Totally bewildered by Spain

[lateforschool]

Please help!
I’ve just booked five days in barfxelona going Tuesday (myself and two incompletely vaccinated 13 year olds)
So: we all need a Covid test to fly to Spain
. But is it antigen or PCR? Unjust can’t work it out!
If it’s PCR how does it work.. should I have it on Sunday - or Monday and how do the results get back In time?
Then when we’re there we need to find somewhere in Barcelona that does fit to fly antigen tests for the two children
And then when we’re back we have to have day 2 pcrs. We have to have booked these in advance and have a code but when do we need this - do I need to book them before we leave?
It’s so confusing

I hope you have bought travel insurance fir all of you, before you travel?

Thank you everyone. I too am about to book for Spain and was really confused. In summary as two double vaxxed adults we need to do passenger locator forms both ways, carry our vaccine cards and buy a lft each for our return taken on day 2.

@gogohm sounds right. By “vaccine card” I assume you mean your proof of vaccination complete with QR code downloaded from the NHS app (not the handwritten card they gave you at the vaccine centre).

(That’s for England BTW)

Not RTFT but you do know all tests need to be private ie paid for not free nhs ones don’t you.

Go on line. It’s easy. We used randox.

In Spain just google tests for travel to you and you book and pay at a pharmacy or local private hospital on line. They email you a certificate and that’s that. Easy.

For vax agile you need to download the Spanish travel app. , upload your qr code from the nhs app abs it gives you a code to present on arrival for scanning.
Easy

Just back, my 12 year old needed negative test before flying ( within 72 hours and pcr) you need that info for boarding passes. We all need day 2 pcr on return ( day 2 means by day 2, you can do it the day you return - In UK) , you need the test ref for your passenger locater forms. In Spain itself we did not need any proof to get in anywhere, great holiday and felt more relaxed than last Summer. (as an aside if you are triple jabbed, I needed to show details of my first 2 vaccines for my passenger locater form as my 3rd was recognised as incomplete vaccination!)

@GreenLunchBox

Can people not wait until things calm down to travel for a bloody holiday, FFS? We've got disgusting rates of infection.

So why are you on a thread in the Holidays forum then?

@Helenluvsrob

Not RTFT but you do know all tests need to be private ie paid for not free nhs ones don’t you.

Go on line. It’s easy. We used randox.

In Spain just google tests for travel to you and you book and pay at a pharmacy or local private hospital on line. They email you a certificate and that’s that. Easy.

You don't need any in Spain do you?

GreenLunchBox
Can people not wait until things calm down to travel for a bloody holiday, FFS? We've got disgusting rates of infection.
So why are you on a thread in the Holidays forum then?

Good point @ilovesooty - probably so that they can police everyone else's lives!

You could have had a stress free holiday in your home country

It was your choice to book an abroad holiday, with all the new rules.

The rules can change at any time, due to covid still being active in all countries

TBH I just want my teens to have exposure to other countries while they still want to go on holiday with me. No language trips for my DD's GCSEs, she's now doing A Levels, no trips planned on the horizon for at least this year. I want my children to see and hear other cultures, for my DD to see the Roman and Greek antiquities that she's studying. And quite frankly, and selfishly, I want a warm break, I want to hear different languages, see different things, eat different foods. If I need to jump through hoops to do so, sobeit. Staying in the UK, paying heightened prices for lesser quality, it just isn't a holiday to me. And I know I'm privileged, and I'm going to enjoy that fact in this instance.

Just wondered if anyone on this thread could confirm whether the "48 hrs before travel" test was needed for (unvaccinated) teen to come back into the UK from Spain? And, if yes, any suggestions for how to arrange this in Barcelona without being a major hassle/cost..? Ta muchly.

Boopear, no test needed in Spain to return to UK, just need to have booked your day 2 test for the UK ( you can book this from Spain if you want, we did incase the rules changed) as need the reference for your paperwork

@Wriggleon Thanks loads. I actually meant the PCR 3 day before flight into UK test (not the 48hr one!) but guess the same applies! I have the "before we fly out" one for child & the 2 x day 2 ones (myself and child) after coming back so looks like we are all set.

Enjoy, it's really easy in Spain when you get there, never got asked once to show any documentation when there and airports went smoothly, bit strange getting your passport stamped when leaving!

Wriggleon thanks for this, please may I ask where you got yours and how much they cost? Do they send the reference when you buy as can we just order while away or does it need to be opened to get the reference?

Sorry I hope you don’t mind my asking.

We were in Spain this summer (and headed back on Wednesday!). We ordered our day 2 tests in Spain, you get emailed the reference number for your passenger locator form. I'll be doing the same on this trip (if for no other reason that the new LFT rules are coming in while we're there, so want to wait for the providers to be announced).