Tourists in Spain must wear masks inside until spring 2022

Masks ‘will remain absolutely necessary’, says minister of health

(REUTERS)

It’s likely that masks will remain compulsory indoors in Spain for locals and tourists until at least spring 2022, the country’s health minister has said.

In an interview on Radio Televisión Canaria (RTVC), Carolina Darias said: “We have to go little by little. We have legislation that allows not to wear [masks] in open spaces, with a distance of 1.5 metres, and we are going to continue with that.”

She added that the use of masks “will continue to be absolutely necessary, not only indoors, but also when the safety distance cannot be maintained.”

The minister for health said she could not give a firm date for when these measures would be eased, but warned that the upcoming flu season this winter could “complicate the scenario”.

“Indoors we’re going to proceed with masks and we are going to see how the pandemic, which is declining due to vaccination, develops,” added Darias.

At present, face mask use remains mandatory in Spain for anyone over the age of six in the following circumstances: in any enclosed space open to the public (eg shops, restaurants, hotels, hospitals); in any indoor space where people who are not from the same household mix; in any outdoor space where it is not possible to observe social distancing of 1.5m (eg crowded streets, concerts, public demonstrations); and on all forms of public transport including planes, trains, trams, buses and metro, as well as all transport stations, platforms and airports.

Specific rules on the use of face masks may vary between regions. You should refer to local authorities for specific information on face-covering requirements and any exceptions where you are.

The Spanish government requires all arrivals from the UK to present a pre-travel declaration form and either a negative Covid-19 test or proof of vaccination.

Spain is on the UK government’s ROW list, meaning fully vaccinated arrivals from there need not quarantine but must take a PCR test within two days of entering the country.

Unvaccinated arrivals must take a further test on the eighth day after arriving and quarantine for 10 days.