So my interpretation is no, you do not need to be fully vaccinated. As long as you are able to provide a negative test within the time parameters, you are good to go. My group just finished filling out the health control form this morning for our flight tomorrow. It asked for 1) proof of full vaccination, or 2) negative test , or 3) proof of recovery. It allowed us to choose just one of the 3, and we could have done it with just the negative PCR test. We decided to use our vaccine proof instead but the negative test result alone would have worked just fine. Having said that, things are changing rapidly and I would not be surprised that they might move forward with more restrictions later on.

I'm going to guess that not all websites, including Spain's Health Control Form, have been updated for the latest changes, so the information is conflicting.

However, both Delta and United state the following on their international travel pages (Delta says this was posted Sept 3):

Important: As of September 6, residents of the USA and Israel can only enter Spain with a vaccination certificate. Non-vaccinated passengers can only travel in case of essential trips with some testing requirements.

And American Airlines states:

Travelers who are not fully vaccinated coming from the United States (see 182 additional countries) are not allowed to enter Spain.

(there are exemptions posted separately for essential travelers)

It is my understanding that it is the responsibility of the airlines to enforce entry requirements, and if I were an unvaccinated person with plans to travel to Spain right now, I think my trip would be in doubt.

We have plans for a trip in December, so I have been following the updates with interest, and I expect that the situation will change again before we travel. All of us traveling are vaccinated and hope that Spain continues its current good trends.

Now that it's September 6, Spain's government travel website has been updated.

https://www.mscbs.gob.es/en/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov/spth.htm

Under the "Entry Requirements for Entry in Spain from Third Countries" button, the US is no longer listed under article J, the Annex, which includes "Third countries and special administrative regions whose residents are not affected by the temporary restriction of non-essential trips to the EU through the external borders in the terms set out in this order."

So, unless you are an essential traveler as defined under articles A through I, or you are vaccinated as per article K, I do not believe you are allowed entry from the US into Spain.

Does Spain accept CDC vaccination card as proof of vaccination?

As of today, Sept 6 you must also have a negative Covid test to enter the country. Either test is accepted.

@Ellen -- where are you reading this? I am reading from airlines and government websites that if travelers are vaccinated, they do not need to test or quarantine. If travelers are not vaccinated, they must be defined as an "essential" traveler in order to enter and then test before entry.

See:

Delta: https://www.delta.com/us/en/travel-planning-center/find-your-destination/explore-top-destinations?destination=MAD

Spain is open to fully vaccinated passengers and are exempt from quarantine and presenting a negative COVID-19 test result.

United:

Admission and Transit Restrictions:
Until 30 September 2021, passengers are not allowed to enter.
... [essential and EU travelers allowed to enter are defined]
This does not apply to passengers older than 11 years with a COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), Janssen, Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech, Serum Institute of India, Sinopharm or Sinovac at least 14 days before arrival.
....
Warning:
Passengers must have:
- a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test taken at most 48 hours before arrival. The test result must be in English, French, German, Spanish or accompanied by a certified Spanish translation; OR
- a negative COVID-19 NAAT test taken at most 72 hours before arrival. Tests accepted are: CRISPR, HAD, LAMP, NEAR, PCR, RT-LAMP, RT-PCR, SDA and TMA. The test result must be in English, French, German, Spanish or accompanied by a certified Spanish translation; OR
- a COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), Janssen, Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech, Serum Institute of India, Sinopharm or Sinovac at least 14 days before arrival; OR
- a COVID-19 recovery certificate issued at least 11 days after the positive COVID-19 NAAT test result. The sample for the certificate must have been taken at most 180 days before arrival.
[bolded text is mine]

The Spanish embassy website (https://es.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/) states:

Effective September 6, 2021, U.S. citizens can travel from the United States to Spain on non-essential travel, such as tourism) if they show proof of vaccination. Please read the detailed information on the Spain Ministry of Health’s website.

The Ministry of Health website (which I referenced in a previous post, https://www.mscbs.gob.es/en/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov/spth.htm), indicates that travelers who are vaccinated per article K are allowed entry and do not have a testing requirement unless they are residents of Great Britain or Northern Ireland, coming directly from those countries.

Given all of this, it is my understanding that US residents who are vaccinated can travel to Spain for tourist purposes without quarantine or testing. Unvaccinated tourists from the US may not enter. If a person is unvaccinated and defined as an "essential traveler" under articles A through J, then they must test before entering.

Please correct me if my understanding is wrong.

@DebVT
You are correct.

The good news for Americans heading to Spain is that their weekly covid rate per 100,000 is down to 85. Contrast to the USA rate that has been hovering in the low to mid 300's. Our rates vary from some northern states like NY that are in the 150-200 range to the Deep South where it has been steadily over 700. I suppose they want to keep it lower. it's questionable whether foreign tourists really move the needle much epidemiologically but I understand their sentiment. They also tightened things with several fellow EU nations. If a non essential traveler wants to get into the EU and is still unvaccinated there are several countries that will still allow them, usually subject to a quarantine. In Spain's case it would appear that no unvaccinated non-essential travelers will be allowed entry even with a negative test result. That's what I get from the US Embassy in Madrid's website.

I received the same email since I am travelling to Spain on Oct 5 . It seems that for vaccinated people like me , nothing is changed so far ! i cannot wait to get there !

I hope it's ok with quanmama and the forum that I add a reply here on topic. We're vaccinated and had no troubles with our tourist travel getting into Spain .

My husband and I and two other couples arrived in Madrid yesterday via American Airlines, theirs operated by Iberia. We are all vaccinated. We filled out the SpTH app, and THEN the VeriFly app previously to boarding, of course. We got "check in with ticket agent" when trying to check in online, which turned out to be that VeriFly doesn't talk to AA's check in.

The ticket agent checked the VeriFly and promptly gave us boarding cards. (Oh, they also had me sign my passport -- apparently I've had a couple Mexico land trips with an unsigned passport).

At the Madrid end, the passport guy only checked my passport. Then another checkpoint only checked the QR code. I used a paper copy and hubbie used his phone. No temperature check or anything, though there was a medically dressed person there with a stethoscope. No physical check of the vaccination card though of course we had had to confirm the vaccination info in the app with legal info (sorry don't remember the specific wording).

Later yesterday we flew Iberia from MAD to Seville. There was a sign in the baggage area about checking QR codes, but there was nothing. Though it was after 10pm and not a lot of people in the airport.

Today, we're in Rota with lovely weather hanging by the beach. Well, and at the bar at the hotel too.

Everyone here and in Madrid and Seville that we saw is good about wearing masks unless eating/drinking or outside with very few people around.

Anyway, hope this is helpful to anyone set to travel to Spain soon.

Cheers

@tilliejacques Fantastic update on your travel adventures. Hubby and I leave the states on Sept 29 for a bike tour in Costa Brava. We are fully vaccinated, and I've even had my booster. Ready with the Spain App on the phone that we'll fill out 48 hours before we leave the US. Considering getting Covid testing before we leave as well as a back up.

With the new restrictions just announced for those traveling from US, can someone tell me whether an unvaccinated person with compliant proof of covid recovery (last 30 days) can travel to Spain after September 7? I am unable to get an answer from the Spain consulate.

Apparently not. See the line k in the "Travel Requirements for Entry in Spain from Third Countries" section of this webpage: https://www.mscbs.gob.es/en/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov/spth.htm.

United just told me I would be able to travel with a recovery letter. I’m so confused.

Hi all,

We are in Granada now and having a great time. I would like to report that when we flew into Barcelona on 9/6, there was a separate health check line after we got through immigration. It was not a very long wait and we got to the front after waiting in line for about 10 mins. One of the officials did check our CDC vaccination card to make sure we are fully vaccinated.

We feel very safe here. Masks are required indoor, except when you are eating/drinking. Locals seem to be happy about the returning tourists and business. There are lots of European tourists in both Barcelona and Seville. For those of you who are planning a trip to Spain, I am sure it will be great!