FCO advises against all but essential travel to Spain

The FCO has updated its Travel Advice to advise against all but essential travel to Spain, following the restrictions put in place by the Spanish government in response to the outbreak of coronavirus (Covid-19). For more information visit (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain).

On 14 March, the Spanish government introduced a State of Emergency, which imposes significant restrictions on movement throughout Spain in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Transport services will be operating at reduced levels. Public gatherings are banned, most shops, many businesses and all schools and universities are closed, and residents have been instructed to remain at home as much as possible. There are limited, specific exceptions to the requirement to remain at home, in particular in order to buy food or other essential items, to return home to the primary residence, to go to work if unable to work from home and to carry out caring or similar duties.

We keep our travel advice under constant review and recommend that British nationals sign up for alerts, so they know when it has been updated. Anyone with upcoming journeys planned, should check with their airlines and tour operators for the latest information. Wherever you are in Spain you should follow the instructions of the local authorities.

British Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, recorded a video message for UK nationals explaining the implications of the state of emergency for both residents and tourists. He also thanked the Spanish authorities saying: “A big thank you to the Spanish authorities, in particular the healthcare professionals, for all the great work they are doing to help keep everyone in Spain – of all nationalities – safe, in circumstances that are very challenging indeed.” You can view the video at www.facebook.com/britsinspain.

 For more information on coronavirus, please follow the advice of the Spanish government (https://www.mscbs.gob.es/) and UK government (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus).