Spanish airports will allow travelers' companions inside from October 15

Spain will lift access restrictions to its airports from this Friday, October 15.

People accompanying travelers have not been allowed to spend time with them at the facilities just before departing or landing since July 2020. Thus, only holders of boarding passes were permitted access to airports until now. 

From this Friday, "relatives and friends" will also be allowed in, following the Spanish government cabinet decision on Monday. Yet, in cases of large numbers of people at the airport, access could still be limited to prevent overcrowding. 

The use of face masks within the premises will still be compulsory for both passengers and their companions. 

Covid certificates still required when traveling from most of Europe

This is a mesure towards "a return to normality," said the Spanish cabinet spokesperson, Isabel Rodríguez. Yet, Covid certificates proving vaccination, recovery, or a recent negative test are still required for entry into Catalonia or the rest of Spain from the vast majority of countries and regions in Europe and around the world.

The Spanish government's list of 'at risk' countries – in force from Monday, October 11 until Sunday October 17 – shows that Malta and Liechtenstein are the only two states in the European Union or European Economic Area exempt from certificates in their entirety.

There are also certain regions of Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland and Sweden absent from the 'at risk' list, but in several cases it amounts to only one or two regions within the country.

The list is based on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control's color-coded map.

Arrivals by sea or air from at-risk areas, which includes most countries worldwide, must provide a document that either shows:

• The traveller has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 at least 14 days prior to arrival in Spain
• The visitor has a negative result from a diagnostic test, within 72 hours prior to arrival in Spain for a NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test, e.g. RT-PCR, RT-LAMP, TMA), or within 48 hours for a RAT (rapid antigen test)
• The person has recovered from Covid-19, after the disease has passed, provided that more than 11 days have elapsed since the first positive NAAT test was performed. This will be valid for up to 180 days thereafter

For full, regularly updated details on requirements to enter Spain, go to: https://spth.gob.es/

Certificates are not required for overland journeys to Spain. 

Full list

The full list of countries deemed at risk is as follows:

EU/EEA

NB: At-risk zones in brackets. Where no regions specified, the whole country is deemed at risk.

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czechia (Jihozápad, Moravskoslezsko, Praha and Střední Čechy)

Denmark (Hovedstaden, Nordjylland and Sjælland)

Estonia

Finland (Etelä-Suomi, Helsinki-Uusimaa, Länsi-Suomi and Pohjois- ja Itä-Suomi)

France (Guyane, Martinique, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Centre — Val de Loire, Corse, Grand Est, Guadeloupe, Ile-de-France, La Réunion, Mayotte, Occitanie, Pays de la Loire and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur)

Germany

Greece (Anatoliki Makedonia-Thraki, Dytiki Ellada, Dytiki Makedonia, Ionia Nisia, Kentriki Makedonia, Notio Aigaio, Peloponnisos, Thessalia, Attiki, Ipeiros, Kriti and Sterea Ellada)

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland

Italy (Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Marche, Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano/Bozen, Sicilia, Toscana and Veneto)

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Norway (Oslo, Troms og Finnmark, Viken, Agder, Innlandet, Møre og Romsdal, Nordland, Rogaland, Trøndelag and Vestfold og Telemark)

Poland (Lubelskie, Podlaskie and Zachodniopomorskie)

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Sweden (Norra Mellansverige, Östra Mellansverige, Övre Norrland, Småland med öarna, Stockholm, Sydsverige and Västsverige)

The Netherlands

 

All countries outside EU/EEA except for:

Australia

Canada

China

Chile

Jordan

Kuwait

New Zealand

Qatar

Rwanda

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

South Korea

Ukraine

Uruguay

Hong Kong

Macau

Taiwan