MADRID (Reuters) -Spain will demand a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination from British tourists coming to the country after letting them in freely for more than a month, Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said on Monday.
“British citizen will require a certification of full vaccination or a negative PCR (72hrs) to enter Spain,” she said on Twitter.
The new rules will be published in the official gazette on Tuesday and come into force 72 hours later, she added in another message.
Since May 20, Spain had decided to lift the requirement for Britons to present a negative PCR test, which is enforced for travellers from within the European Union.
Gonzalez Laya’s comments came after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said earlier on Monday that Britons would have to present a PCR rest or vaccine certificate only to come to the Balearic Islands.
The move was needed because of a worrying rise in infections in the United Kingdom, TVE quoted him as saying.
Authorities in Mallorca, a popular holiday destination for Spaniards and foreigners alike, are investigating a coronavirus outbreak involving more than 600 students.
(Reporting by Isla Binnie; editing by Inti Landauro and Angus MacSwan)
