Publication of Order establishing mandatory quarantine for travellers arriving by air in Spain from the Republic of India

The Official State Gazette (Spanish acronym: BOE) published a Ministry of Health Order establishing the quarantine conditions imposed on those people who arrive by plane to any airport in Spain, with or without a stopover on route.

The Order will come into force at midnight on 1 May 2021 for an initial period of 14 calendar days, which may be extended in the event that the circumstances giving rise to its introduction continue to prevail.

According to the Ministerial Order, travellers must spend the 10 days following their arrival in quarantine, or during their whole stay in Spain in the event that it is less than this period. This period may finalise earlier if the person undertakes a diagnostic test on the seventh day for serious infection with a negative result.

The tests admitted will be the RT-PCR or other tests based on equivalent molecular techniques, along with the antigen tests that have a minimum performance of ≥ 90 % of sensitivity and ≥ 97 % of specificity.

During the quarantine period, those people referred to in the previous section must remain in their home or accommodation, limit travel and access by third parties to their home or accommodation to those who are essential (for the purchase of food, pharmaceutical products and basic needs; attendance at health centres, services and establishments, or on grounds of force majeure or a situation of need.

Both when venturing out and in their contact with those cohabiting and with those who provide them with essential goods or services to guarantee food, cleaning and, as the case may be, healthcare, they must observe all the hygiene and prevention measures to avoid the transmission of the disease caused by COVID-19.

The health authorities will be able to contact those people in quarantine in order to monitor them. Furthermore, the State law enforcement agencies can undertake the appropriate checks at any time to ensure that the quarantine conditions established in the Order are being upheld. Should those in quarantine suspect they have any COVID-19 symptoms, they must contact the health services on the numbers enabled to that end by the regional authorities, indicating that they are in quarantine in application of this Order.

Travel agencies, tour operators and transport companies must inform travellers of these measures at the start of the ticket sale process with a destination in Spain. Exceptions to the provisions of this Order apply to the flight personnel necessary to carry out air transport activities.

Non official translation