Is Spain On The Amber Or Green List?
Will I have to quarantine? – The UK government has set up a traffic light system, which rates countries based on risk alongside the restrictions required for travel. The Department for Transport has included the following key factors in its assessment:
- the percentage of their population that have been vaccinated
- the rate of infection
- the prevalence of variants of concern
- the country’s access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing
As with all amber list destinations, arrivals to the UK from Spain have to self-isolate for 10 days at home – unless you have been fully vaccinated in the UK or under the UK vaccine programme overseas. If not, you must take a pre-departure Covid test in Spain and another PCR test on days two and eight. You have the option to ‘test to release’, ending self-isolation early on day five by purchasing an extra Covid test. Arriving in Spain from the UK is simple.
Which countries are on the Amber List for travel?
Portugal wasn’t put on a ‘green list watch’ before being demoted to amber
European holiday favourites Spain , Greece , Italy and France have all remained amber after the government updated its travel traffic light lists. The Department for Transport (DfT) announced the first review of its green, amber and red lists on 3 June, with the changes due to come into effect next week.
Though the travel industry hoped a number of tourism destinations would be added to the green list, which carries the lightest restrictions for inbound travellers arriving in the UK, no new countries made the cut.
Worse still, Portugal, the only mainstream holiday destination accessible for British tourists to originally make the green list, has been downgraded to amber. The green list is now comprised of 11 places in total. Most popular European destinations remain in the amber category, which means arrivals must self-isolate for 10 days upon entry into the UK, plus take PCR tests on days two and eight.
In England, travellers can pay for an extra Covid test on day five of self-isolation and leave quarantine if it is negative. The government currently only advises travelling internationally for leisure purposes to green list countries; however, it remains perfectly legal to go on a foreign holiday to amber or indeed red list destinations.
Although mainland Spain and Greece weren’t expected to make the switch, experts believed the government might take an “islands approach” and move some Greek holiday islands and the Balearics to the green list – but holidaymakers’ hopes were dashed in the latest review.
- On the other end of the spectrum, seven countries all plunged from amber to red: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Trinidad & Tobago;
- The list of 50 red list countries come with the harshest restrictions, with returning travellers forced to pay £1,750 for 11 nights in a government-mandated quarantine hotel;
The price includes an airport transfer, all meals and two PCR tests to be taken on day two and day eight. Currently, only those with British residency are allowed into the UK from red list countries.