The Diplomat
The British government could relax its current restrictions on British tourists traveling to any EU country, including Spain, as long as they have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Speaking to Sky News, a spokesman for Boris Johnson’s Executive acknowledged yesterday that the authorities are “working with industry for a safe return to international travel, guided by one overwhelming priority – public health”. For this reason, and taking into account “the success of the vaccine program”, the Government could “consider the role of vaccinations in shaping a different set of health and testing measures for inbound travel”. “We don’t want to get left behind by countries which may be adopting a two jabs approach if it can be done safely and if it can be done carefully and securely”, the Treasury’s financial secretary, Jesse Norman, told Sky New.
Should these proposals, reported a few days ago by The Telegraph, go ahead, fully vaccinated Britons would not need to undergo quarantine on their return from destinations such as the United States and countries in Europe as a whole. According to the London newspaper, the Minister of Health, Matt Hancock, one of the most intransigent members of the Government when it comes to travel, is even “open” to the possibility of relaxing the rules for vaccinated travelers.
Early last May, the British authorities established a “green list” of countries and territories to which travel would be facilitated. The list, renewed in early June, does not include any EU countries. Spain appears in the “amber” zone (following the colors of the traffic light) of this list, which can be revised every three weeks and which includes the countries as a whole and, therefore, does not provide for any differentiated treatment by regions, not even for those with a low incidence of contagion, such as the Valencian Community, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.
The British authorities do not exactly prohibit travel to countries in the “amber” zone, but they do require travelers, before returning to the United Kingdom, to submit a PCR test in the country of origin, another PCR on arrival (each test of this type costs around one hundred euros) and a quarantine period that can only be shortened with a third PCR.
Since June 7, Spain has been allowing entry to citizens of non-EU countries who present a certificate with the complete vaccination schedule, regardless of whether or not they are on the European list of third countries for which entry restrictions have been lifted. This Spanish open-door policy benefits not only the United States, but also the United Kingdom, which has once again been removed from the European list.
