Will I have to wear a face mask on holiday this year?

Last summer, a mask was a must-have in the few destinations we could go to. This year, countries are opening up - but do we still have to wear masks?

Mask rules are still mixed from destination to destination (Getty Images)

Travel is practically unrecognisable this year from the past two summers. We’re back in airports and on flights, en masse, with most destinations now open - and many of them with few or no Covid rules left in place.

One huge grey area of summer 2022 is mask-wearing. Months of confusion have followed some countries’ decisions to ease mask rules in recent months - with airlines unsure if they should follow suit, and holidaymakers left wondering how many to pack and which settings to wear them in.

Overall, the rules are much less strict than last summer. But you should pack a couple of masks (at least) for most trips - many destinations have at least one scenario in which you’ll have to wear them.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Will I need to wear a face mask on holiday?

Different rules and restrictions around Covid-19, including mask wearing, apply in different destinations, including on a local and regional basis.

We’ve looked at six major tourist destinations, but it’s worth checking advice offered locally and by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) before you travel as restrictions and rules are subject to regular changes. Cyprus was the first European destination to reintroduce mask-wearing indoors in July, just a month after scrapping them.

Spain

The use of face coverings is mandatory for anyone over the age of six in the following situations:

• on public transport
• visiting a hospital or medical centre (including other healthcare settings such as dentists, opticians, pharmacies etc)
• visiting a care or nursing home

In addition to the mandatory use of face masks in the above situations, the Spanish government recommends you use them responsibly in the following circumstances:

• enclosed public spaces such as shops, cinemas, bars and restaurants
• at large events (eg concerts, sporting events)
• when in the company of people considered clinically vulnerable or high-risk and social distancing of 1.5m cannot be observed
• at family gatherings
• in any other enclosed communal spaces open to the public

Italy

Masks are no longer required on flights in, to or from Italy; however, all passengers entering Italy by ferry, train or coach must wear an FFP2 mask.

Until at least 30 September, the use of FFP2 masks is also compulsory:

• on public transport within the country, including boats, ferries, interregional trains, buses, subways, cars and taxis with a driver
• when visiting healthcare facilities such as hospitals and care homes

It’s still recommended to wear masks in all indoor public spaces. Children aged five and under are exempt from mask wearing.

France

You do not currently have to wear a mask in most settings in France, except in hospitals and other medical facilities.

The French government ended the requirement to wear masks on public transport on 16 May, although the Foreign Office advises: “Some towns and cities may require mask wearing on public transport”, so it’s worth bringing some just in case.

In early July, some in France were calling for tighter mask rules as cases rose. However, French government spokesperson Olivia Gregoire dismissed the idea on 29 June, telling French channel BFMTV: “The French people are sick of restrictions. We are confident that people will behave responsibly.”

Greece

Greece suspended its nationwide mask requirement (in most settings) on 1 June. The only scenarios in which visitors to Greece need wear a face mask is on public transport and in hospitals or other medical and healthcare facilities.

As Greece still requires people to wear masks on public transport, you will also need to wear a mask on your flight from the UK.

Portugal

Most restrictive measures have been lifted, but you will still need to use a face covering in mainland Portugal:

• on entry to medical facilities, retirement and nursing homes
• on public transport and in taxis and privates hires, and
• on flights

This requirement does not apply to children aged nine and under.

In Maderia, those aged six and over must wear a mask:

• on entry to pharmacies, medical facilities, retirement and nursing homes
• on public transport and in taxis and privates hires, and
• at bus stations, ferry terminals and inside the airport building

In the Azores, you must:

• use a face covering on entry to pharmacies, medical facilities, retirement and nursing homes, on public transport, in taxis and private hires and when travelling by air. This measure applies to everyone aged nine and over
• show a negative Covid-19 test on entry to medical facilities, retirement and nursing homes in the form of a PCR test taken in the previous 72 hours, or a rapid antigen test taken in the previous 48 hours and certified by a healthcare professional

The US

Most US states have removed their Covid mask rules entirely, with the nationwide mask mandate for public transport also having been ended in April 2022. Most states ask that you mask up to visit hospital or healthcare facilities, while some also ask for them to be worn on public transport (California, Colorado, New York).

States such as California, Mississippi , Nebraska, South Dakota and Michigan continue to recommend mask wearing for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, in indoor public settings where it is difficult to socially distance. It’s worth checking individual state rules before you go in case of rule changes or county-to-county rules: for example, Oregon’s Multnomah County, which includes Portland, recommended that residents wear masks indoors once more on 11 May, while the city of Milwaukee has also reinstated a recommendation.

How about air travel?

Rules vary from airline to airline, but for most UK-departing flights, masks are only mandatory on flights to countries which still have a mask rule in place in public or on public transport. For Italy, this means the FPP2-style mask required of the authorities on public transport. For journeys that begin and end in a country where masks are not required on public transport (such as the UK to Norway), masks are now optional. Longer-haul journeys operated by non-UK carriers will have specific rules dictated by the airline. Read an airline by airline breakdown here.