Traveling to Spain in 2021
With travel restrictions loosening for various parts of the world,
people are thinking more and more about getting back on a plane. Though, international travel may still be intimidating for some. This was our experience entering the European Union this summer.
Spain was one of the more recent EU countries to open to vaccinated travelers allowing the first Americans in on June 7th. Now that the borders are open, it really wasn't a hassle to get in—and the process seemed to be less strict than other EU member states.
Spanish Health Form
Forty-eight hours prior to landing, we completed a declaration form with the Spanish Ministry of Health. There, we provided information on our trip such as where we planned to stay, what flight we would be arriving on, and what seats we would occupy on that flight. The form also included an affidavit certifying that we were not experiencing any COVID symptoms.
COVID Tests
For fully vaccinated travelers, no negative tests or quarantine were required.
Check-In
In order to verify our documentation, the airline required us to check in at the ticket counter before security. That added just under an hour to our trip. The representative verified our
Passports (Int’l requirement)
Proof vaccination or negative test (COVID requirement)
Accommodation (Int’l requirement)
Proof of funds (she didn’t actually look at the documents) (Int’l requirement)
After that, the process was largely the same for an international flight.
Arrival
Once we arrived in Madrid, we were taken through immigration. The interview was entirely in Spanish. Tori managed even though it was 3:30 am to us. I had printed our itinerary showing accommodation, domestic flights within the EU, exit date from Spain, and exit date from the EU and arranged it in chronological order. I also included proof of health insurance that would cover COVID expenses. The immigration officer was friendly and waved us through.
Beyond baggage claim, there were two doors for customs. One read “I have something to declare;” the other, “I have nothing to declare.” No kiosks or forms—just the honor system more or less.
After that, there was a “health screening” where volunteers scanned the QR codes from our Ministry of Health forms (on our phones) and waved us through. After that, we were in Spain!
Resources
Obviously, the climate can change at a moment’s notice—especially with the onset of the delta variant. Your airline often has the best resources for checking restrictions at your destination. Outside of that we use:
https://borderless.safetywing.com (Great overview of what’s happening in the world)
https://reopen.europa.eu/en/ (Country-specific information for EU member states)
https://www.omio.com/travel/service-disruptions (Side-by-side information for various countries. i.e. traveling from Spain to Mexico as an American)
To have the most accurate picture of the situation, it’s important to cross-reference these with the various national health organizations, local embassies, and local news sources.
Like most things, it looks scarier than it actually is. Our entrance to the EU was a breeze because we did our homework and came prepared. If you have any questions or are planning your own trip, feel free to reach out.
