The ministry initially refused to reactivate the formal travel warning for the hard-hit regions in Spain. This would have enabled vacationers to cancel bookings free of charge. The advising against traveling is almost an alarm level under the travel warning.
Barcelona, Costa Brava, Navarra: these regions are affected
Specifically, it is the region of Catalonia with the tourist metropolis Barcelona and the beaches of the Costa Brava as well as the regions Aragón and Navarra lying inland to the west. The Balearic Islands with the popular holiday island of Mallorca or the Canaries are not affected.
Entry: Online form and QR code mandatory, temperature measurement at the destination airport
Before starting the trip, an online form for health control must be completed in the "Spain Travel Health Portal". Registration can take place at the earliest 48 hours before the intended entry.
You will then receive a QR code, which must be shown on arrival by plane. Upon arrival at the destination airport, the temperature is measured. People with a temperature above 37.5 degrees Celsius or other abnormalities can be subjected to a more detailed examination.
Restrictions on site: Mask requirement and distance rules – exceptions when visiting the beach
Masks are mandatory throughout the country, including Mallorca and the rest of the Balearic Islands. A clearance distance of two meters applies outdoors. Exceptions to the obligation to cover the mouth and nose still exist on the beach, at the pool, while eating and drinking and during sports. Spanish ports are closed to cruise ships until further notice.
In Barcelona, people are asked to leave the house only for urgent tasks, such as shopping or doctor visits.
Return to Germany: affected regions do not count as risk areas
Despite the high number of infections, the federal government does not initially classify the affected regions as risk areas. Returnees from such areas will have to take a corona test in Germany in the future.
Holidaymakers should familiarize themselves with the current regulations on re-entering Germany on the website of the Federal Ministry of the Interior before starting their trip.
Great Britain reacted to the new wave of infection with a much more drastic measure than Germany on Sunday (July 26) and imposed a two-week quarantine requirement for returnees from all over Spain.
Current situation regarding the corona virus in Spain
The Catalan health authority announced on Monday evening (July 27) that 724 new infections had been registered in the past 24 hours. Regional President Quim Torra called for extreme caution: "The situation is very critical," he said, "the next ten days are the most important this summer." You are almost back in a situation like in March. If the numbers continued to rise, more drastic measures would have to be taken. Exit restrictions would then no longer be excluded.
The Federal Foreign Office did not lift the travel warning for Spain, which was hit particularly hard by the corona pandemic, until June 21 after the government ended a 14-week emergency.
With more than 270,000 infections and over 28,400 deaths, Spain is one of the countries most affected by the pandemic in Europe.