Spain on Saturday May 22 relaxed entry rules for unvaccinated tourists from outside the European Union, boosting the key tourism sector ahead of peak summer holidays.
Until now, travelers from outside the bloc, including from the UK, Spain's main tourist market, could only enter with proof of vaccination or recovery from Covid-19.
But from Saturday, visitors from outside the EU will also be allowed to enter Spain with a negative Covid test result, the transport ministry said in a statement.
Tourism Minister Maria Reyes Maroto said a “new phase of the pandemic” meant that the country was able to ease the rules by equating non-EU travelers with travelers from the bloc.
“This is great news that the tourism sector has been waiting for and will make it easier for tourists from outside the EU to visit us. peak season,” she added in a statement.
With its sunny beaches and rich architectural heritage, Spain was the second most visited country in the world before the pandemic, with 83.5 million foreign visitors in 2019.
But Pandemic-related international travel restrictions have brought Spain's tourism sector to its knees in 2020 as it welcomed just 19 million tourists. In 2021, that figure has risen to 31.1 million, far below the government's forecast of 45 million arrivals.
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Maria Reyes Maroto Health Minister of Tourism of Spain.