Tourism to Spain from Latin America will continue to be banned: with which vaccines and in which cases it will be possible to enter

Tourists from Latin America will continue to have almost forbidden access to Spain. Except in exceptional cases, the rules imposed by the government on July 17 remain in force despite the fact that yesterday the mandatory 10-day quarantine for travelers from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Bolivia was abolished (this rule also applied to passengers from South Africa and Namibia). The restrictions of the ministerial decree are outside those strictly related to the vaccine – what type of injection, dose, diagnostic tests … – and only allow access to habitual residents of the European Union, holders of long-stay visas, diplomatic, personal health or a justified cause of force majeure.

So the provision INT / 657/2020 of the Ministry of the Interior limit access to the country for non-residents of the European Union. The authorities can refuse access to any person they deem appropriate for “reasons of public order or public health”. The government decree does not specify the specific cases of refusal of access, but the exceptions. That is to say, You will only be able to enter the country if “you belong to one of the following categories”:

1.- Ordinary residents of the European Union, the States associated with Schengen, Andorra, Monaco, the Vatican (Holy See) or San Marino which go to this country by accrediting it with documents.

2.- Long-term visa holders issued by a Member State or a Schengen Associated State addressed to that country.

3.- Health professionals, including health researchers, and elderly care professionals to go or return to exercise their professional activity.

4.- Transport personnel, seafarers and aviation personnel necessary for the exercise of air transport activities.

5.- Diplomats, consular, international organizations, military, civil protection and members of humanitarian organizations, in the performance of their duties.

6.- Students pursuing their studies in Member States or States associated with the Schengen area and that they have the corresponding permit or visa and medical insurance, provided that they travel to the country where they are studying, and that the entry takes place during the academic year or the 15 days previous ones.

7.- Highly skilled workers whose work is necessary and cannot be postponed or performed remotely, including participants in high-level sporting events taking place in Spain. These circumstances must be justified by supporting documents.

8.- People traveling for imperative family reasons duly accredited.

9.- People who document reasons of force majeure or a situation of need, or whose entry is authorized for humanitarian reasons.

ten.- Residents of the countries listed in the appendix provided that they come directly from there, that they have transited exclusively through other countries appearing on the list or that they have only carried out international transits at airports located in countries not mentioned in the appendix. In the case of residents of Algeria, China and Morocco, reciprocity remains to be verified. By decision of the head of the Ministry of the Interior, this annex may be amended.

In addition, the standard specifies that “airport transits not involving the crossing of an external border will not be modified by the provisions of this decree”.

After the decision to remove the mandatory quarantine for all Latin American travelers that was in effect until Monday, they generated doubts about who could travel to Spain and who could not.

The first thing is that only those who meet one of the ten special conditions above will be able to participate. If so, another aspect comes into play: whether or not you are vaccinated and with which vaccine.

In some of these countries – Argentina in particular – Sputnik V has been inoculated into part of the population. It is, as explained, a vaccine not authorized by the European Medicines Agency. Could people who have undergone this injection travel to Spain? Also, as in some cases this vaccine has been administered in combination with another, could this open the door to Spain?

Now the answer is clear. In addition to the aforementioned restrictions, those who can travel to Spain must meet a series of health requirements set by the ministry: either have the full schedule of a recognized vaccine, or present a diagnostic test that proves they are free from Covid-19.

“Right now, only people vaccinated with the vaccines can enter Spain produced by Pfizer-Biontech, Moderna, Astra-Zeneca, Jansen / Johnson & Johnson, Sinovac and Sinopharm, which are, for the moment, authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or included in the emergency use list of the World Health Organization (WHO)Health explained.

At this point, the ministry made it clear that “The Sputnik vaccine is not among those admitted”. This vaccine has been distributed in many Latin American countries, especially Argentina. However, Health added a condition that left room for doubt: “They can still be done [las personas que han recibido la inyección rusa] a diagnostic test for an active infection “.

Infobae urged Spanish health authorities to explain whether a negative diagnostic test would allow people vaccinated with Sputnik to access Spain. The answer leaves no room for doubt: “Indeed. To enter Spain, as this vaccine is not valid, it would be necessary to opt for a diagnostic test. With her, if they meet the other entry requirements, they could access “.

The ministry also specifies that “the vaccine is not an essential condition. If the person is vaccinated with a vaccine accepted by the EMA or WHO, this avoids having to undergo a PDIA (Diagnostic Test for Active Infection). If it is not vaccinated or is vaccinated with a serum not accepted by the EMA or WHO (such as Sputnik), the PDIA should be done. Of course, always respecting the requirements “demanded by the government.

The calls Diagnostic tests for active infections (PDIA) which are considered valid in Spain, they are PCR (COVID-19 RT-PCR) and other molecular viral RNA detection techniques with equivalent reliability for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. Official information from the Ministry of Health adds that “transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) tests as well as RT-LAMP (Isothermal Reverse Transcription Mediated Amplification) are also allowed”, according to official information provided. by Health.

On the contrary, they have no validity “Diagnostic tests such as rapid antibody tests, rapid antigen detection tests or high performance serologies (ELISA, CLIA, ECLIA), as long as their harmonized use is not accepted in the Union European “.

Infobae He asked Health if travelers from those countries that were previously required to self-quarantine can move freely across Europe once they enter Spain. “They can enter Spain», They indicated without giving more details. In this sense, they suggest that each country has its own criteria.

Finally, the government updated the map of countries at risk, considering all of Latin America as a space with a high incidence of Covid-19 and noting, in each case, what conditions must be met to access Spain from them.

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