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.

@User135792468

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???

😂😂😂😂 I'm so sorry! Maybe tell them that you never bothered to get your second jab so only your husband/partner and the kids can go and you'll have to stay at home where obviously you'll spend the entire time feeling v. v. sad?

The resorts won't be child-free.

Maybe there will be fewer 12-15 year old UK teenagers (but they get still get through with a PCR test), but there will still be UK children of other ages and non-UK children of all ages in the resorts.

@Gensola

We’ve been hit by this as travelling with a large family party with one 12 year old only single jabbed.

Us too @Gensola we have in our party a single jabbed 14 year old and a not jabbed at all 20 year old (severely needle phobic). Bye bye Gran Canaria 🥲

The UK government needs to get on and offer a second vaccine to over 12s and allow them access to the NHS app.

@shinynewapple21

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

@shinynewapple21 that WAS the rule before yesterday, it was either double jabbed OR a PCR test. It’s all changed now.

So anyone know where you CAN travel over Christmas with unvaccinated or single jabbed?

Surely the thread title ‘ UK vaccination rules prevents teens travelling to Spain ‘ would be more accurate and apt.
Vast majority of European countries have vaccinated their 12 - 15 year olds.

The issue is the UK vaccination roll out but sure sounds better to ignorantly blame Spain for ruining everyone’s winter holiday.

I think that Spain as many other touristic countries, including our own, learnt to live without international tourism over last year. Think of that, our previously moderately deserted coastal towns were packed last summer and most are being heavily gentrified.

@blueshoes 12- 15 year olds can’t go even with a PCR test, they have to be double jabbed.

@User135792468

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???

Aren’t Europe also going to vaccinate primary kids? I expect the ban will also then extend to them.

@NoddyMcdoddy

Surely the thread title ‘ UK vaccination rules prevents teens travelling to Spain ‘ would be more accurate and apt. Vast majority of European countries have vaccinated their 12 - 15 year olds.

The issue is the UK vaccination roll out but sure sounds better to ignorantly blame Spain for ruining everyone’s winter holiday.

Yep. Facebook is funny this morning. I belong to a travel in times of Covid group (very useful it is too) but it's imploded today with people saying "ok if the Spanish don't want us, WE WONT GO" Followed by "I'm going to wait and see if pressure makes them change their mind" posts. The reality I rhi k is more likely to be lots more countries following suit until the UK is vaccinating its teens in line with other countries.

@CactusFlowers, yes, some countries are already doing it and it's been approved for a few more this week I think.

I can't see why so many people are angry at the British government and health authorities for delaying the second dose in young people. Give it a chance. It's a cautious approach which is actually a good thing when it comes to vaccinating young people (with something the majority of them do not even need). Why the drama? There will be the opportunity for them to be double vaccinated at some point soon. And if you don't want to have your child vaccinated, the world is plenty big enough. Spain have never asked for proof of ANY childhood vaccination before, it seems only covid matters. The world is headed down a very very slippery slope right now. Politics and media are driving this pandemic and have done right from the start.

The Spanish ban on unvaccinated travellers over 12 years old is for one month to 31 December. It may or may not be extended.

So many people seem to think it's all about us and about what we want. It's up to countries to set their own rules as they see fit to protect their citizens.

If you travel to England from Spain and you are not fully vaccinated you have to take day 2 and 8 tests and quarantine for 10 days. That makes it pretty impossible for unvaccinated citizens to come here for a holiday. From Tuesday whether vaccinated or not they will have to take PCR tests and isolate until the results are received. That probably doesn't look very appealing for people wanting to travel to the UK for a holiday. It works both ways.

@GrandmasCat

I think that Spain as many other touristic countries, including our own, learnt to live without international tourism over last year. Think of that, our previously moderately deserted coastal towns were packed last summer and most are being heavily gentrified.

EU citizens travelled freely around Europe last summer as they'll continue to do so. Europe really doesn't rely on British tourists nearly as much as Britain would like to think. I was in Rome this summer and it was packed with tourists. They just weren't British.

It’s been that way for a long time for loads of countries
Don’t get angry at the other counties - blame our government who is restricting our freedom by not offering second vaccination shots to those 12-15 year olds who want them
I think Spain is being perfectly reasonable
Same problem with the US by the way and earlier with Italy. Couldn’t visit any family this summer

We are fortunate that DS is 16 and will be double vaccinated in time for our holiday (booked while we were feeling very miserable as we all had Covid), I feel very sorry for families who will be rapidly changing plans.
And yes, I find under twelves and 18-20 year old cause more noise and bother than early/ mid teens who skulk under headphones and behind screens!

You’re getting a hard time OP! I knew about this - and the complications visiting other places like France and Italy as well at the moment with teens - but so few people are aware.

@Sombra

What happens if a child has had both jabs. They haven't got access to the Covid passport app so does that mean they still can't travel?

You don't need an app. I have paper copies as does DP as we don't have phones that support apps.

@PAFMO

Maybe take it up with the only govt in Europe that didn't think vaccinating teenagers mattered.

Exactly this. It is the UK government that is preventing British kids from travelling, not the Spanish government. Just give them 2 doses like every other country.

Well, we are rapidly changing plans already, we had the Spanish family coming to spend Christmas with us but with the Christmas bank holidays we are not sure they will get their second day test results in time to take their return flights! And that is before we talk about health risks for the abuela, how they are going to travel from the airport or whether the whole of us need to fully isolate with them until they get their negative test results (if they do)

This is why us haven't made foreign travel plans in 18 months. I cannot handle uncertainty and last minute shit like this.

I am trying to hold on to the hope that when the data emerges this variant might prove a blessing rather than a curse, pandemic wise, if it can outrun Delta and is super mild 🤞🤞🤞

Something similar is probably going to happen with other countries soon so it wont just be Spain and will eventually affect the under 12s too. They will still have tourists from lots of other counties although absence of the Brits will affect Spain a lot. I dare say there will be discussions and solutions in due course or we can all have a staycation for the foreseeable future!

Oh ffs, we moved our holiday from last new year to this new year
We are fully vaccinated but obviously ds2 isn't as only just turned 12

This has right fucked me off

Along with the new PCR shite, I come home from Turkey next Sunday and no fucking idea what I'm doing

@Viviennemary

Let them get on with it and do what they like. Their loss.

Yeah, their loss of incoming cases of delta, omicron, etc.