To think it should be possible to take a just turned 12 year old to Spain?

[needabreak5]

We have a holiday booked for Easter. The family we are going with are now saying they won't be able to come because their 11 year old (who turns 12 three weeks before flight), won't have been fully vaccinated so Spain won't allow entry? Surely there must be an exemption. They have a 14 year old who'll be fully vaccinated and a 9 year old who doesn't need vaccinated. It doesn't seem right that they other 2 kids are fine to go but the middle one can't!

@RonCarlos

I think you probably know that I mean the people going on holiday with children aged 12 years 0-3 months didn't make the rules. Many of us didn't even vote Brexit. Are we responsible for that too?

And yes, I get that it's possible outside of the UK, you aren't the first to point this point but well done.

Of course, which is why I asked what 'we' meant. I agree, the general public has no fault in this. Those responsible are those who made the rules, which sadly affects a lot of people who are innocents in all this Covid malarkey.

@EileenGC yes, it is frustrating. There is little we (the UK general public) can do but watch and get annoyed unfortunately

@RonCarlos

Why on earth would you expect them to change their rules to suit residents of a country that is out of sync with everywhere else?

I don't? We didn't make our vaccination rules, and I can't believe it was a deliberate exclusion, so I am empathising with the OP. You should try it.

You stated "No they have made an administrative decision which means anyone can now go there, unless they are 12 years and 1, 2 or 3 months, when it is impossible to be fully vaccinated."

This is factually incorrect for the vast majority of their visitors. Maybe try accuracy as well as empathy next time.

Alright Ochon, you can have that.

Unfortunately I don't think there is any way round it- I don't think the are considering vaccinating the 5-11 group until around then, so probably won't be able to get it early. Sadly if the child is 12, they do have to be vaccinated.

We looked at Malta last summer but that was out as DD2 was 12 and not able to be vaccinated in the UK and they would not allow any unvaccinated 12-15 year olds in. Other countries started vaccinating that age group last summer and the UK was late, DD2 eventually got a first jab in October and a second one last week. Even though my mum lives with us, is in her 80s, diabetic and one of the first groups to be eligible for vaccination, this didn't count as immunocompromised so DD2 could not get vaccinated early. I thought they left 16/17 year olds late as well, DD1 is just about eligible for her booster now, had her first jab in August. She goes to school, socialises and has a part time job in a restaurant so I think that age group mix with more people than any other!

I’d switch location to Portugal if possible. They don’t need anything other than a negative lateral flow as far as I am aware.

Yeah we cancelled our holiday to Spain in the summer once we realised we couldn’t vaccinate DS in time. Plus currently I don’t think we can prove DD is fully vaxxed either, as the NHS app can’t be used for her age group. We couldn’t afford to sit tight and wait and see if Spain relaxed the rules for the UK as summer gets closer so made the decision to cancel now. The whole thing is enormously frustrating, as it stands at the moment there’s literally no way around it and regular people are just caught in the middle. Doubt Spain will care too much - as previous posters have said, all the EU countries will be able to meet their entry criteria.

My MP is currently looking into this with the foreign office and their counterparts in Spain for one of my neighbours. They are requesting clarification but at present yes, 12 year 0 month you must be fully vaccinated to enter. An alternative offered was to speak to a sympathetic GP who would OK the early vaccination not under the PGD rules, in a walk in vaccine centre, but as an individual patient in the practice. Will update with a link to MP findings if/when they come in case there is further clarification

@EileenGC

Spain don’t see this dilemma as both them, the EU and many, many other countries are already well underway with their 5-11yo vaccination programmes. Some areas in Spain have hit 80% fully vaccinated in primary schools. So this is not an issue for most people from other countries, as everybody is able to vaccinate their about-to-turn-12 year olds.

Only 45% of Spanish kids had had 1st dose, 6 days ago. I'm in similar situation to OP -- travelling is tough for now, esp. with kids age 5-15 yo.

When did I say 80% of Spanish kids were fully vaccinated? I said some areas had an 80% vaccination uptake.

That article is not the official source for vaccine data. Spain started vaccinating 5-11 year olds in December and are leaving a 6-8 week gap between doses, so there are many children who are fully vaxxed now. There is an 80% uptake in Galicia for example, other areas such as the Balearics are at 30% first dose. It varies.

This has been a problem with teenagers for a while now, as someone else has pointed out. Lots of U.K. teenagers being stuck as they don’t qualify for exemptions but have not been able to get the vaccines required.

Our world in data is wrong, too?

Spain does not accept recovery certificates for over 12s if coming from the UK. Recovery certificates are only accepted if you're an EU national

Yes, I know. But DC is a direct dependent of a EU national, and the visit not for tourism. But we could not get a recovery certificate issued.

Has anybody got one? Where? From a GP? (so not a standard document) Was it accepted without issue? Wondering if in our case we could use 1st dose and the certificate to go at Easter.

@stickygotstuck If the EU citizen is travelling with the child you can enter Spain with a negative test for the unvaccinated/partially vaccinated child as far as I can tell

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain/entry-requirements

@vickibee

What happens to children who have a medical exemption? And can’t be vaccinated please

They can't enter Spain, unless they're travelling for an essential reason (not tourism), are accompanied by an EU resident and have an exemption that Spain accepts.

In other words, unvaccinated over 12s cannot enter Spain for holiday purposes even with exemptions. They can only enter for defined, essential reasons and even then only if accompanied by a Spanish or other EU resident.

[quote lurker101]@stickygotstuck If the EU citizen is travelling with the child you can enter Spain with a negative test for the unvaccinated/partially vaccinated child as far as I can tell

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain/entry-requirements[/quote]
Yes, as long as it's an essential reason on their list, but not for tourism.

@SofiaSoFar the screenshot says it includes for tourism - provided you’re travelling with EU family member.

Sounds like we have the people who voted to give up the benefits of being in the EU to thank for this.

Again. Infuriating that such an important decision to throw away so many rights was handed to people who didn't have a fucking clue what they were voting for.

@RonCarlos

They have a made a decision that keeping covid under control is more important

No they have made an administrative decision which means anyone can now go there, unless they are 12 years and 1, 2 or 3 months, when it is impossible to be fully vaccinated.

Impossible for those resident in UK. Not for everyone.

Spain isn't arranging its borders policy around a foreign country's vaccination policy.

We're not arranging our vaccination policy around potential holiday destinations.

It does mean changing to a different destination, and saving Spain (or anywhere else to which travel is, or becomes, restricted) for another time.

If the EU citizen is travelling with the child you can enter Spain with a negative test for the unvaccinated/partially vaccinated child as far as I can tell

This is entirely true, but try telling your airline that! Our DC are EU citizens, but despite taking it right to the top of TUI, we have been told the oldest will not be allowed on the plane as he is travelling unvaccinated from the UK. TUI have a blanket policy - if flying from a mainland UK airport, all passengers have to be fully vaccinated. I've given up trying to convince them their policy is not in line with the entry requirements of Spain, and have rescheduled my Easter trip for May, when the over 12 DC will be fully vaccinated.

So anyone who is planning to use the EU citizen loophole, get it in writing from your airline before you leave, as it's the airlines who decide who gets allowed on the plane or not.

I assume though there is no issues if a child travels to Spain for a holiday just (a day or so) before their 12th birthday? Obviously will be 12 when they return to the UK.

Yes having the same problem not Spain but Netherlands, trying to reorganise a holiday from April 2020. Have a 8 yo (fine), 14 year old will be doubled vaxxed soon but 11 year old is about to turn 12 and there’s like a 2 week window when they all fall within the rules which doesn’t fall in a school holiday. couldn’t go earlier as 14 yr old wasn’t double vaxxed! It’s a nightmare.

If he is double vaccinated he can go to Spain. If not then he can't

Fair enough

I should also say I doubt if you had checked the rules when you booked in summer this could have been predicted as i did check and these have come in since