Travel latest news: Britons face Covid testing hurdles for Spain holidays

Britons who visit Spain or its islands after November 23 must arrive with evidence of a negative PCR test result, potentially adding hundreds of pounds to the cost of a family holiday.

The test must be taken no more than 72 hours before arrival, and only private tests – which cost from around £150 per person – will be accepted. 

With lockdown due to end on December 2 and the Canary Islands among the few quarantine-free options available to Britons – the archipelago having was granted a travel corridor just a week before the second lockdown was announced – there is likely to be a surge in Britons visiting next month, so demand could outstrip supply. 

Meanwhile, the number of Britons who own a second home somewhere in Spain is between 800,000 and one million – those planning a Christmas trip to their Spanish residence could also be caught out by any private testing backlog. 

As it stands, people travelling in the Canary Islands are required to take a cheaper antigen test. 

Mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands are still on the UK quarantine list meaning Britons who travel there post-lockdown will be required to self-isolate on their return. However, the Travel Task Force, led by Grant Shapps and Matt Hancock, is due to advise the Prime Minister on ways to reduce the UK’s travel quarantine to as little as five days after December 2. 

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