Anyone travelled to Spain recently ?

[whatagloriousthingtobe]

Have a last min holiday booked to mainland Spain, worrying I've missed something ! I know we have to do a passenger locator form and show proof of vaccination on arrival, also I know I have to pre order tests for arrival back in the uk. But is there anything else I can expect at the airport ?

I am in Spain at the moment. You also need to fill in a health declaration form before leaving which you show at the airport in U.K. as well as in Spain when you arrive.

www.spth.gob.es/
This should be the link.

I think that’s what the OP meant, it’s the SpTH health form that gives you a QR code you show at both airports if they ask you.

The only different thing I’ve noticed at airports this summer, is that airlines sometimes don’t issue mobile boarding passes in advance, because they want to check all the Covid docs first. So don’t worry if you check in on the app but don’t get the passes, just go to a normal check in counter at the airport and they will look over your paperwork and then issue the passes.

One of my trips this summer was to Spain and it was one of the easiest ones, so I wouldn’t worry too much. Have fun!

Other than that the experience at the airport is entirely normal.

www.gov.uk/check-a-passport-travel-europe
I've had a text reminder from hmpo to check my passport is compliant

Swishswish26
Returning to the UK advice is ambiguous re testing. How are you interpreting travellers from Spain being ‘advised’ to take a PCR test? I read that as it still being ok to have the rapid antigen one as timings here won’t work out to get a PCR and results in time.

I came back from Mallorca yesterday. There was nothing else for us and it was smooth and pretty easy. We left on the 7th, arrived on the 14th.

Way out we had to have proof of vaccination and proof of a PCR test for my 14y old, and these were used to generate the Spanish passenger form. Nothing was checked except at arrival we had to show a Spanish nurse the 14y olds negative PCR test certificate.

Way back we had to all do witnessed lat flow tests and these were used to generate the UK Passenger Locator form, as well as the booking ref for the day 2 tests we had waiting at home to do today. Nothing was checked at Gatwick except passports, airline had a look at UK passenger locator forms on return baggage drop.

It was straightforward but a lot of hassle for a 7 day trips. Filling out the forms and doing the tests for a large family ruins at least and afternoon of your holiday.

We left before they recommended return PCR instead of return lateral flow so not sure if you have to do that yet, but I'd go with the advice in UK.gov. Nobody actually checked ours and the form just says have you done a negative test.

Re return tests- you have to have the reference number for these tests to put on your return to the UK document - passenger locator form.

And they scanned the Spanish from QR codes for all 6 of us on way out as well, sorry.

Nobody checked UK forms on way in, but I guess the passport control officer could maybe see they had been filled in on the computer via our passport numbers?

We did 6 x witnessed lateral flow tests on the way back and received certificates and had references for 6 x day 2 PCRs waiting at home. We were only required to put the 2 X adult day 2 PCR references on the UK from. The airline did have a look at all 6 x lat flow certificates at bag drop, but they weren't used on the form anywhere, so I don't think they even have an official record of whether we did lat flow or PCR now, which is stupid.

Yes that's the one I meant, sorry! I keep seeing it being called different things and it was really confusing me! I have started ours for the family and cannot complete it now until two days before travel and I also need to pre order the day two tests in order to complete it I believe. I'm shocked at some of the prices for the tests though!!

I'm a little concerned my 6 year old with asd has to wear a mask all throughout the airport and on the plane, not sure how that's gona go !

Just so you’re aware @whatagloriousthingtobe six year old still have to wear masks indoors in Spain, so popping in to restaurant loos, or in outdoor busy places like markets. I never saw it enforced on little ones though.

Yes you need the day 2 test refs for the form.

My 10y old had to wear a mask but I'm pretty sure 6 and under are exempt. Kids that age at airports, restaurants etc definitely weren't wearing masks.

My advice is print everything out (ask hotel) and put all emails for all tests etc in one easy accesible folder.

For the return tests, we did the video witnessed ones but they are very stressful. Other people were just going to local pharmacies and getting them done there which seemed more straightforward.

You can't do either form until 48 hours before. You can do the tests 72 hours before - we did them on Thursday for return flight Saturday. That ruined most of Thursday in all honesty band then Friday was impacted by filling out the UK form, which is time consuming. Factor all this in and take a laptop maybe as it's tricky doing it all on a phone ime (though people in our party did).

@PersephoneJames thanks I was wondering about that! I'm Gona try and see if I can get some kind of exemption for him off the gp, do you think this would be possible ? He's autistic and has sensory issues so I just can't see him wearing a mask for a long period of time

it might be 5 and under but, yes, as PP said,not really enforced for little kids.

Yes I have checked in already to depart and have our seat numbers and flight number on form. Can't do the rest until 48 hours before! I'm worrying about the tests out there, I was thinking would it just be easier to nip and get a test while there rather than messing about with video calls/apps. Also am I right in thinking that my 6 years old doesn't have to do the test to come home, only the day 2 test?

They don’t really do exemptions I don’t think sadly, certainly none in the school I work in or my dcs school. BUT I honestly don’t think they’ll pull you up on it, the only thing is places like outside theme parks still insist on it so avoid them. Restaurants aren’t going to check his age every time he needs the loo!! Or Just tell everyone he’s 5?

Thank you - that’s how I’ve interpreted it (ie ‘advised’ not ‘must’).

@Sonarl for the forms on the way back, do I need a code again ? I mean for the return to uk tests. As I'm thinking of just going to a pharmacy when there and getting tested that way rather than pre ordering them

I am leaving Spain today. Lateral flow test was fine ( local pharmacy and dentists at doing them). Passenger locator form is a faf.
Assure screening seemed to the cheapest place to get day 2 tests with return by post. Others have specific drop boxes in cities but are less convenient.

You just need to show the certificate with lateral flow test result or PCR test result at the airport, you don’t need to enter the information
Elsewhere.

Our forms only asked for the 2 X adult day 2 PCR references, so I would say no (I also question if I had to purchase another 4 for the kids/teens ..... Spent £550 on testing for this trip) The only people who asked for proof that we'd done the tests in the 48 hours before coming home were the airline when we dropped our
luggage. Even though we were checked in online, we had to effectively check in again at the airport so they could see test certs. The airline Check in form asked which company we had used.

I agree about the video tests, we used Qured who were pretty good, but it was still quite stressful. Some of the people we were with were picking up the daughter on the way back who had been working in Majorca. She definitely did a local pharmacy test the day before her flight instead.