ARCHIVED - Covid test not required for UK tourists visiting Gibraltar when travel resumes

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said that his government would not ask British tourists to take a covid-19 (PCR) test to enter the Rock

British nationals waiting for confirmation about which countries will be included in the “green for go” list of potential destinations when international travel from the UK resumes may like to add Gibraltar to their list of “possibles”following indications that Gibraltar is highly likely to be included on the green list from May 17 onwards.

Gibraltarian Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said on Wednesday in an interview with Sky news that:

“Gibraltar has an open frontier with Spain and the rest of the European Union, and we don’t require PCR testing for those who come across our land frontier.

“We therefore don’t think it would be appropriate for us to require PCR testing from those who are coming from the United Kingdom, which has a higher vaccinated population and a lower incidence of Covid than the rest of the European Union.

“When you’re coming to Gibraltar you’re coming to a part of Britain, and therefore you’re going to be very welcome here without the need for a PCR test.

“It’s thanks to the United Kingdom Government that Gibraltar can proudly say that all of our adult population is now vaccinated.

“Gibraltar has zero cases of Covid today.”

BA CityFlyer have decided to bring forward the start of their new service from London City Airport to Gibraltar in anticipation that Gibraltar will be included in the green list.

Flights will now start on 11th June, instead of 25th June as previously announced and tickets are already on sale.

The British Government is expected to make the announcement on Friday about which destinations will be included as green or amber destinations and to which it will be permitted to travel from May 17.

The new "traffic light" system will classify destinations based on their epidemiological risk with three colors: green, amber and red, and will apply different rules according to the group in which each country appears.

Individuals from countries located on the "green" list will not have to quarantine upon arrival in the UK, while those who do so from destinations included in the "amber" classification must remain isolated for at least five days. Those travelling to countries on the "red" list (maximum risk), will have to stay 10 nights in a hotel determined by the Government - but paid for by the traveller.

The British Government will carry out their risk assessment based on elements such as the proportion of the vaccinated population in each country, its infection rates, the emergence of new variants and the country's access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing.

At the moment the Spanish government has extended its ban on third country nationals from countries outside of the EU and Schengen area or which are included in a list of specific exceptions from entering Spain until the end of May.

This does mean that British nationals may only enter Spain for essential reasons or if they are returning to a primary residence.