‘Matter of days’ until Spain scraps Covid vaccine passports

Spain is reported to be considering scrapping Covid vaccine passports for non-EU travellers.

Only fully vaccinated travellers over 18, or those who have recovered from Covid in the past six months, are permitted to enter the country under current rules.

But if the restrictions are eased it would mean unvaccinated adults would be allowed to enter Spain if they show a negative Covid test.

More: Spain extends Covid entry rules until June 15

The i newspaper reported that Reyes Maroto, Madrid’s minister of industry, commerce and tourism, appeared on Spanish radio station Onda Cero to announce that the certification scheme would be axed within days.

Maroto said: “It will be a matter of days before we are going to eliminate a restriction that could be discouraging tourists from outside the European Union from visiting us, and that is that we are going to stop requiring the vaccination certificate to allow them to enter with a negative test.

“Always with caution, the world sees us as a safe destination, more than 92% of the Spanish population is vaccinated.”

Maroto did not confirm exactly when the rules would be relaxed. Spain is one of the few countries in Europe to still require proof of vaccination upon entry.

Currently, visitors who have had both doses of a two-dose vaccine or one dose of a one-dose vaccine at least 14 days prior to arrival in Spain are permitted to enter.

Those with proof that they had caught Covid in the past six months can also enter.

Unvaccinated children aged 12-17 can also travel to the country with proof of a negative PCR test result, taken within 72 hours of entry, or proof of recovery from Covid in the past six months, while children under the age of 12 are exempt from all Covid entry requirements.

Malta has also eased its entry requirements for visitors for children.

From June 6, children aged under 12 will no longer need to take a PCR test to visit the country, health minister Chris Fearne announced on Tuesday. The rule will remain in place until then.