You can come on holiday to the Canary Islands from today!

All of Spain, including the Canary Islands, are allowing visitors from the UK for holidays without a negative PCR test to enter the country, from today, as announced by the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, on Friday. That means you can enter the country for non-essential journeys, including holidays, however Spain remains on the UK government’s amber list, meaning anyone returning has to self-isolate for 10 days and take two coronavirus tests.

Officially Spain's amber status also means UK government guidelines recommend the public should not travel to the country unless for an essential reason, but although this includes the Balearic Islands, it excludes the Canary Islands, according to the Foreign Office website. This means that there is no recommendation not to travel to Tenerife, or Gran Canaria, or Lanzarote, or Fuerteventura.

There have been questions asked about the requirement by airlines for a test to travel, or by tourist accommodation in the Canaries to have an antigen test to check-in and qualify for the Canaries Covid insurance, as was the case when the islands opened late last year.

There has been nothing officially said about these being necessary as airlines are observing the requirements that the country you are travelling to requests, and, as the Minister of Health for the Canary Islands, Blas Trujillo, said on Friday, nearly all travellers from the UK will have already been vaccinated, hence the change of the situation of the pandemic in the last six months, so the antigen test for accommodation is not a requirement either.

Pedro Sanchez said “from Monday, Spain will be delighted, very delighted to welcome all British tourists. They are welcome to our country without restrictions and without health requirements.” He also said that vaccinated travellers from non-European countries including the US will be welcome from June.”

The nationwide State of Emergency came to an end on May 9^th in Spain; however, some restrictions remain in force and may vary between regions. Face masks continue to be mandatory for anyone over the age of six in all indoor and outdoor public spaces, while people are expected to socially distance at 1.5 metres.

Please be reminded that people returning home from countries on the amber list will have to take a pre-departure test, and tests on day two and day eight of their arrival.

They will also be required to self-isolate for 10 days, unless they receive a negative result from an optional private test on day five of their arrival, under the test to release scheme, and can end their quarantine early.

It is hoped that the Canary Islands will be upgraded to the UK’s green list for travel in the next review for June 7^th.