Spain effectively banning UK children from entering country

[Loudestcat14]

Anyone planning a Christmas holiday to Spain or the Canaries? You might have to rethink your plans. News broke overnight that Spain is only allowing fully vaccinated – ie, double jabbed – travellers from the UK and NI to enter the country, meaning anyone over 12 won't get in because they're only allowed one jab as things stand.

They've only "effectively banned" 12 to 15-year-olds rather than all children. It might affect some people's Christmas plans but I can't see it having any other impact as 12 to 15 will almost certainly be offered a second jab soon.

Anyone know what the situation would be for a child who turns 12 a week before they are due to fly?

It’s very wrong that 12-15s can’t access the licensed primary course of the vaccination. The clinical trials were not done with one dose and it’s considerably less effective. I’d suggest people complain to their MPs!

Do they not have an alternative for people who are unable to be vaccinated - in terms of providing negative tests ?

I don't think people need to be worrying just yet about holidays for next summer - there is plenty of time for rules to change before then both in terms of entry and vaccination policies

@Fairylights25

lescompagnonsdeloue The canaries is a huge destination over the winter.

It's only a fortnight though. Essentially people who are travelling with their 12-16 year old won't be able to go, that's not that many people really, it seems like a no brainer for Spain at any rate.

Well Switzerland just put U.K. on a quarantine list too because of 2 Omicron cases. That includes all vaccinated adults too…

I find this a very difficult truth to accept but I think we all need to understand that foreign travel as we knew it is gone for now. Hopefully we will reach a point where we can have a return to travel for leisure.
I think many people are understandably clinging on to their old lifestyle with regards to foreign holidays. It just doesn't seem thay we are going to be able to do that, with ever changing requirements of what fully-vaccinated means, testing, isolating, vaccinating children etc.
I appreciate that this is totally different when it comes to travel to be with family and I really feel for people who are in those situations.

Fair enough. We couldn’t travel abroad this summer because DS 18 had only had one jab. I think we have to be prepared for everything to be very changeable for a while yet, and book only cancellable holidays.

lescompagnonsdeloue Actually our christmas holidays are four weeks long, half term in February and four weeks again at Easter. It is a lot of lost revenue for Spain for sure.

I have been looking at Mexico etc - some great deals available.

@laffer

Anyone know what the situation would be for a child who turns 12 a week before they are due to fly?

The child would be considered twelve when flying.

off to spain! joke

It's hilarious how many people think Britain is the centre of the universe. You do realise that all of Europe goes to Spain? Yes, the British spend more, but on balance, it's simply not worth letting in single vaccinated teens at the moment.

I don't know why people are worrying. If your trip is in the next few weeks, you're probably not going, and if it's well into next year, the teens will have been double jabbed and/or Spain will have relaxed requirements.

This is a Spanish decision

The Spanish administration consider minors to be under 18. Nobody cancel anything yet, I think more clarification will come.

@AnyFucker

This is a Spanish decision

The Spanish administration consider minors to be under 18. Nobody cancel anything yet, I think more clarification will come.

No. Spain considers fully vaccinated anyone over 12 as that’s what they’ve done in Spain. Give 2 jabs to over 12

@dabbydeedoo

It's hilarious how many people think Britain is the centre of the universe. You do realise that all of Europe goes to Spain? Yes, the British spend more, but on balance, it's simply not worth letting in single vaccinated teens at the moment.

I don't know why people are worrying. If your trip is in the next few weeks, you're probably not going, and if it's well into next year, the teens will have been double jabbed and/or Spain will have relaxed requirements.

Whilst uk is not the centre of the universe , some areas of Spain (canaries) depend a lot on the British tourist. Last year when lockdown most of the Canarian hotels had to close during the winter term as British couldn’t travel. The biggest tourist group by far in Spain is the British.

Op, you have just ruined my mood with your post title! My in laws want us to visit in Feb with our primary aged children. I was really hoping you were referring to all children and I had the perfect excuse of not being able to go. Who can I petition to extend their rule to all children???

It was going to happen, I've kind of already made peace that our trip abroad next summer will probably be cancelled (it'll be our 2020 holiday rescheduled). Our children are 5 and under, I'm pretty sure by then quite a few countries will say no jab, no entry to even 5 year olds. We won't be having our young children vaccinated even if it's offered to their age groups (we've had ours though) so we probably won't be going anywhere abroad as a family.

@Rosehip10

Their country, their rules OP

Such a pity that that rule can't be applied in this country.

This is one reason after our summer holiday 2020 and 2021 were both cancelled I am not booking anything. I was looking at Mexico on my own for late Jan but even that seems too risky given obligations for tests on returning, lock downs etc etc. It is like dangling a lovely Christmas present in front of a child and then pulling it away at the last minute - our holiday company cancelled our holiday for 10 of us less than 2 weeks before we were due to fly in late July. I will be keeping my money and using it pay off parts of the mortgage. I am sick of booking and being cancelled upon or messed around on rules changing.

According to Reuters article:

"This will affect British residents but not British people who are resident in Spain," a spokeswoman for Spain's Industry, Trade and Tourism said.

So i read that as it applies to anyone resident in UK, and not anyone resident in Spain, regardless of nationality. But perhaps I've misunderstood?

@idiotfacelicker

According to Reuters article:

"This will affect British residents but not British people who are resident in Spain," a spokeswoman for Spain's Industry, Trade and Tourism said.

So i read that as it applies to anyone resident in UK, and not anyone resident in Spain, regardless of nationality. But perhaps I've misunderstood?

Exactly. They can’t deny you going back to your home

"misunderstood?
Exactly. They can’t deny you going back to your home"

Indeed. But others upthread were talking about children visiting family in Spain. They won't be able to do this if they are resident in UK, even if they are Spanish nationals, as I understand it.

That’s not the only country.

The U.K. is probably the only country in europe who has decided NOT to double jab the over 12.
It’s not spain that is a pain towards the U.K. It’s the U.K. being an outlier vs the rest of Europe 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

@PerfectlyUnsuitable

That’s not the only country.

The U.K. is probably the only country in europe who has decided NOT to double jab the over 12.
It’s not spain that is a pain towards the U.K. It’s the U.K. being an outlier vs the rest of Europe 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Exactly this!

I'm frustrated as my child had an amazing school trip planned for Spain in January. He would be old enough and have been single jabbed long enough to get his second jab 13 days before they are meant I fly out. So a day too late even if I can get a second jab on the day he qualifies. Such a shame.