Spain has relaxed its entry requirements for unvaccinated travellers, including those from the UK.
Officials will allow the use of proof of recovery from Covid, instead of previous rules which required proof of vaccination.
The relaxation means British tourists who have not had the jab will be able to visit the country for the first time since the start of the pandemic, but only if they can prove recovery from Covid in the past six months.
According to an announcement in the official state bulletin, recovery certificates which will be accepted as valid are those issued “issued at least 11 days after the first positive” lateral flow or PCR test and “up to a maximum of 180 days after the date of sampling”.
The certificate needs to have been issued by the “relevant authorities” or a “medical service” of the country in which you tested positive for Covid-19 in the last six months, states the announcement.
The move only affects those from third-party non-EU countries who are visiting for tourism reasons, such as Britain, America, Canada and Australia.
Children aged 12 to 17 inclusive travelling for tourism can enter Spain by presenting documentation certifying that they have undertaken a Covid test or have a recovery certificate.
Those under the age of 12 are exempt from the travel requirements. Unvaccinated tourists from outside the EU or Schengen area without proof of recovery are still being barred from entering the country.
Government officials had come under pressure from the tourism industry to relax its rules on visitors to the country.
Last month, Spanish officials dropped the requirement for children over 12 from non-EU countries such as the UK to be fully vaccinated, instead allowing them to have a negative test.
The vaccine requirement had meant that many British families with children were unable to jet off to Spain for the half-term break.
Tourism industry trade groups said at the time that the restrictions had lost them millions of pounds’ worth of trade as British families looked elsewhere for their getaways.
