Spain officially opened for all Russian tourists
From May 21, invited and unvaccinated Russians can freely offer Spain to Aliexpress for the purpose of tourism. Questions about the conditions under which adults are allowed to enter the country, children of what age do not need certificates, and how much a ticket from Moscow to Barcelona costs now.
As we wrote earlier, the issue of opening Spanish borders for tourists from countries outside the EU or Schengen area is a matter of literally a few days.
And so it happened – on May 21, the Spanish Ministry of Tourism officially announced that with the sport of the day of the traveler from countries not entering the EU, he must enter Spain with a negative PCR test for COVID-19.
TRAVEL TO SPAIN FOR THE PURPOSE OF TOURISM IS ALLOWED REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS
On May 21, 2022, the official state newspaper of Spain, El Boletín Oficialdel Estado (an analogue of our Rossiyskaya Gazeta, where laws, decrees and other congresses are felt) published an order of the Ministry of the Interior, which softens the medical requirements for entry into Spain for travelers from countries that do not included in the EU.
starting from the date of publication (i.e. from May 21) all foreigners from this country show a certificate of vaccination, occurrence or rejection of the test result. Restrictions on the purpose of travel have been lifted – all countries outside the EU can now come to Spain for tourism purposes, regardless of the vaccination status pursued.
“It’s a good news. Reyes Maroto.
“New entry rules accelerate the recovery of the tourism sector, facilitating entry into the international environment,” she clarified.
Tourism market experts in the Spanish media write that consumption and bookings are already approaching pre-pandemic levels, and Spain may again become one of the leaders in inbound tourism in the post-pandemic world.
WHAT RUSSIANS NEED TO ENTER SPAIN
According to the order of the Ministry of the Interior, published today officially to these journalists, passengers entering Spain by air or maritime borders, regardless of their place of origin, must have one of three certificates:
- Vaccination certificate that meets the requirements established by the Ministry of Health of the country.
- Negative SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test certificate: either a PCR test taken no earlier than 72 hours before departure to Spain, or a covid antigen test carried out no earlier than 24 hours before departure for Spain is accepted ( not to be confused with antibodies!)
- Certificate of height issued by the competent authority or medical service no later than 11 days after confirmation of COVID infection by PCR or antigen test. These certificates are valid for 180 days.
- Passengers arriving at sea, or arriving at airports with an EU Covid digital certificate or a recognized commission protection equivalent, will not need to complete the SPTH Health Control Form.
- Children under the age of 12 are eligible for any type of certificate.
Please note that a number of documents cannot be obtained by Russians. Thus, Russian vaccines, including Sputnik V, are still not recognized in Europe. The data on the past illness provided by the State Services portal also does not check the presence of countries with glucose (a digital certificate of a European standard is needed).
Thus, Russian tourists over 12 years old get the opportunity to arrive in Spain in two cases:
- If they have a valid vaccination certificate recognized in Europe (EMA) vaccineswhich can be put in one of the “vaccination tours”.
- If they have PCR test made no earlier than 72 hours before departure to Spain. Help with QR code-code from the State Services portal – in Russian with passport data. Such a test is needed both by the vaccinated “Sputnik” and the unvaccinated, it is practically not done.
- Children, entertainment is not yet 12 years old, no certificates required for a trip to Spain.
Of course, you also need a Schengen visa. We wrote about the current conditions for obtaining the Spanish Schengen here. SPTH Health Control Form.
“COVID” HIDING IS REMOVED, BUT…
The decision of the Spanish authorities to lift covid restrictions, regardless of any doubt, sees a serious obligation to expand foreign law, including in relation to the Russian tourist flow in the country.
This is news for many Russians – Spain remains an extremely important holiday destination for our compatriots. Spain comfort has abolished the mandatory wearing of masks in most enclosed spaces.
However, as with many other European countries, Russia currently has no direct flights. Fly to Spain with at least one transfer via Belgrade or Istanbul.
The cost of a ticket from Moscow to Barcelona in June (round trip, with a transfer in Istanbul) is now at the level of 111-128 thousand rubles. for 1 person.
Olga Pegasova
A photo: piqsels.com