‘Covid passports’ to be required to enter Catalonia from all European countries

From Monday, November 22, ‘Covid passports’ will be required to enter Catalonia or anywhere else in Spain from all countries in Europe.

In fact, they will be necessary upon arrival from most countries in the world, with some exceptions. 

The new measure, coming into force next Monday, only sees Malta added to the list of countries where the EU Digital Certificates must be shown, of European countries.  

Meanwhile, Indonesia will move into the list of exceptions, countries from which it is not mandatory to present health certificates. 

As the pandemic situation worsens across the continent and some nations are undergoing fresh lockdowns, Spanish authorities have been forced to act in tandem. 

In Catalonia, the Covid QR code is needed to enter nightclubs or any other event with an indoor dance floor. Health authorities here are deliberating about the possibility of widening the use of Covid passports. 

Making Covid passports mandatory to enter the country has been described as a measure towards "a return to normality" by Spanish cabinet spokesperson, Isabel Rodríguez. 

The list of European countries to which it applies is based on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control's colour-coded map.

Arrivals by sea or air from at-risk areas, which includes most countries worldwide, must provide a document that either shows:

• The traveller has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 at least 14 days prior to arrival in Spain

• The visitor has a negative result from a diagnostic test, within 72 hours prior to arrival in Spain for a NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test, e.g. RT-PCR, RT-LAMP, TMA), or within 48 hours for a RAT (rapid antigen test)

• The person has recovered from Covid-19, after the disease has passed, provided that more than 11 days have elapsed since the first positive NAAT test was performed. This will be valid for up to 180 days thereafter

For full, regularly updated details on requirements to enter Spain, go to: https://spth.gob.es/

Certificates are not required for overland journeys to Spain. 

Full list

The full list of countries deemed at risk is as follows:

EU/EEA

NB: At-risk zones in brackets. Where no regions specified, the whole country is deemed at risk.

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czechia 

Denmark

Estonia

Finland (Etelä-Suomi, Helsinki-Uusimaa, Länsi-Suomi and Pohjois- ja Itä-Suomi)

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland

Italy (Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano/Bozen, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Marche, Veneto, Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Molise, Piemonte, Provincia Autonoma di Trento, Puglia, Sicilia, Toscana, Umbria y Valle d’Aosta/Vallée d’Aoste)

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Sweden

The Netherlands

All countries outside EU/EEA except for:

Argentina 

Australia 

Bahrain 

Canada 

Chile 

China 

Colombia 

Hong Kong

Indonesia 

Jordania 

Kuwait 

Macau

Namibia 

New Zealand 

Peru 

Qatar 

Rwanda 

Saudi Arabia 

South Korea 

Taiwan

United Arab Emirates

Uruguay