What you need to know about traveling to Spain right now

International travel resumed in Spain earlier this summer and travelers from mid- to low-risk countries are permitted to enter without restrictions, including American visitors despite an EU recommendation to curb nonessential travel from the US. If you're planning a trip to Spain this year, here's what you can expect.

Spain has adopted the EU digital COVID-19 certificate which facilitates the return of free movement across the bloc. It's a digital or paper certificate that indicates the holder meets the conditions for travel: is fully vaccinated (the last dose administered at least 14 days before departure), or has recovered from COVID-19, or holds a negative COVID-19 result from a PCR or antigen test taken within 48 hours of travel.

If you're coming from an EU country with a good epidemiological situation — an area classified green in the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control’s traffic light system — you are not required to present a digital COVID-19 certificate to travel to Spain.

Restaurants are open with capacity limits ©Iakov Filimonov/Shutterstock

Spain has somewhat of an open-door policy for people traveling from non-EU countries and regions with good epidemiological situations. This currently includes Albania, Saudi Arabia, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Canada, China, South Korea, United States, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Montenegro, New Zealand, Qatar, Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, Singapore, Ukraine, as well as Hong Kong and Macau. Visitors from these places do not need to show proof of testing, vaccination or recovery to enter Spain. 

Travelers coming to Spain from the UK will need to present a negative COVID-19 test result or proof of vaccination/recovery.

Visitors from "high-risk" non-EU countries coming to Spain must show proof of vaccination with one of the vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or the World Health Organization (WHO), with the second dose administered at least 14 days before travel. Non-vaccinated travelers from these countries will not be allowed into Spain for tourism, even if they get tested.

The rules are constantly changing so always check the latest advice before traveling.

All travelers must fill out a Health Control Form (HCF) through the Spain Travel Health website or app. It will generate a QR code which must be shown upon arrival on your mobile phone or printed on paper.

Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sinovac and Sinopharm.

No, children under 12 years old are exempt from the testing or quarantine requirements.

Social distancing measures are likely to still be in place in public spaces ©Alberto Loyo/Shutterstock

Many countries, including the US, require passengers to present a negative COVID-19 test result before boarding their flight home from an international trip. Antigen tests cost about €30, while PCR tests cost about €120 from a private medical facility.

Spain usually receives about 80 million international visitors per year. When a state of emergency was declared on March 25, 2020 and borders were sealed, the tourism sector — which accounts for roughly 12% of the country’s GDP — came to a standstill.

Even though Spain ended its state of alarm in May, dropping nationwide curfew and regional travel restrictions, varied local restrictions remain in place across the country's 17 regions. Spain is in its fifth wave of the pandemic but according to El País. As of August 30, the wave is peaking and the country has reported a downward trend in infection rates and hospitalizations in the last two weeks.

Masks are no longer legally required outdoors, provided people can keep 1.5 meters (5 feet) apart. But it's a good idea to always take a mask with you as they're still required in crowded outdoor spaces, on public transport and in taxis, and in indoor spaces such as restaurants, airports, supermarkets, shops and museums.