Foreign Office travel advice.

[car77]

Just heard spain is on the quarantine list again from midnight tonight! We fly home tomorrow morning and won't be able to come back as planned in 3 weeks.

 

[KWUK2]

Yes, key announcement from the FCO has big implications, though Balearics are (currently) being handled slightly differently from mainland Spain.

You will have to quarantine at home for 14 days on arrival back in UK from Mallorca.

But the FCO is 'not' actually advising against travel from UK 'to' Mallorca (whereas it is advising against going to mainland Spain). In theory this means travel insurance policies are probably not void for Mallorca.

Can't put the w w w link here but this may help gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain

 

[El Gordo]

Yes, key announcement from the FCO has big implications, though Balearics are (currently) being handled slightly differently from mainland Spain.

You will have to quarantine at home for 14 days on arrival back in UK from Mallorca.

But the FCO is 'not' actually advising against travel from UK 'to' Mallorca (whereas it is advising against going to mainland Spain). In theory this means travel insurance policies are probably not void for Mallorca.

Can't put the w w w link here but this may help gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain

FCO Advice Here

 

[Sparky]

So just to clarify, at the moment this does not affect travel to the Canary or Balaeric Islands

 

[fil6699]

So just to clarify, at the moment this does not affect travel to the Canary or Balaeric Islands

sorry but it does effect travel to balaerics and Canary it is Spain TOTAL

 

[Sparky]

sorry but it does effect travel to balaerics and Canary it is Spain TOTAL

Yes sorry , i just re read it, it is OK to travel to the islands but you still have to self isolate when you go home.

This is what it says :-

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.

 

[Carol]

Sadly I think the U.K. government has included Majorca in this quarantine on return is because the Majorcan Govt cannot prevent the Spanish coming from the Mainland - especially from Barcelona and Madrid. ��

 

[Sparky]

I think it's crazy to say it's safe to travel to the islands but you still have to quarantine when you go home .

 

[prattyIG8]

I would imagine it’s to stop Brits hopping from the mainland to the islands before travelling home and circumventing the quarantine. I don’t think that would actually happen to be fair but it’s the only reason I can think. I agree, it’s is madness!! It also means that if you decide to cancel because you can’t quarantine after you won’t be covered on insurance as it is deemed safe to travel!

 

[PP76]

We have friends who only booked after quarantine was lifted and got to 12 hours before they were due to fly out before it was reimposed, they could not quarantine on return so lost the cost of the holiday.

 

[bobley]

We were really upset last night... then we had a good think and said sack it. We'll come anyway. The garden will get a full make over on our return.

 

[kazzergardner]

You would assume that they have included the islands due to possibly being able to hop over and then forget quarantine, but the paperwork you now have to complete for returning to the UK specifically asks where you have been during the last 2 weeks, so that 'possibly' excludes that from the equation. However to include Balearics and Canary Islands is not 'following' the science, it appears to me to just be a blanket ban with no proper follow through thought whatsoever and will destroy a fledgling return to some normality and a chance for the local community to regain a little business prior to winter arriving. If the cases were high and it made sense, then I would completely agree with it, but this seems crazy.

 

[Rockape]

Got back last night.....literally 24hrs too late and now have to quarantine for two weeks! Got so much to do work wise as well.....total nightmare!

 

[Sparky]

I am interested to know what you can and can't do during your quarantine and how will it be enforced?.

 

[KWUK2]

#14 Sparky -

The 14 day quarantine is much tighter than when we had 'lockdown' in UK, and maybe a bit tighter than your lockdown in Mallorca.

Officially - you have to stay just in your own home & garden. No walks or exercise away from your property at all. No walking the dog. No shopping for food etc - food and groceries should be delivered to your home. No going to school or work or going into public places.

There are exceptions for emergencies, medical aspects etc etc, but overall it's officially much tighter than was 'our' lockdown.

(I doubt everyone is aware of that 'extra' tightness in the official documentation, and they probably think it was like our lockdown).

How will it be enforced, policed or monitored - the great unknown as no evidence of it so far. Random checks I understand, and by phone maybe. A bit of a joke in real terms. Open to easy abuse and loopholes, methinks.

 

[Rosie34]

Agree about wondering how it will be policed. Also some on tv this moron said they landed at Gatwick and no checks etc whatsoever- just walked straight through .

 

[Sparky]

#14 Sparky -

The 14 day quarantine is much tighter than when we had 'lockdown' in UK, and maybe a bit tighter than your lockdown in Mallorca.

Officially - you have to stay just in your own home & garden. No walks or exercise away from your property at all. No walking the dog. No shopping for food etc - food and groceries should be delivered to your home. No going to school or work or going into public places.

There are exceptions for emergencies, medical aspects etc etc, but overall it's officially much tighter than was 'our' lockdown.

(I doubt everyone is aware of that 'extra' tightness in the official documentation, and they probably think it was like our lockdown).

How will it be enforced, policed or monitored - the great unknown as no evidence of it so far. Random checks I understand, and by phone maybe. A bit of a joke in real terms. Open to easy abuse and loopholes, methinks.

Thank you for the info and i agree with you re enforcing it .

 

[Disorderly]

So the Foreign Office advises against going to the Spanish mainland, but say the Balearics and Canaries are OK to go......but not if your coming back! Genius!!!

 

[Rockape]

Agree about wondering how it will be policed. Also some on tv this moron said they landed at Gatwick and no checks etc whatsoever- just walked straight through .

What checks would you expect?

 

[Bircho]

So the Foreign Office advises against going to the Spanish mainland, but say the Balearics and Canaries are OK to go......but not if your coming back! Genius!!!

Just added Balearics and Canaries to essential travel only. Government is in chaos.