Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

UK travellers from Spain must quarantine – but Foreign Office won’t advise against islands

Links on Head for Points may support the site by paying a commission.  See here for all partner links.

The UK ‘travel corridors’ scheme descended into chaos yesterday as new rules were imposed on people returning from Spain.

From today, anyone returning to the UK from Spain will be forced to undertake a 14 day quarantine.  This has been imposed after a surge in coronavirus cases in parts of the mainland.

The current ‘travel corridors’ list is here on gov.uk.

Because the restrictions will be imposed with just 24 hours notice, it will catch out many people who travelled to Spain in the belief that they could return to work immediately upon their return.  Many, unable to work from home, will now face having to take two weeks of unpaid leave.

The only ‘positive’ side is that it is still early in the English school holidays and very few will be forced to miss lessons next term due to this.  (Scottish children will be hit, with school resuming on 11th August.)  It will, however, wreck the holiday plans of many people who have just booked flights and potentially non-refundable hotels for August.

This move puts the future of the entire ‘travel corridors’ scheme into question.  You can no longer book a trip to a country in the travel corridor scheme safe in the knowledge that you will be able to return and head straight back to work or school.

Here’s is the bigger problem though.

The only way to cancel your trip and make a claim on your travel insurance would be if the Foreign Office advised against travel to Spain.

However, whilst the Foreign Office has advised against travel to MAINLAND Spain, it has NOT recommended against travel to the Canary Islands or Balearic Islands as infection levels remain low.

This means that you cannot make a claim on your travel insurance on the grounds of Foreign Office advice if you are travelling to Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, La Graciosa, Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza or Formentera.  If you cannot get a refund from your airline or hotel, your insurance won’t help.

If this sounds illogical, here is the reason.  The quarantine list is set out by entire countries or territories – the legislation does not allow for only specific parts of a country to be quarantined.  This is why you must quarantine on your return from the Canary Islands, even though they are 660 miles from mainland Spain.  The Foreign Office advice is more granular which is why the Canaries and Balearics are deemed safe.

Here is the official text from the Foreign Office website:

From 26 July, the FCO advises against all non-essential travel to mainland Spain based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks. Only the Canary Islands (Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa) and Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera) are exempt from the FCO advice against all non-essential international travel.

This advice is based on evidence of increases in cases of COVID-19 in several regions, but particularly in Aragon, Navarra and Catalonia (which include the cities of Zaragoza, Pamplona and Barcelona).

The FCO is not advising those already travelling in Spain to leave at this time. Travellers should follow the advice of the local authorities on how best to protect themselves and others, including any measures that they bring in to control the virus. If you are returning from Spain (including from the Balearics and Canaries) on or after 26 July you will be required to quarantine on your return to the UK, but the FCO is not advising you to cut short your visit. You should contact your tour operator or airline if you have any questions about your return journey.

PHE are continuing to monitor the situation in the Balearic and Canary Islands closely. Travellers there should continue to check this advice regularly.

PS.  It is, of course, worth remembering that – in practice – the UK Government is not actively enforcing the quarantine rules in England.  Not a single person was fined for breaking them in the two weeks for which data is available, and the only testing done is to call you on your mobile phone and ask if you are at home.

Category

General

Comments (272)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Harry T says:
    26 Jul26 July 10:40

    To be honest, I don’t want to sound unsympathetic, but anyone paying for non refundable hotels anywhere at this time should be financially comfortable enough with losing the money. Now is not the time to try and save a few bucks on hotel rooms – I’ve made dozens of speculative reservations and they are all flexible, with payment made at the hotel at check out. In fact, I have two bookings for Spain that will now have to be cancelled, but can be with no cost.

    Flights wise, I think it’s best to use air miles (not really sensible from the regions) or book very cheap flights you can afford to lose (EasyJet and Ryanair also have some flexibility if you’re savvy).

    • Colin says:
      26 Jul26 July 10:54

      Yep. People thinking that there’s currently only a low chance of their holiday being disrupted at short notice are deluded. No point crying about it if they can’t actually go.

      • Harry T says:
        26 Jul26 July 12:13

        I assume 50/50 odds at best. I don’t believe I’m going until the plane takes off! I booked my holidays in Prague and Vienna before we were allowed to go by either country because I saw the flexible hotel rates were low, and the flights were dirt cheap. If I can’t go, I can afford to lose the cost of the flights. But if I can go, I’ve locked in cheap trips to places that are normally expensive and busy in summer.

        • Alex Sm says:
          27 Jul27 July 02:27

          Yes, this is how the travel changes as we speak, at least in the short-term

          1) we book last minute
          2) we book flexible if possible
          3) we prefer to fly direct
          4) we prefer to go to places where we know we can return from relatively easily (no inland trips, remote islands etc)
          5) we go where it is safe and where it is open, rather than where we want to

    • GeorgeJ says:
      26 Jul26 July 11:28

      Quite right Harry T. If you cant afford to lose it in the current environment you shouldn’t book it. I am booked to go sailing in Majorca at the end of August, if the rate of infection on the islands is still low and FCO advice doesnt change again I will go. If FCO advice (or infection rates) change I wont go and will see what I can get back/rebook. Not the end of the world.
      As for quarantine, I will follow it if required, though I might look at going to a third country with no quarantine restriction on Baleric travellers and spend my 14 days there seeing something new, will deal with that nearer the time. There are lots of ways to fix these things

      • Harry T says:
        26 Jul26 July 12:12

        Good thinking, George. Hope your holiday goes ahead but it sounds like you’ll come out on top either way!

    • Anna says:
      26 Jul26 July 11:36

      Totally agree – people should never make non-essential purchases they “can’t afford to lose”. This has always been my maxim from growing up in a terraced house in Salford through my student years to the relatively comfortable position I have worked towards today. I’ve lost a couple of £100 in cancellation fees and refunds I just can’t be bothered to pursue this year but that’s nothing compared to having my health and that of my loved ones. It’s madness that anyone has gone on holiday knowing that quarantine might be reinstated at any time but unable to afford the associated costs of that.

      • Paul74 says:
        26 Jul26 July 11:58

        +1

      • Harry T says:
        26 Jul26 July 12:10

        Exactly, Anna – I’ve booked a few flights that essentially cost the same as Avios cancellation fees and viewed them in the same way. I can afford to do that, and it was a calculated decision.

        I do feel a certain sympathy for people who have gotten trapped somewhere during the peak of the epidemic, as some countries locked down without warning. However, we have lived with corona for a few months now, and people should anticipate disruption to their travel plans. I’ve had several cancellations and setbacks already but lost a trivial amount of money because I expected a degree of attrition.

        Still hoping to go to Prague and Vienna! I’m young and ridden with antibodies, so I’m making the most of travelling to romantic destinations with my girlfriend before they get locked down again or the crowds return.

        • mvcvz says:
          26 Jul26 July 13:57

          Absolutely. I have made travel plans for the remainder of 2020 on precisely the same basis (even though I’m unfortunately not quite so young anymore!)

        • Lady London says:
          26 Jul26 July 14:33

          A pity you couldnt see Venice now, @Harry T ! crowds ruin that place at almost any time now.

      • Lady London says:
        26 Jul26 July 16:29

        Not now they shouldnt. But some people’s circumstances have changed after they booked.

        This is why it’s been pretty nasty of airlines not to pay refunds promptly that people are entitled to.The airlines are in a much better position to raise funds than an individual who may have lost their job and is owed a refund the airline is not paying out.

        • mvcvz says:
          26 Jul26 July 21:32

          A sweeping generalisation which you have absolutely no way of substantiating.

    • Paul74 says:
      26 Jul26 July 11:56

      Indeed.

  • Deenesh says:
    26 Jul26 July 10:53

    Article misleading with regard to travel insurance and FCO guidance to not travel. Just because the FCO advises against travel doesn’t mean your travel insurance will pay out. Some insurers still won’t pay out on FCO advice against. Mine wouldn’t. It was in the small print. Since our holiday was cancelled in the end it didn’t matter but don’t blindly assume insurers pay out on FCO advice against travel. They don’t. And travel blogs should know this.

    • GeorgeJ says:
      26 Jul26 July 11:14

      Deenesh,
      You are only correct here up to a point, for travel booked up until @25 March insurer’s who are ABI members did as an ex gratia concession allow claims for disruption due to Covid, even though it was excluded in the small print (ie Amex platinum was in this category). Non ABI members did as they pleased. Accordingly anyone in this category who has been prevented from travelling due to FCO advice will have a claim but first must look for redress to the airline or hotel.
      Any more recent bookings are unlikely to have any cover for cancellation or curtailment (since the insurers pretty much all withdrew it as a known risk, which they wouldn’t cover).

  • Steve says:
    26 Jul26 July 12:25

    It’s quite simple really – if you want a holiday without the chance of a quarantine being imposed on return, don’t go abroad. Anyone booking a holiday abroad at the moment is taking a gamble.

    • Harry T says:
      26 Jul26 July 13:54

      Agree! It’s basically Russian roulette.

      • Neil says:
        26 Jul26 July 15:09

        Boring. I’ve spent the last 3 weekends having as much fun as I can in Germany, propping up hoteliers and airlines and making the most of these hard times. Even with the weak flu argument, arguably it’s only 4 X times worse than a flu pandemic yet most enjoyable things have ground to a halt. We need to try and live with this. If your passion is travel go for it.

        • Harry T says:
          26 Jul26 July 15:30

          Neil, I’m travelling as much as I can! It’s just Russian roulette in terms of whether my flight is cancelled or hotels are closed. Had quite a few cancellations of flights and hotel bookings, but it hasn’t stopped me. Glad you’ve been having a good time in Germany.

        • Steve says:
          26 Jul26 July 18:17

          I agree, we have to learn to live with this and do the pleasurable things alongside this. My point was that if you go abroad you have to do so in the full knowledge that the situation may change quickly and you’ll find yourself having to quarantine on return. Anyone who isn’t comfortable with that as a prospect needs to stay put – directing ire at the government, while there’s plenty of reasons to do so, this isn’t one of them.

        • Hector says:
          27 Jul27 July 10:37

          The problem isn’t the virus itself. Its really not that much worse than flu. The problem is how contagious it is and how few already have antibodies.

          Most people won’t die from having a bad flu / pneumonia. They die because they got bad enough pneumonia to need hospital treatment but the hospitals are overwhelmed. Deaths massively spiked in Italy, Spain and NY because the health systems could not keep up.

      • Alex Sm says:
        27 Jul27 July 02:28

        Russia has opened and lifted the quarantine requirements for foreigners btw!

  • Alan says:
    26 Jul26 July 12:27

    Must admit I hadn’t even realised the restriction for Spain had been lifted in Scotland! Glad I’ve opted for a local staycation.

  • J says:
    26 Jul26 July 12:31

    As the rules don’t apply to Boris’ father or Dominic Cummings I wouldn’t be surprised if many holidaymakers returning from Spain also feel they don’t need to follow the rules… Just don’t get caught.

    • Anna says:
      26 Jul26 July 12:46

      It’s making me wonder whether it’ll all change again if Spain drops its demands for access to UK fishing waters in the current Brexit deal negotiations…

    • Mikeact says:
      26 Jul26 July 13:45

      @J Thanks for that appalling advice.

  • Mike says:
    26 Jul26 July 12:46

    I think the Government has done a good job by acting so quickly on travel to Spain. Some of us were aware that the numbers of Covid 19 cases were gradually building up in parts of Spain and recognised there was a possibility of restrictions coming. However the Government would have been criticised even more if had put out a warning and then subsequently it was found out to be unnecessary. These decisions should always be based on solid up to date evidence

    Steve has it spot on anyone booking a holiday abroad at the moment is taking a gamble.

    • GeorgeJ says:
      26 Jul26 July 13:05

      Agreed, if you need to prevent infection coming from high rate countries you have to act immediately. It is interesting to look at how others deal with this. As Rob explains above, the legislation allows quarantine restrictions at a country level when they could be better targeted to allow travel from the Islands. This is probably easier to fix if there is a political will do do so, (though it has persisted for Portugal so I assume there is no will).
      Others in Europe make the distinction between the various parts of countries which have high rates of infection (Belgium and Austria for a start and some German States). However, they are probably no better than we are at enforcing it.
      The Baltic countries all have a formula whereby if the rate of infection in the sending country is under a certain number you can come in freely, when you go above, quarantine automatically applies. This has the advantage of precision, though we might not like the implications better than the current UK approach.

      • Brian G says:
        26 Jul26 July 13:47

        It’s actually ridiculous. The actions are completely absurd for a virus that has a recovery rate of 99.9% and of those that die 9 out of 10 are over 70 and already sick. It should also be noted that Spain learnt to count Covid-19 deaths properly at the end of May and since then they have had a daily death rate of just 2 to 3 people. The stupid knee jerk and hysterical reaction of the UK government has probably just added another 50,000 job losses to the millions now coming through.

        • Nick_C says:
          26 Jul26 July 19:03

          What is actually ridiculous Brian is the fake data you are inventing.

          I wish the recovery rate was 99.9% Is that were true, then we would have had 46 million cases in the UK and have herd immunity. The crisis would be over. The CDC’s best estimate of the Infection Fatality Rate is 0.65%, which means a “recovery” rate of 99.35%. If that estimate is correct, it would mean around 7 million people in the UK have been infected so far.

          Of those that have died in the UK, 84% have been over 70. 90% have been over 65. 1 in 6 deaths have been people below retirement age. Among men, 1 in 5 of the men who have died have been of working age.

          Although deaths in Spain have been very low recently, the number of infections has spiked. A month ago, Spain was finind 333 new cases a day. They are now finding 1500.

          • Mikeact says:
            26 Jul26 July 19:19

            Thank you for correcting another one off ridiculous poster.

          • Crafty says:
            26 Jul26 July 22:29

            As more and more people are discovering with this awful and still poorly understood coronavirus, not dying is not the same thing as recovering. As such, recovery rates that are calculated as 1 minus death rate are no longer adequate.

          • Brian G says:
            27 Jul27 July 02:35

            Nick_C A late reply but if anyone ever reads it here goes.

            In London they reported 17% antibody detection rates. T Cells rates are also found at as much or even twice these rates in the population people. No one to date has caught it twice.

            You are confusing detected cases as opposed to the actual infection rate which is many times more. You don’t believe it but in the UK we have actually had at least over 30 million cases and we do almost have herd immunity. 1000 deaths a day don’t go away just because the pubs were closed and people began clapping for the NHS.

            Please recalculate your 0.65% fatality rate with known antibody rates and if you dare with the same again for T cells. The man who last week brought the UK death count to a shuddering halt Prof Carl Heneghan thinks the fatality rate may be 0.15% but I think a bit better. Opinion is allowed.

            Is the crises over – well yes in places where the virus has gone though the population such as the UK and Spain. The second wave prophesy is becoming more like a cult mantra every day. My apologies if I said 9 out of 10 were over 70 when it perhaps should have been over 65. I will go with your figure for ease. I really don’t think this means I’m guilty of inventing fake data. Even between 800 cases a month ago and the two thousand cases they may have now in Spain the level of attributed deaths have not risen.

    • Harry T says:
      26 Jul26 July 13:54

      The government has been criticised in the past for not taking action quickly enough (arguably legitimate criticism). I am not a fan of many of the current administration’s decisions over the last few months but I think they have taken timely and decisive action here. I support their swift policy change.

      • Colin says:
        26 Jul26 July 14:06

        The main concern for me is that the number of cases in Spain/relative to the population is only slightly higher than the U.K.

        I understand why countries took different approaches to shutting down but they’ve had 4 months to come up with a uniform approach. Germany, for example, is going to test people who are coming from “high risk” countries. Why can’t everyone take that approach? I get that testing doesn’t reduce the risk completely due to false negatives but it reduces them significantly whilst allowing people to travel.

  • Sandra says:
    26 Jul26 July 12:56

    I do think the Balearics and Canaries should be treated separately at the moment provided you have travelled to/from them directly. To treat different regions of mainland Spain individually is not workable – who’s to prove when you say you went to Seville you weren’t actually in Barcelona too? Much as I’d like to I am not planning anything overseas for the forseeable future as, although I can afford to lose a bit of money if necessary or be flexible and change destination quickly, it’s not worth the hassle of dealing with airlines/hotels etc. Also, apart from the UK changing travel corridors and imposing quarantine on return, there is also the very big risk that after booking countries who start to see cases rising suddenly close their own borders to travel again and you are either stuck there or can’t travel there. Each to their own, you pays your money & takes your choice as they say, but by now everyone should know the gamble they are taking.

    • lgflyer says:
      26 Jul26 July 19:35

      Based on your thoughts they should quarantine the whole Schengen area. Currently you could fly from Biarritz tp London and no one would be able to prove you have been in Spain,

      • Lady London says:
        26 Jul26 July 20:32

        I think the French lwft Spain out of their Schengen border opening, it
        might not be that easy to cross.

        • Heathrow Flyer says:
          26 Jul26 July 23:40

          I drove over the Spain France border on Sunday are barely noticed it. I was double checking the road signs to work out that we’d definitely crossed.

          There are zero checks.

  • A says:
    26 Jul26 July 16:04

    Let’s be honest though, are the UK government actually checking if people quarantine?

    • Mike says:
      26 Jul26 July 16:59

      Not much if at all. Quarantine is largely a deterrent. During the period recently when the UK Government said travellers from most countries had to quarantine overseas travel was drastically reduced despite the ridiculous comments from Ryanair. Fortunately many travel companies got the message and some passengers were discouraged from travelling. Foreign travel was drastically reduced without applying sanctions but keeping them in reserve. The best approach.

    • Alex Sm says:
      27 Jul27 July 02:34

      Rob answered this question in the post already (and got undeservedly high portion of condemnation from grumpy HfP crowd)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

New to Head for Points?

Welcome!  We’re the UK’s most-read source of business travel, Avios, frequent flyer and hotel loyalty news. Let us improve how you travel. Got any questions? Ask them in our forums.

Latest Forum Posts

Get 40,000 bonus points (worth 40,000 Avios) and £300 dining credit with The Platinum Card

Check reward flight availability instantly for free!

See a whole year of reward seat availability on one page at SeatSpy.com

Get £10 when you spend £150 on your free Currensea card

Booking a luxury hotel?

Our luxury hotel booking service offers you GUARANTEED extra benefits over booking direct. Works with Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, The Ritz Carlton, St Regis and more. We've booked £1.7 million of rooms to date. Click for details.

SME? SPECIAL OFFER TO 12TH MAY EARN POINTS WORTH 30,000 AVIOS WITH CAPITAL ON TAP

Get 20,000 bonus points, four airport lounge passes and your first year free with American Express Gold

The UK's biggest frequent flyer website uses cookies, which you can block via your browser settings. Continuing implies your consent to this policy. Our privacy policy is here.

Got it!