Date Published: 13/11/2020
ARCHIVED - Fines of 3,000 euros upwards for not providing a PCR test when arriving in Spain
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
From 23rd November the Spanish Government requires travellers from risk countries to provide a negative PCR test
Earlier this week the government announced that as of 23rd November it will be a requirement for travellers arriving in Spain from high-risk countries, including the UK, to show a negative PCR coronavirus test result from the 72 hours period prior to arrival, and it has now emerged that fines of between 3,000 and 6,000 euros will be handed out to anyone failing to meet this requirement.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya, has clarified that anyone arriving at a Spanish frontier, port or airport without the required documentation will immediately undergo a rapid test, and that the accompanying fine will be “serious” in order for it to act as an effective deterrent.
Spain’s decision to implement this policy comes after it was agreed upon by the European Commission, although in many European countries it was already operational beforehand. Commenting on this relative tardiness in enforcing similar rules in Spain, Sra González Laya stated that over the last few months “it has been shown that only 0.08 per cent of international travel” has resulted in the importation of Covid: this is in reference to data which show that of 5.2 million international travellers arriving in Spain only 4,800 have tested positive.
The details related to fines for arriving in Spain without a recent negative PCR test certificate were published in the Official State Bulletin on Thursday, specifying that the amounts concerned are to be between 60,001 and 600,000 euros for “very serious” offences, between 3,001 and 60,000 for those viewed as “serious” and up to 3,000 euros for minor offences.
Full information is in the article linked to above. Temperature controls will continue at airports and passengers will still be required to complete a passenger arrivals form as has been the case since the first wave of the pandemic, regardless of whether they arrive by land, air or sea.
The following countries are currently on the risk list:
Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Cyprus, Croatia, Croatia and Denmark (except the Faroe Islands and Greenland). Slovenia, Slovakia, Estonia, France, Greece (except Kitri, Ionia Nisia, Dytiki Ellada and Sterea Ellada regions), Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal (except the autonomous region of the Azores Island), Romania, Sweden and Liechtenstein. Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Bahrain, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Colombia, Costa Rica, United Arab Emirates, United States, Russia, Georgia, Gibraltar, Guam, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Libya. North Macedonia, Morocco, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Palestine, Panama, French Polynesia, Puerto Rico, United Kingdom, San Marino, Saint Martin, Serbia, Switzerland, Tunisia and Ukraine.