Spain pursuing Covid vaccine passport scheme to allow return of tourists - what we know so far

Holidays to Spain could soon be open to tourists again following the launch of a Covid-19 vaccine passport pilot scheme.

If the scheme proves to be successful, holidaymakers may soon be able to travel to the country once lockdown restrictions permit foreign travel.

Vaccine passports under consideration

Spain’s tourism minister Maria Reyes Maroto has outlined plans to introduce the vaccine passport pilot scheme in the country, and has confirmed her ministry is pursuing the idea.

The Balearic Islands, which include popular tourist destinations Majorca and Ibiza, have already said they want to be the first to welcome visitors back with the help of vaccine passports.

Regional governors have urged Ms Maroto to allow them to start a pilot scheme for visitors who had been vaccinated at a meeting in Madrid last month.

However, Ms Maroto has not yet confirmed where or when the pilot scheme would start, but she said she wants Spain to be a pioneer in introducing the passports.

She said: “We want to have a wide variety of tools to reactive mobility. All this will enable us to have a clear horizon and hope so we can be more optimistic about the relaunch of international travel.

“We want to be pioneers and we are the most active champions of digital vaccine passports to facilitate international mobility.

Ms Maroto recalled a pilot scheme that was launched in the Balearics last year, involving allowing thousands of German tourists into the islands a week before Spain officially reopened its border to foreign travellers following a three month lockdown.

She explained: “We were pioneers with the Balearic travel corridor by becoming the only country to open during the pandemic, and we’re working on being pioneers again and putting our foot on the accelerator.