Update 13th Nov 2020 -  clarification has been issued by the British Embassy in Madrid which states this will only be necessary at airports and seaports, ie if you are enter Spain by road after Nov 23rd you WON'T have to provide a PCR test result.

https://www.facebook.com/BritsInSpain/

https://www.elmundo.es/economia/empresas/2020/11/11/5fabf60efdddfff4488b4619.html

 See also the official government announcement at https://www.mscbs.gob.es/gabinete/notasPrensa.do?id=5124

The Government recoils from the pressure of the CCAA and will demand PCR from all tourists from risk countries

 

They will be requested from next November 23 and citizens who arrive in Spain without proof can do it at the destination airport, as explained by Minister Salvador Illa

Spain will request a negative PCR test from all international travelers arriving from risk countries as of November 23 . This has been communicated by the Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, to the autonomous communities this Wednesday in the Interterritorial Council on Foreign Health.

 

 
 

The tests will be done in the tourist's country of origin (not in Spanish airports) at most 72 hours before and the traveler must prove his negative test "before boarding," as Illa explained at a press conference.

 

This diagnostic test will not be required at land borders, because "this was agreed with the member countries," according to the minister. This means that a French citizen can cross Perpignan without having to undergo a test, but to fly to Barcelona it will be required.

Those who arrive without proof can be tested for antigens at the destination airport. And those who fail to comply with this requirement "will be sanctioned according to current legislation , " said the minister, without giving more details about the amount of these fines.

The countries at risk are practically the majority of the Schengen area, except Finland, Norway and Greece. The EU approved a map with unified criteria for all members weeks ago This cartography will be the reference to assess which are the countries at risk.

In the red zone (high risk) are all the members with more than 150 infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days. Also those whose accumulated infection rate in this period is equal to or greater than 50 and the rate of positive results of the detection tests is 4% or more.

MEASURE CLAIMED

This is a measure that the tourism sector and airlines have been asking the Government for months. It is something that, in fact, the Canary Islands will start to do this week, which is in its high season and which is one of the few Spanish destinations that is not in the red zone of the risk map to travel in the EU . The protocol was approved last October and takes effect on the 14th, next Saturday.

Other countries, such as Italy or Greece, for example, have already requested these tests from travelers arriving from abroad since last August.

This decision is made at a time when our main tourist markets (United Kingdom, Germany and France) have decreed confinement for their citizens, therefore, they cannot travel for holidays, although they can for other reasons (residence, work, studies. ..).

CONTROL FORM

Until now, tourists who came to our country only had to fill out a form with their contact information (address, flight and seat number ...) and sign a statement in which they claim that they do not have symptoms or have been in contact with no person infected in the last two weeks.

  
 

From now on, in addition to this health control form, the passenger will be asked to ensure that they have a negative PCR performed within 72 hours prior to arrival in Spain.

Travel agencies, tour operators and airlines or shipping companies must inform passengers of the obligation to have a PCR with a negative result in order to travel.