The Ministry of Health of the Canary Islands has announced that from tomorrow, Friday October 1st, the requirement for national travellers to present a vaccination certificate against COVID-19 or a negative test result or proof of having passed the disease, will no longer be necessary when arriving at ports or airports in the archipelago from the mainland. If you are not a resident of Spain, the requirement is still there.
This decision has been made due to the favourable epidemiological evolution in Spain as the incidence rates are now low in both, and the level of vaccination in both the Canary Islands and the rest of the country is high.
The requirement to have a test to enter the Canaries from Spain came into force on December 18th last year and has been enforced since then to stop the spread of the virus, especially at times of the year when there is an increased number of travellers, such as Christmas or Easter.
Statistics show 94% of the travellers, who arrived in the Canary Islands from the rest of the national territory since that date, provided either a negative test or a vaccination certificate. In total, 1,976,146 people were affected by this measure.
Those travellers who did not present the required documentation were identified, registered and ordered to perform isolation until a negative result of a diagnostic test was obtained at their destination.
The Covid tests, both at origin and destination, were free for residents of the Canary Islands coming back into the archipelago from Spain, if carried out in the test centres arranged by the SCS for this purpose.
However, the decree that regulates the conditions of access to tourist accommodation in the Canary Islands remains in force, which means that everyone (of all nationality from all countries) over 12 years of age must present proof of vaccination, or a negative test result (PCR or antigen), or a certificate that they have passed the illness at reception when they are checking in to their accommodation.
The following are excluded from this rule:
- People who can prove they are residents of the Canary Islands (TIE or green residencia card or certificate. NIE is NOT proof of residency) and declare that they have not left the islands in the 15 days prior to staying at the establishment, and that also in that period they have not had symptoms compatible with COVID-19. (Although most complexes are asking for the certificate which they are entitled to do).
- People, regardless of where they are from, who can prove that they have been in the Canary Islands for longer than 15 days, without leaving the islands for a period of more than 72 hours during that time, and have not had symptoms compatible with COVID-19.
