- Time of past OR future Camino
- To Santiago + back
2400 km + 950 nmi
160 days
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Spain is now following the EU Recommendation and has put it into their national law: As of midnight on Sunday, September 5 (the night from Sunday to Monday Spanish time), the entry requirements for travellers from the United States to Spain will have changed again.I’m scheduled to fly out the 9th and share your concerns. Do know the any EU decision is a guideline and individual countries can modify as they see fit. My hopes are that at most Spain will change entry requirements to require vaccination.
The SpTH app has been updated to incorporate the recent changes. The QR that you now receive as a traveller from the US is a "Documental control" QR code and no longer a "Fast Control" QR code as before. You must take your proof of vaccination with you when you travel to Spain (for flights as of September 6).I presume that you will see this when you open your SpTH application for the Spanish QR code and enter your vaccination details during the 48 hour period before your flight.
I agree. That would make me a lot more comfortable while traveling right now. Especially since Spain has a high vaccination rate right now, and still increasing.As someone going to Spain on the first day of the new policy, I am delighted to know that everyone on the plane will be vaccinated!
Glad to hear you are going! Buen CaminoAs someone going to Spain on the first day of the new policy, I am delighted to know that everyone on the plane will be vaccinated!
This will be a long answer but I hope it is useful. Things will change between today and next week and possibly between next week and the 1st of October. I will try to explain where and how to find relevant and up to date information about entry requirements for Spain. One of the forum moderators, @C clearly, maintains a thread What are the latest Covid-related requirements for travel? with links to the official information websites that are of interest to forum members. For Spain it is a Ministry of Health (MoH) site, the SpTH (Spain Travel Health) site and the Travel Safe Spain site. All are useful.Can you share a link? We leave October 1st!!
We look forward to seeing you on your upcoming flight to Spain. As you plan for upcoming travel, we’re committed to providing the information you need to be prepared, safe and secure upon arrival. |
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Effective September 6 (including departures from the U.S. on September 5), all passengers will be required to provide one of the following documents: [1] proof of full vaccination or recovery; [2] a negative NAAT test taken within 72 hours of arrival; or [3] a negative antigen test taken within 48 hours of arrival. Children under 12 years of age are exempt. |
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All passengers must still complete a Health Control Form and obtain their QR code to be presented at boarding and upon arrival into Spain. |
Just received my QR code and it was easy to enter my vaccination information. One little trick to watch for... When you enter your information using an iPhone you will scan the list of approved vaccines and not see Pfizer or BionTch. On the SpTH it is listed as BNT 16262.
We received the following email from Delta yesterday. I thought this might be helpful to others who will be flying soon….. all passengers will be required to provide one of the following documents: [1] proof of full vaccination or recovery; [2] a negative NAAT test taken within 72 hours of arrival; or [3] a negative antigen test taken within 48 hours of arrival.
Thank you for the updated information. We are both vaccinated, so we are OK with these requirements.Jim, do you remember whether you were required to enter vaccination information or whether you were given the option of providing evidence of a negative test?
This is definitely not consistent with what has been reported elsewhere. The Embassy of Spain tweeted what was reported above — that you must have a vaccination.
Given the clear inconsistency, if I were unvaccinated and planning to travel to Spain in the next few days, I would definitely pursue this further.
https://twitter.com/x/status/1433896971274760192
I hope Delta gets its act together. Language pulled directly from two different places on their website, and it is inconsistent. So I wouldn’t rely on Delta to give you good information!Thank you for the updated information. We are both vaccinated, so we are OK with these requirements.
Hi Laurie,Jim, do you remember whether you were required to enter vaccination information or whether you were given the option of providing evidence of a negative test?
This is definitely not consistent with what has been reported elsewhere. The Embassy of Spain tweeted what was reported above — that you must have a vaccination.
Given the clear inconsistency, if I were unvaccinated and planning to travel to Spain in the next few days, I would definitely pursue this further.
https://twitter.com/x/status/1433896971274760192
I would be surprised if Spain did not require the double vaccination proof. The country is 70% double vaxxed.Hi Laurie,
Sorry I don’t. I had pre-filled in the SpTH information days ago. SpTH emailed me a link and said it was time to fill out the information for my QR code. I was surprised to see them ask for my vaccination information, but I filled it in. I do not recall the option of a PCR/Antigen test. I do recall that if you did not have vaccination info, you would be required to go through screening upon arrival. You can start the process prior to 48 hours. The beauty of that is that they emailed me to tell me it was time to finish the process. It was great that they had updated the forms and except for Pfizer being a number, all went smoothly. Sorry for the late response, I have been visiting grandkids before my flight tomorrow. I am so looking forward to walking… praying… and not seeing the world news. See you in Lugo I hope!
It may seem inconsistent, but it actually isn't. The first quote talks about who is allowed into the country, which in the case of those from the US will only be those who are vaccinated or are traveling for essential reasons.I hope Delta gets its act together. Language pulled directly from two different places on their website, and it is inconsistent. So I wouldn’t rely on Delta to give you good information!
________________________________________________________________________________
Important: As of September 6, residents of the USA and Israel can only enter Spain with a vaccination certificate. Non-vaccinated passengers can only travel in case of essential trips with some testing requirements. Please see below.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Spain: Open with No Quarantine
Effective September 6, U.S. passengers will be required to provide one of the following: proof of full vaccination or recovery; a negative NAAT test taken within 72 hours of arrival; or a negative antigen test taken within 48 hours of arrival. Full details.
Good parsing! We had gotten used to the distinction between essential travel and non-essential travel to Spain before they opened it up to tourism in June, and I agree that should make clearer that “passengers” includes both essential and non-essential.It may seem inconsistent, but it actually isn't. The first quote talks about who is allowed into the country, which in the case of those from the US will only be those who are vaccinated or are traveling for essential reasons.
The second quote just refers to passengers, some of whom may be traveling for essential reasons, and therefore don't have to be vaccinated (darn, there goes @peregrina2000's dream of a fully vaccinated plane!) But those unvaccinated essential travel passengers will be subject to other requirements, like Covid testing.
I do agree though that it is a bit confusing. They should have language in the quote that says something about essential travel.
I don't believe that fully vaccinated travelers need a test, and unvaccinated leisure travelers will not be permitted.I fly to Madrid Monday the 13th and am having a hard time finding a place to get a covid test with results on the Saturday before. Does the covid test itself have to be done within 48 hours of flight or does the 48 hours pertain only to completion of the SpTH form?
When you click on "Full details" the page has this box on it.
The world map about entry requirements of Spain has been updated. The USA and most of the rest of the world is coloured red in the Spanish classification system. It means that travellers from these red areas are subject to entry restrictions.they recently added a Map of entry and health control requirements in Spain, depending on your country of departure. In this map, the USA is coloured green but this will turn to red after the update next week. Using the alphabetical search option to find the USA, the entry requirements are displayed.
Jim ME,I flew last night BOS to MAD. Arrived early, sailed through, and caught the 11 am Alsa bus to Leo. I am on it now. Start Salvador on Wed. I flew Iberia and they thoroughly checked my passport, vaccination card and QR before giving me my boarding pass. I did check in on line, but they still physically checked everything. In Madrid they scanned QR. All went smoothly.
Thanks trecile. All my worrying and I don't even need the covid test. I had covid a year ago and I've been vaccinated. Guess my brain is churning now that I'm a week out from take off.When you click on "Full details" the page has this box on it.
View attachment 108525
When you click "View More Requirement Details" you will read this:
Spain is open to fully vaccinated passengers and are exempt from quarantine and presenting a negative COVID-19 test result.
Then below it says this:
Spain is open to many travelers. Testing and quarantine may be required. Also, every passenger must pre-register electronically before departure. Check below in the forms section the requirements.
Here's the important thing - you need to scroll down to read who these "many travelers" are. There's a long list of who is allowed such as Spanish nationals, certain students, residents of particular countries, etc.
Then near the bottom of this section is this:
Important: As of September 6, residents of the USA and Israel can only enter Spain with a vaccination certificate. Non-vaccinated passengers can only travel in case of essential trips with some testing requirements. Please see below.
I don't know the answer to your question, but if you do need to take the actual card you can get a sturdy plastic sleeve for it.For those flying from the US to Spain, does the vaccination certificate from the CDC need to be the actual CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card itself (physically) or will a photo of the card stored on a mobile phone be sufficient? The EU one appears to be a digital certificate, not a paper card. In traveling to Hawaii through the state's Safe Travels website, a digital photo of the CDC vaccination card was sufficient. I would really prefer not to have to take the actual card itself because if it got torn, smudged or lost, I don't know how I would replace it. Relatively speaking, passports are easier to replace than the CDC record card.
Please tell me what you mean about Pfizer being a number. Thanks.Hi Laurie,
Sorry I don’t. I had pre-filled in the SpTH information days ago. SpTH emailed me a link and said it was time to fill out the information for my QR code. I was surprised to see them ask for my vaccination information, but I filled it in. I do not recall the option of a PCR/Antigen test. I do recall that if you did not have vaccination info, you would be required to go through screening upon arrival. You can start the process prior to 48 hours. The beauty of that is that they emailed me to tell me it was time to finish the process. It was great that they had updated the forms and except for Pfizer being a number, all went smoothly. Sorry for the late response, I have been visiting grandkids before my flight tomorrow. I am so looking forward to walking… praying… and not seeing the world news. See you in Lugo I hope!
But don't you need a test in order to board the plane in the US anyway?Thanks trecile. All my worrying and I don't even need the covid test. I had covid a year ago and I've been vaccinated. Guess my brain is churning now that I'm a week out from take off.
Thanks for this info, trecile. And it occurs to me as a vaccinated US citizen who is first going to UK, will Spain be OK (as of today) with me not being tested when I continue my journey? I have to be tested to board the plane in the US for arrival in UK, and have to repeat (and pay for) another test 2 days later in UK. The map looks like UK is the same color as the US, so maybe that means I will not need yet another test to enter Spain from UK. Fingers crossed.When you click on "Full details" the page has this box on it.
View attachment 108525
When you click "View More Requirement Details" you will read this:
Spain is open to fully vaccinated passengers and are exempt from quarantine and presenting a negative COVID-19 test result.
Then below it says this:
Spain is open to many travelers. Testing and quarantine may be required. Also, every passenger must pre-register electronically before departure. Check below in the forms section the requirements.
Here's the important thing - you need to scroll down to read who these "many travelers" are. There's a long list of who is allowed such as Spanish nationals, certain students, residents of particular countries, etc.
Then near the bottom of this section is this:
Important: As of September 6, residents of the USA and Israel can only enter Spain with a vaccination certificate. Non-vaccinated passengers can only travel in case of essential trips with some testing requirements. Please see below.
I don't see this question being addressed in the FAQ on the Spanish government websites. Spain seems to be quite generous and relaxed as far as compliance with their entry requirements is concerned.For those flying from the US to Spain, does the vaccination certificate from the CDC need to be the actual CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card itself (physically) or will a photo of the card stored on a mobile phone be sufficient? The EU one appears to be a digital certificate, not a paper card
The fact that countries have the same colour in the Spanish SpTH map does not mean that the entry requirements from these countries are the same. The USA, the UK and a number of regions of EU countries have currently the same red colour. The requirements for entry into Spain are different.The map looks like UK is the same color as the US, so maybe that means I will not need yet another test to enter Spain from UK
Thanks.The fact that countries have the same colour in the Spanish SpTH map does not mean that the entry requirements from these countries are the same. The USA, the UK and a number of regions of EU countries have currently the same red colour. The requirements for entry into Spain are different.
For travellers coming into Spain from:
Whether you are regarded as a traveller who travels from the UK to Spain or who merely has transited the UK on the way from the USA will depend on the circumstances and length of your stay in the UK. As so often now, those who travel and are vaccinated are generally in a better position than those who are not.
- USA and many other non-EU countries: vaccination required; non-essential travel not allowed for non-vaccinated
- UK: either vaccination OR negative test required;
- EU country: either vaccination OR negative test OR recovery only required if coming from a risk area; the list of risk areas within the EU is updated every week by the Spanish Health Department and published on their website.
But don't you need a test in order to board the plane in the US anyway?
Yes but I can get one Friday with test results. I was having a really hard time finding a test place that would give results on Sat or Sun. Just beam me up Scottie!But don't you need a test in order to board the plane in the US anyway?
No. Spain will not change or update their entry requirements for regular travellers from the United States after September 12.It looks like, and please correct me if I am wrong, but this new policy that begins on September 6 is only valid until September 12 and then Spain will issue updated guidance.
https://www.mscbs.gob.es/en/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov/spth.htm
Am I correct about this?
Without a word on any of their two websites, the Spanish Health department posted today their two lists defining risk countries and risk zones for the week starting on 13 September; if I hadn't noticed that their list of non-EU safe countries is even shorter than before, I wouldn't have noticed that six further countries have been removed from the list, among them Japan, and one country has been added, namely Uruguay. This means that all pilgrims from Japan (who are however absent from Caminos in Spain this year) must have proof of vaccination while pilgrims from Uruguay can travel from home to Spain without restrictions, whether they are vaccinated or not.The Spanish government never publishes any specific announcements about imminent changes of entry requirements on the www.spth.gob.es and www.mscbs.gob.es webpages.
Where are you finding this info? Is there another site where the Spanish government posts their disclosures and rule changes? Because you're right about the main Spain Health sites being out of date to the casual glance.Without a word on any of their two websites, the Spanish Health department posted today their two lists defining risk countries and risk zones for the week starting on 13 September; if I hadn't noticed that their list of non-EU safe countries is even shorter than before, I wouldn't have noticed that six further countries have been removed from the list, among them Japan, and one country has been added, namely Uruguay. This means that all pilgrims from Japan (who are however absent from Caminos in Spain this year) must have proof of vaccination while pilgrims from Uruguay can travel from home to Spain without restrictions, whether they are vaccinated or not.
The significance of these changes are obvious to anyone who has been watching this for weeks if not months. However, I would still challenge the claim that it is obvious to the casual reader. Unlike in the case of the recent removal of the USA from the safe list, this week's changes go unnoticed because they are of no interest to the overwhelming majority of forum members.
More relevant is the fact that the list of the risk areas in the EU includes all of France. This means that anyone coming from France, including by land, must have proof of either vaccination or a recent and still negative test result or recovery from illness. It is another clear statement on this Spanish government website but I notice from comments in various threads that the significance of this part of the weekly list is poorly understood. And remember: the fact that you are not controlled at a border crossing does not mean that you must not comply with the law of the country that you enter.
They are not out of date as such. It's just that important updates of these webpages happen only on the day when a change is being implemented for real - which may be a bit late or a bit unnerving for people who are due to travel on that day.Where are you finding this info? Is there another site where the Spanish government posts their disclosures and rule changes? Because you're right about the main Spain Health sites being out of date to the casual glance.
Good grief. Let's climb the Tower of Babel!In case it helps anyone, these were a couple of issues we ran into at the last minute:
We planned on taking a Covid test last night prior to our flight today from the US to France (via Iceland on IcelandAir), even though it appears France does not require a Covid test for vaccinated people.
However, when we got to the urgent care for the "travel test" that we signed up for, they informed us that they use the "Abbot ID-NOW NAAT" test and that Iceland does not accept that as a valid PCR/antigen test.
In that moment we learned:
1) that Iceland appears to require a PCR or antigen test (and evidently not the NAAT test) - even for passengers just transiting between flights at the airport.
2) we learned that to be safe, ensure that the test is truly titled a "PCR" test.
On trying to research the NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test), there appears to be some confusion as to whether it is a PCR test valid for travel or not. Some say yes, some say no - so it may depend on who is looking at the test and whether they believe it meets criteria or not. Safer to ensure the test documentation says "PCR" just to be sure!
We somehow found open PCR test slots, so now have our fingers crossed that we have all of the tests and documentation we need to make it to SJPdP this Friday!
Indeed. All these acronyms. No wonder we're all so confused.Good grief. Let's climb the Tower of Babel!
I have no idea, as I have decided not to travel in these complicated times, but perhaps this post will help you. However, it is over a week old, so who knows?Anyone have any insight on connecting through Amsterdam/Schipol? I
Anyone have any insight on connecting through Amsterdam/Schipol? I am vaccinated and ready with my forms and QR for Spain but it looks like I will need to have a negative COVID test result to transfer planes in Amsterdam. Thoughts?
So, will @thistleamy be travelling from a safe, from a high-risk or from a very high-risk area? FWIW, the United States are currently on the Dutch government's list of "very high-risk areas".You are also allowed to transfer at Schiphol if you are fully vaccinated and you are able to show valid proof of vaccination. [...] If you are travelling from a very high-risk area, you may be required to show a negative test result before boarding the plane. [...] You can find a list of safe, high-risk and very high-risk areas on the Dutch government website.
Excellent article, and it is not only about travel shaming, it is about travelling to Europe and in Europe conscientiously and responsibly, with very good advice. I wish everyone would adopt this writer's attitude and approach! Thank you for the link!here is an interesting article from the Rick Steves team about travel shaming in the time of pandemic: https://blog.ricksteves.com/cameron/2021/09/travel-shaming/
What a great article although I've only read half of it so far as I'm just out the door.Thank you again - safe travels to all. PS - here is an interesting article from the Rick Steves team about travel shaming in the time of pandemic:
I love to travel by train, but I haven't found a route yet from North America to Europe.Does anyone like to travel by train?
I love to travel by train, but I haven't found a route yet from North America to Europe.
You don't need it when arriving on foot.SpTH Question.
I’ll be starting the Camino Portuguese in two weeks (US to Porto). We’re double jabbed and will get our COVID tests prior to departure. Within a week we‘ll arrive in Spain (by foot) - so how do I complete the SpTH? My App asks if we are arriving by plane or by ferry? Do I provide the flight info from the Porto arrival?
Obrigada and gracias.
Thanks!Yes! Just forget the old submission and start afresh. They want you to fill out the form within 48 hours of departure, so you have time if you just want to wait, too.
If I remember correctly, there's a unique number (or mix of letters and numbers) registered to each SpTH form, so when you start a new one, a new number will be given....and they won't care that your first one hasn't been finalized.
Thank you! I'm really in a flutter, as we need to accomodate the things already arranged to the new schedule.Wait till 48 hours before the flight.It really doesn’t take long. As soon as I submitted all the information, the QR codes popped up for us. All will be well .
I did not see anything on that link that specifically stated anyone from the USA must be vaccinated. It appeared to say you could be tested within so many hours instead. What am I missing. Am I not seeing the entire page because I am on my phone? I really need a firm answer to this question because some of my walking clients may not be vaccinated and I need to be sure. Help?vaccination is currently required for visitors from USA
https://www.mscbs.gob.es/en/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov/spth.htm
You must also obtain a QR code before traveling. This is explained on the website. You won’t be allowed on flights to EU without it.
@Marbe2 is right. Travellers from the USA must currently be vaccinated if they want to enter Spain for a non-essential trip such as doing a Camino. There are a few exceptions to this general rule, such as travellers from the USA who have Spanish nationality or the nationality of an EU country or a Spanish residency card. The information is in the links provided on the website mentioned earlier which is the official Spanish government website.I did not see anything on that link that specifically stated anyone from the USA must be vaccinated. It appeared to say you could be tested within so many hours instead. What am I missing. Am I not seeing the entire page because I am on my phone? I really need a firm answer to this question because some of my walking clients may not be vaccinated and I need to be sure. Help?
I love to travel by train, but I haven't found a route yet from North America to Europe.
Does anyone like to travel by train?
I love to travel by train, but I haven't found a route yet from North America to Europe.
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