Linea Directa 200 LEFT COL CAR INSURANCE

PROPERTY SEARCH

DomusVi Ciudad de Murcia residential cross content 1200

Date Published: 27/03/2023

ARCHIVED - The 7 travel rules you have to know for the Easter holidays in Spain this year

ARCHIVED ARTICLE -

These are all the top things you need to be aware of before jetting off to Spain for the Easter break

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - The 7 travel rules you have to know for the Easter holidays in Spain this year

Thousands of tourists will be flocking to Gran Canaria, Mallorca, the Costa del Sol and other popular parts of Spain this Easter for a vacation in the sun.

This year’s Easter holiday period is expected to bring tourist numbers back up to nearly what they were before the Covid-19 pandemic.

In every town and city in Spain, there are incredible and unique religious processions that you can watch for free in the squares and streets – a sight to behold if you’ve never seen it before.

Others will just be looking for a relaxing beach and resort holiday. But what travel restrictions are still in place for Spain? And what important information do you have to know before you travel to Spain?

Covid restrictions
Buying a special visa waiver
The 90-days-in-180 rule
Liquids in hand luggage at the airport
Travel disruption at Spanish airports
Brits driving in Spain
What to do while you’re in Spain at Easter

1. Covid restrictions

Last October, Spain removed the need for tourists and visitors to fill in the SpTH Covid forms before entering the country, and you no longer need to show proof of vaccination or having recently contracted the disease upon entry to Spain.

It is also, as of early February 2023, not necessary to wear a facemask on planes to Spain, or (for that matter) boats, trains, buses or other forms of public transport.

However, it’s worth being aware that facemasks are still mandatory in hospitals, health centres and pharmacies, so it’s a good idea to take a mask with you just in case you have to pop in for some aspirin or if there is a medical emergency while you are on holiday in Spain.

2. Special visa waiver

Soon, British citizens coming to Spain and other EU countries to visit on holiday will need to pay an extra fee for the new ETIAS visa waiver.

The cost will be around 7 euros and will only apply to holidaymakers, not those who are legally resident in Spain.

However, the new travel rule is not expected to be fully operational until 2024, and so will not affect the Easter or summer holidays this year.

You may also like: What are the rules for bringing food from the UK to Spain?

3. The 90-days-in-180 rule

You should also be aware that, since Brexit, anyone from outside the EU who is not a European resident is only allowed to spend 90 out of every 180 days in Spain.

If you are only planning to come to Spain for a week or two over the Easter break, this won’t affect you. But anyone planning to stay in the longer term will need to get a visa, or else register as a Spanish resident.

4. Liquids in the airport

There has also been a lot of talk recently about the exciting development that flyers will no longer have to remove their liquids from their luggage at the airport and put them in a clear plastic bag.

Airports are also hoping to scrap the rule that says you can only take bottles of 100ml or less of liquid in your hand luggage.

However, this won’t be fully operational until 2024, and until then – and certainly for the Easter holidays 2023 – you will have to abide by the same old liquid rules for hand luggage in airports.

See also: What to do if your luggage is lost at a Spanish airport

5. Travel disruption at Spanish airports

Recently, there have been worries that staff shortages at the security control gates, which is an ongoing issue at major Spanish airports like Madrid Barajas airport, will present a problem and cause delays for people travelling both to and from Spain this Easter.

It is hoped that the Spanish authorities have learned their lesson from last year’s travel disruption and organised a better (and better staffed!) system this year. Even so, it’s probably a good idea to arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare before your flight leaves and not cut it too fine.

You can also check out our handy tips for how to get through airport security as quickly as possible for free!

6. Brits driving in Spain

An issue which has been affecting many Brits resident in Spain for almost a year now is that UK driving licences were not valid for them to drive in Spain.

While this issue has now been cleared up – for the next six months at least – the truth is that this never applied to tourists who were only visiting Spain on holiday and if you wish to hire a car or borrow a friend’s car to drive while you are in Spain, you will have no problems. Just remember that they drive on the other side!

7. Semana Santa processions and activities in Spain

Finally, anyone who is travelling to Spain at Easter should be versed in the weird and wonderful world of Spanish Easter traditions.

In Spanish, they call it ‘Semana Santa’, or the Holy Week, and there are solemn religious processions taking place in every town, village, city and hamlet across the country that are truly a spectacle to witness, and well worth checking out if you’ve never seen it before.

The participants dress in tall, pointy hats and walk slowly through the streets, carrying religious iconography like the Virgin Mary or Jesus on the cross. Sometimes they even go barefoot and, while it’s generally a slow and silent affair, it’s not unheard of for the men and (less frequently) women carrying the statues to break for a quick, refreshing beer in a bar halfway!

You can find all the official Semana Santa events in Spain’s southeastern Murcia province here or consult the What’s On section for different kinds of activities taking place this Easter.

Now read: Semana Santa in Spain: How do the Spanish celebrate Easter?

Happy holidays!

Linea Directa Bottom Article M-Z CAR INSURANCE

Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox

Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)