Is a negative PCR or TMA test result required to enter Spain by road?

Madrid – In Spain Editors today, we receive many questions via email or WhatsApp about the requirements for entering Spain. What requirements do you have to meet, do you have to have a PCR test result or not, this applies to all travelers, what about vaccinated travelers etc. We try to answer this by looking at the information we send via the official search websites.

Caution: This is just an explanation of the information we find in this article. Someone says the drivers’ PCR test isn’t necessary, but we think it’s mandatory. Each reader and traveler can make their own decision based on this information. Always read the official information, not only of your country but also of the country you are traveling to.

A distinction must be made between entering Spanish territory via an airport, port or land, with your own transport or by train. We take a look at the different travel travel requirements.

Vaccinated people

As long as there is no European ‘Green digital certificateWhether it is a health permit or a permit to vaccinate, vaccinated people wishing to enter Spain must also meet the requirements for Covid tests and the digital health model as described below.

At the moment, there is no exception to this (not even in the Netherlands and Belgium). The European Union expects to have a “digital green certificate” ready by the end of June or early July. Read more information Here.

Plane or boat / ship – COVID-19 test

Since November 23, 2020, a negative PCR test result up to 72 hours prior to arrival in Spain has become mandatory for passengers traveling by plane and boat / ship (i.e. via airports and ports). On December 10, 2020, PCR testing requirements were expanded to include a TMA test or LAMP test result. Read more information Here.

On arrival in Spain, negative results of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test are randomized. If a person does not fulfill the obligation to test, fines up to € 3,000 can be imposed.

Plane or boat / ship – health form

Effective July 1, 2020, all travelers (including children under 6 years of age) must complete the FCS form via SpTH-site From the Spanish government. This is a digital health form that must be completed before starting the trip.

48 hours before the start of the flight, you will receive a notification to answer more questions and then a QR code will be scanned once you arrive in Spain. It is only possible to fill out a digital copy. Read more information Here.

Car, wagon, bus, train – the COVID-19 test

There is confusion over the requirements for a negative PCR test result to enter Spain by road by car, RV, motorcycle, bike, bus or train. On March 30, 2021, the Spanish government published a This The publication in the official journal BOE stated that all travelers entering Spain via France must have a negative Covid test result with them.

The confusing thing is the official text in the post at the Bank of England. For example, it has been reported that all travelers from France aged 6 years and over must show a negative PCR test result or a TMA test result (under Title II). “… all the people who come to Spain from France do so with a diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2 active infection with a negative result …”.

But down below is more on this Publishing It states that all travelers traveling from a risk area in France to Spain must show a negative PCR test result or a TMA test result (under Primero: Objeto y ámbito de aplicación). “ … all persons, over the age of six, arriving from high-risk areas in France, and arriving in Spain by road, must undergo a polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, a TMA test or any other type. From diagnostic tests for SARS- CoV-2 … ”.

The Dutch embassy in Madrid on it Facebook page on April 7th They state that they are interpreting the provision that the Covid test applies only to residents of France who wish to enter Spain by road from a dangerous area. They consider that the requirements for a PCR or TMA test result do not apply to Dutch and Belgians who wish to enter Spain by road, but only to residents of risk areas.

We’ve also heard that the Dutch embassy said that a negative PCR or TMA test result no longer applies to children under the age of 13. However, we cannot find an official publication from the Spanish government on this topic, so we cannot confirm this.

On the website for Dutch national government It also does not state that a PCR or TMA test result is required when traveling by land. Also in Belgium included Test The Covid test is not necessary and only applies to plane and boat / ship travel.

But on Official website of the European Union call The European Union has reopened However, it is reported that a PCR or TMA test result is required when entering Spain by road.

We saw

We interpret the official Spanish text differently and believe that a negative PCR or TMA test for up to 72 hours before entering Spain is mandatory for everyone from the age of 6 years.

Failure to take this test when taking a random check at the French / Spanish border could result in a hefty € 3,000 fine. So it seems logical for us to err on the side of caution and since you must already have a negative PCR result to travel through France, you can also use the same test to enter Spain, provided you do so within 72 hours. Read more information Here.

Car, wagon, bus, train – health form

The FCS form is submitted via The SpTH website It does not apply to travelers entering Spain by road with their own means of transport.

conclusion

We leave it entirely to the reader and the traveler themselves. It is about how you interpret and read the official texts and it is clear that we do it in a different way from other sources, but…. You can choose by yourself.

We recommend traveling with a PCR test, which is also essential to France. If you have a PCR test and there is control, you will in any case avoid unpleasant situations, questions, doubts and possibly high fines of up to € 3,000.

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