Help with travel restrictions to and from Spain

[FasterthanBolt]

Could someone please help me understand what is needed for a holiday to Spain for our son who is 18 and only had one vaccination. DH and I are both fully vaccinated and our younger son who is 16 has had one vaccination but we were told he is fully vaccinated as they are only offering one to that age group.

I know 18 yo will need a PCR test before we go, but does he need to do a test before we come home and two days after? We are going at the end of October. I am confusing myself looking at all the information and a bit wrapped up in dealing with a family death, hence the visit to Spain (we are attending a memorial service).

Any help appreciated!

It depends on when you return, is it before or on or after 4th October?

Is he under or over 18 1/2 years old?

Thank you @Fallagain. We travel on 25 October and he will be 18 and 4 weeks when we go

Is he over 18 years and 4 months as there us a few months leeway for 18 year olds.

@Skyechasemarshalontheway He will be 18 years and 4 weeks when we go, we are going for 4 days (Mon - Fri)

Useful gov.uk page

As I understand it, and I may well be wrong, from 4 October fully vaccinated travellers will not need to take a pre-departure (ie coming to the UK) test. Although your carrier may have other requirements. Also, from "the end of October" - date unhelpfully not specified - fully vaccinated travellers can take a LFT rather than a PCR on or before day 2 after they return. Which should be cheaper but details about how this is administered, by whom and what paperwork will be required have not been released. Before that unspecified date you will need to book a Day 2 PCR before you travel to the UK.

"The rules for fully vaccinated people will also apply if you are [...] under 18 and resident in the UK ..."

I'd suggest further checking about what "under 18" actually means as PP suggest that there is some leeway.

(As far as I can see, none of this applies if you are coming from a Red List country. Spain is not Red List so it would apply to you.)

Thank you. I will try to clarify the under 18 status.

I’m sorry for your loss. To enter Spain pcr tests for the single vaccinated, they’re counted as unvaccinated (which is fair tbh as the uk counts Spaniards with a single dose as unvaccinated too) but once in Spain it’s okay, no vaccine passports like France etc. there’s a Spanish version of a passenger locator form to fill in and an app for that but no quarantine. going back to the uk will be the gov. Uk site rules.

It would be so much simpler if every country accepted each other’s’ definitions of vaccinated, it’s hardly going to make Angie difference to case numbers if a few single vaxxed teenagers or people with single vaccinated + natural immunity go there.

Oh sorry, rereading it and I can see it’s the uk side you’re unsure of! Sorry.