Ibiza and Mallorca holidays under threat as Spain joins Portugal in demanding Brits prove vaccination status
Holidaymakers saw their plans thrown into disarray today as Spain announced that British travellers to the Balearic islands would have to show either proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test.
The move comes just days after Mallorca and Ibiza were placed on the government’s travel “green list”, prompting a rapid surge in bookings.
But having said that Brits would not need to present either a test or their vaccination status to enter the islands, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has today acquiesced to Angela Merkel’s demands for a common EU approach to UK holidaymakers.
Around 60 per cent of UK adults are now fully vaccinated against coronavirus.
Sanchez said that the measures would come into effect within 72 hours – just as the Balearics join the “green list”, on Wednesday morning.
Shares in Easyjet and BA-owner IAG are down around five per cent today.
His announcement followed closely on the back of a similar statement from the Portuguese government, which said Brits must from today quarantine for 14 days on arrival in Portugal unless they are fully vaccinated.
Spain and Portugal has become the latest EU countries to impose quarantine on unvaccinated UK travellers, over fears of the Delta variant that is widespread in the UK.
Lisbon categorised the UK as high-risk and said that all British travellers to mainland Portugal must quarantine “at home or in a place indicated by health authorities.”
The Portuguese government added that the decision “may be revised at any time, depending on the evolution of the epidemiological situation”.
The new measures take effect today and are in place until July 11. The only exception to the rule is children below the age of 12.
The new law takes effect on Monday 28 June and continues until 11 July. It does not apply to children under 12.
Portugal is currently on the UK’s amber list, meaning arrivals from the country must quarantine for 10 days when they return to the UK.
It comes after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps made small updates to the UK’s foreign travel rules on Thursday. From 4am Wednesday June 30, British travellers will not have to quarantine on return from Malta, Madeira, Ibiza, Mallorca, and some Caribbean Islands including Barbados will not have to quarantine.
British travellers are facing more resistance from other EU countries, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on EU countries to force all UK travellers to quarantine on arrival, amid fears over the Delta Covid-19 variant.
French president Emmanuel Macron has joined Merkel’s push to keep the Delta variant out, and said it was necessary for all of Europe to be “vigilant”.
27 EU leaders have agreed a statement at a summit in Brussels that echoed this sentiment, saying the EU would be “vigilant and coordinated” in its response to the spread of new variants.