Spain scraps Covid-19 pass rule for EU travellers

For the first time in more than two years, people from the EU or Schengen Area who are traveling to Spain by air or sea will not have to prove they are fully vaccinated, tested negative for Covid-19, or recovered recently from the illness.

The announcement was published on Thursday, June 2nd, 2022 in the country’s BOE state bulletin, meaning Spain’s Covid-19 travel rules have changed with immediate effect.

“Due to the high rates of vaccination coverage in Spain, above the European Union average, and the favorable situation of the health system, it is considered appropriate to eliminate travel restrictions for people from countries belonging to the European Union as well as associated Schengen countries”, states the BOE.

In a nutshell, EU/Schengen citizens and residents can now travel to Spain restriction-free. The only Covid-19 travel rule that remains for them is having to wear a face mask on flights or inside crowded ferries heading to Spain, as Health Minister Carolina Darias recently stressed.

Although it’s not explicitly stated in the BOE, it is understood that EU travelers will not have to complete Spain’s health control form either, as the previous rule stated that those with an EU Digital Covid Certificate or equivalent need not fill out this extra documentation.

“People who arrive in Spain by air or sea from countries that do not belong to the European Union or are not considered Schengen associated countries may be subject to a health check at the first point of entry that will include, at least, the taking of temperature, documentation control and a visual check on their physical condition,” the Spanish government clarified about the fact that the Covid pass rule remains in place for non-EU/Schengen travelers.

Spanish health authorities already eased entry rules for third-country tourists such as Britians and Americans on May 21st, lifting the ban on unvaccinated non-EU/Schengen travelers by allowing them to enter Spain with a negative Covid-19 test.