Border Opening Spain "Come Visit After Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine"

Allowing Entry of Tourists with COVID-19 Vaccination Proof
Excluding India, Brazil, South Africa with Variant Cases

On the 16th of last month (local time), many vacationers gathered to cool off on the Sacaba Beach in Malaga, southern Spain, during the first weekend after the national border restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 were lifted.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] Spain will allow tourists who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the country.

On the 7th (local time), according to local media such as El Pa?s, the Spanish government decided to permit the entry of tourists who can prove they have been vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) or the European Medicines Agency (EMA) at least 14 days before entering Spain.

WHO has granted emergency use approval for vaccines including BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Sinopharm, and Sinovac. EMA has approved the use of four COVID-19 vaccines, excluding Sinopharm and Sinovac developed in China.

However, individuals coming from India, Brazil, and South Africa, where COVID-19 variants were first identified, will face entry restrictions even if they have been vaccinated.

Meanwhile, AFP reported that the Spanish government expressed disappointment as the United Kingdom, which accounted for more than 20% of tourists visiting Spain in 2019, still designates Spain as a COVID-19 risk country.

Earlier, due to the COVID-19 pandemic causing a halt in tourism, Spain's gross domestic product (GDP) decreased by about 10.8% last year. The Spanish government set a target to attract 45 million tourists this year, but only about 1.8 million had visited by April.