National
Spain lifts UK flight restrictions from 30 March
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The Spanish government maintains the existing limitations on flights from South Africa and Brazil while the British Government has announced £5,000 fines for those who take holidays abroad from next week
Spain will lift the restrictions imposed since the end of December on flights from the United Kingdom on 30 March, although it will maintain the restrictions for those arriving from Brazil and South Africa in order to prevent the entry of coronavirus variants from these countries.
"The extension of the flight restriction is maintained with South Africa and Brazil, but not with the United Kingdom,” announced government spokesperson María Jesús Montero after a Cabinet meeting.
The new measure will come into effect from 6pm on 30 March (Spanish mainland time) until midnight on 13 April.
The existing restrictions mean that flights from any airport in the United Kingdom to any Spanish airport - with or without intermediate stops - can only carry Spanish or Andorran nationals, or legal residents in Spain or Andorra.
Now, in theory, with the lifting of the Spanish restrictions UK tourists could also come to Spain, and not just residents.
However, the British Government has announced measures to the contrary and Health Minister Matt Hancock has indicated that from next week fines of up to £5,000 (6,000 euros) could be imposed on Britons travelling abroad for holidays and without “good reason”. The penalty is included in legislation that will be voted on by MPs on Thursday.
Those travelling for a justified reason from the UK to Spain from 30 March will still need to show a negative PCR test result taken no more than 72 hours before arrival.
