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 ?

We're off to Majorca in October, can I just check the timelines here for my own peace of mind?

Uk to Spain

1. Fill in Spanish Govt form with relevant details including vaccine certificate numbers

1. This generates a QR code which you show at airport check in

1. Have QR code ready for inspection on arrival in Spain

Spain to uk (this is where I'm more confused)

1. Visit local pharmacy for an observed test

1. After negative you are given a code?

1. Download UK Govt form adding codes for Spanish test and details of 2 day PCR booking

1. Does this then generate a QR or do you need to print out the form or show an electronic email or something?

1. Present Spanish test result and UK Govt form and 3 day PCR booking at airport check in

1. Have all forms etc ready to view by UK officials

We've just come back from a Spanish island. Going out, you need the spth form - you don't need your return tests booked for that (they don't care what you do when you leave Spain!) and proof of vaccines (or negative test for your older child) - at the airport they looked at everything when we checked in (I had it all printed out). On arrival the qr code on our forms were scanned and that was it (they were randomly taking people temperatures as well). Going back, we did LFTs - you can get them done locally and that seems pretty easy, though we had ones we took with us and sent photos to get a certificate. LFTs are still fine - advisory is just that, not a rule (we had paid for our LFTs before they announced it anyway, so I wasn't about to fork out for more!). The UK passenger locator form is MUCH longer than the Spanish one, takes ages to fill in, especially as each adult needs their own! And frankly has some really badly worded, almost double negative, questions where you have to really concentrate on what they're asking! You don't actually need your negative test to complete it, just the ref of your day 2 test to show you've booked it (it just reminds you that you will need a negative test to enter the country). We had to show everything on check in, but landing in UK they only checked our passport. It was a hassle, but actually ran very smoothly at all the airports.

I used the Martin Lewis money saving expert website to work out cheapest tests (of convenient type) before we left as I had to buy 6 x day 2 PCRs (we used Randox), 6 x return witnessed lateral flow (we used Qured) (though I now realise I didn't actually need to for the 10y old, I think, though that info is deeply buried on UK.gov) and 1 X fit to fly PCR on way out for 14y old (too old to be exempt from fully vaccinated, too young to be vaccinated in the UK, unlike rest of Europe).

They have all the tests and current prices laid out. Also Google for a promo code before you book, I got 5 or 10% off at Qured and Randox (it's a money making scheme, remember).

if I did it again (I won't until the testing requirements relax, it's too much hassle, but we neede dto see elderly relatives out there you probably won't make it to next year), I would do the pharmacy lateral flows out there.

@Flumpaphone

We're off to Majorca in October, can I just check the timelines here for my own peace of mind?

Uk to Spain

1. Fill in Spanish Govt form with relevant details including vaccine certificate numbers

1. This generates a QR code which you show at airport check in

1. Have QR code ready for inspection on arrival in Spain

Spain to uk (this is where I'm more confused)

1. Visit local pharmacy for an observed test

1. After negative you are given a code?

1. Download UK Govt form adding codes for Spanish test and details of 2 day PCR booking

1. Does this then generate a QR or do you need to print out the form or show an electronic email or something?

1. Present Spanish test result and UK Govt form and 3 day PCR booking at airport check in

1. Have all forms etc ready to view by UK officials

Returning to UK, you get a fit to fly certificate with your negative test. You don't need to enter this anywhere (some airlines ask you to load it when you check in though I think? Ours didn't..) but you will need to show it at check in. Once you've completed the UK form you'll get a document with a qr code and your details on it - we only had it on our phones, but you can print it out if you've access to a printer as it's easier when your boarding pass etc is also on your phone! You'll have to show it at check in, along with your fit to fly certificates and proof of vaccine if ok but it doesn't seem they were physically checking them on arrival to the UK (I'm generously assuming that they border folks can see it on their computer when they scan your passport...)

Okay now I'm confused - do I need my vaccine certificate number for the stph form going to Spain? I've only got a barcode on my nhs app, no certificate numbers! I was under the impression I just show my barcode to prove I'm vaccinated at the airport?

Obviously I've only completed the first half of it so far asking for our hotel details and seat numbers etc, I can't access the rest of the form until 48 before so no idea what it's going to ask me !

And frankly has some really badly worded, almost double negative, questions where you have to really concentrate on what they're asking!

OMG this is so true. Whoever wrote and signed off on that form needs to be taken to some sort of Campaign for plain English court and tried for crimes against the English language, grammar, logic and meaning.

We actually ended up with 4 UK passenger locator forms (make sure you create an account and can login back in and out before you start) because we got stuck in a Catch 22. You need your seat numbers for the 2 adults to put on your form i.e you need to have checked in and you can't check in (TUI) without the 2 X passenger locator form references! So I did 2 adult forms (kids on mine) which is about an hour's effort, used those to check in with TUI to get seat numbers, then went back and did a second version of the forms all over again where I didn't leave the seat number blank! Then I showed TUI the ver 1 forms at bag drop/check in (so same as what I put on the online check-in) without the seat numbers and was going to show ver 2 with the seat numbers at UK immigration, as I didn't want to be quarantined by test and trace if someone at the back of the plane (we were at front) tests positive on their day 2s, but they didn't ask for it (though can presumably see it on UK.gov?)

No idea if any of this is actually checked in the background! The UK form is way easier if you can have your seat numbers for return journey beforehand i.e pay for seating if you can. The TUI system wouldn't let us, even if we'd wanted to, as we were traveling with children and they want to control placement of them in the cabin, apparently, for covid.

Honestly, they whole thing was like some kind of beurocratic joke, with little basis in science or reality. We had another short trip planned and have now cancelled it as it really is too much hassle for a large family on a short trip.

@whatagloriousthingtobe

Okay now I'm confused - do I need my vaccine certificate number for the stph form going to Spain? I've only got a barcode on my nhs app, no certificate numbers! I was under the impression I just show my barcode to prove I'm vaccinated at the airport?

No, in fact, you don't actually enter your proof of vaccine anywhere on the Spanish form, you just tick to say you have been vaccinated and full in the date you had it and what vaccine... We did then have to show our certificate at check in. (the bar code from the NHS app, or you can download it from the app and print it off, which we did as back up)

@whatagloriousthingtobe

Obviously I've only completed the first half of it so far asking for our hotel details and seat numbers etc, I can't access the rest of the form until 48 before so no idea what it's going to ask me !

As I recall, the rest of the form is basically "do you have covid symptoms? No, great, enjoy your trip".... (I think you had to enter your seat number as well)

The spth form doesn’t ask for vaccination codes or numbers - just general contact info and flight number etc. Your vax certificate or negative test you show at the airport.

You then do a test before your return flight but this is also only shown at the airport.

The UK PLF does ask for the DAY 2 tests’ booking reference which you get after you book them. I used NWP which were £40 each, postal service so just dropped them off at a Royal Mail postbox and had results back within a day. They’re one of the cheaper providers I could find and had great reviews, the process was super smooth.

Oh phew, was panicking for a minute there !
Thanks everyone for your help, advice and tips! I think I'm on track.

It's funny as we thought yeah let's have a quick getaway haha how much more stressful it's turning out to be !