Test

Hi Chris67,

       the PCR test needs to be taken up to 72 hours before arriving in Spain, the test can anytime between your arrival date/time in Spain as long as it is not over 72 hours old. There will be testing centres open on the 26th, if not the 25th. The issue is most likely to be cost, goodness knows what they would charge for a test on Xmas or Boxing Day.

  The Spanish government, like many, is trying to balance the economic impact with the need to get covid cases under control. I am sure they would love to open up the borders to visitors but the high rate of infections needs to be brought under control. The added restrictions were brought in because hospital cases were rising and ICU beds starting to be close to capacity in many areas.

  Personally I don't see any big improvements until midyear, and only then if there is a effective vaccine. It seems every time the infection rates are brought down they rise again once restrictions are eased. 

Good luck with your travel plans.

Aitch.

Hello,

I think, thankfully that the spanish government are making saving lives a priority over saving tourism/business's at this moment  and in my opinion that is exactly how I want it to be. There is always another Christmas & New Year..... but not another life !!

I think many people who live here would agree with me, but people who want to come for a holiday visit won't!

Cheers

Elinspain

Hi Chris,

My local airport (Dublin) has started doing PCR tests on site  - cost is from €99 with results in 24 hours. If your local airport has this facility, you might be able to get it done in the timeframe you need. 

Agree wholeheartedly - although I do feel deeply for businesses and the economy  (and I have friends with businesses), I'm afraid for many of us our lives would be in peril if we caught it! The Spanish government has, and continues, to take the necessary steps to try to preserve life and, at the end of the day, that's surely what matters most. Take care.

Not sure where you plan to fly from, but Gatwick are going to introduce testing from £60 with results within 24 hours. May be possible to have an overnight in a hotel there and get the results before flying. 

I did not know they were to bring in such tests but my opinion, based on the average tourist family of 4 to 5 travellers I would say this is going to hurt Spain's tourist industry badly to say the least. It's also going to hurt ex-pats as Spain will need to cut services and benefits where they can, as will all countries. I understand the fear of Covid if ex-UK living in Spain but the bigger fear is being stranded without traditional family support and the double whammy of lack of government support. There are also much bigger killers than Covid and the lack of funds for health services treating these may well be the fatal event for many alas.

This scenario is my opinion obviously but it's where I can see things going.

NB my position is same as OP. Have 2nd home in La Mata and unable to get to it.Just had 2nd round of flights cancelled so going to leave it until 2021. Usually we would spend 2 months here now and spend at least 2 to 3k/month so times that by people in our position and you can guage the loss.

Take care

G

In reply to Ellispain, can l respectfully say that if u were in our position where you had a second home in Spain that u could not get too and was paying taxes, suma and community fees, that you would also be very frustrated!! So your opinion of their being other Christmas’s really does not cut it. We were asking how we could be expected to get a COVID test over the Xmas period and really did not ask for an opinion from someone who is living there and does not really care about our plight, or others owing second homes in a similar position.

Hello

You also asked if anyone had any thoughts about the harm  being done to the spanish tourist sector.....I  did have thoughts, & I posted them.

You did not specify who you wanted  replies from, just people who sympathised I suppose, hence my last paragraph  .....          "I think many people who live here would agree with me, but people who want to come for a holiday visit won't!"

Cheers

Elinspain

The thing about such them and us attitudes could lead to tit for tat. I mean why should British taxpayers - living in UK and paying UK taxes feel compassion for ex-pats retired in Spain? You might say because you have paid into the UK system so are entitled to which I would agree but this is 2020 and we live in strange times thus when and if the UK govenment deems state pensions can only be paid to those resident in the UK do you expect pity from struggling British taxpayers?

Same here. I am a 2nd homeowner not a holidaymaker. I would now be in Spain and spending a lot. As it is I am paying Suma, block fees, car tax and other taxes which I am not beneffiting from. If you feel that's OK because I am not deemed resident then this divide in your mind will really not help anyone's situation in the long term. Spain does not have a magic money tree. Current news is both Poland and Hungary are seriously thinking of leaving the EU. Germany being the only serious giver to EU coffers will not put up with Spain's lack of fiscal crassness for too long.

Best.............G