Is it safe to travel to Spain right now? Spain travel guide 2021

Spain Travel Guide Cover

Spain has always been one of the most popular travel destinations for tourists from all around the globe.

Last year Spanish borders were closed for a good amount of year, and countless tourists missed their opportunity to see one of Europe’s most visited countries.

In recent months, the situation has stabilized, and borders are now fully open, but many people still wonder: Is it now finally safe to travel to Spain?

For that reason, we at Travel & Tapas have decided to help you out by collecting all information that can be useful and gather them into one complete Spain travel guide.

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Is Spain a safe country to visit?

In normal circumstances, Spain is a safe country to travel to.

Problems you could face are pick-pocketing and minor street trickery. Both are something that happens in most big cities around the world. The important thing is to always take care of your possessions and who you are socializing with.

Barcelona city square
Barcelona city square

Generally, Spanish people are incredibly positive, and if you had a problem, you would easily find someone to help you resolve it.

Because of that, Spain is one of the safest countries to travel to.

But let’s be honest, with the current circumstances, pick-pocketing is not on the top of the safety issues people worry about when traveling. Keeping that in mind…

Does border opening mean there is nothing to worry about?

Is it safe to travel to Spain right now?

Even though the situation got much better, there are still several rules that need to be followed. In case you are planning to visit Spain in near future, you should be aware of the latest travel restrictions.

Malaga airport
Malaga airport

A good source for anyone who is traveling from Europe is the Schengenvisainfo news website.

Spain entry requirements

At this moment for anyone to enter Spain, they must:

  • have proof of residency or citizenship
  • be a health worker or a frontier worker
  • have evidence of why it is essential to enter Spain
  • have a proof of flight that is transiting Spain
Airport in Madrid
Airport in Madrid

For countries that are not in the European Union but do not need a visa for a 90-day stay in the Schengen area, these requirements are:

  • valid passport (3-6 months before expiration date) or other travel documents
  • return ticket (this is not a necessity, but you could be asked for it)
  • enough funds for the desired stay up to 90 days

For a stay of more than 90 days in E.U., you should acquire a visa according to your necessity and rights.

How to plan a trip to Spain?

Planning a trip to Spain at this time can be a little bit tricky because many things are yet uncertain. But planning your steps carefully can help you minimize unexpected problems.

Choosing your accommodation

The smart way to plan a trip is to book a hotel or other accommodation on time. Some hotels may not accept guests at regular capacity, so checking that information on time is a good idea. It is recommendable to find your place to stay before you start planing other things.

In addition, hotels may have some requirements or rules that you should be aware of before booking. For example, they may ask for extra documentation before checking in or have some specific house rules that could affect your plans. So be thorough and do not hesitate to contact staff by mail or even phone.

Booking your flight

When you decide on accommodation, before setting the dates, you should also find a corresponding flight.

If you are traveling from anywhere inside Europe, Ryanair could be a good option. Their flights are frequent so, there is plenty of times and dates to choose from. On top of that, they offer superb deals.

Ryanair airline
Airline Ryanair

It is always recommendable to buy a return ticket and save yourself from unnecessary fuss at the customs.

Professional tip: Don’t limit yourself only on choosing flights to the city you are staying in. Sometimes you can find much better deals and save a lot of money by flying to adjacent cities. Spain has airports in a lot of places and usually a good connection between them.

Transportation from airport

Another important thing you should take into consideration is how you will get from the airport to your destination.

If you book a flight to another city, be sure to check how the mobility between the places is regulated.

Do you need travel insurance for Spain?

Even though travel medical insurance is not required for you to enter Spain (at least in most cases), you should definitely consider buying one. In the current situation, being insured is crucial.

There are plenty of options to consider based on factors like the duration or type of your trip or other specific reasons related to your health.

When we were planning our trip to Spain and Portugal in 2020, we made sure to compare a great number of options and choose the one that will make us feel the safest if something were to happen, and we suggest you do it, too.

Travel Medical Insurance
Source: SafetyWing

In the end, we decided to go with Nomad Insurance from SafetyWing. It seemed like the best option for someone traveling to multiple countries and not having it all planned out.

Luckily, nothing went wrong, but we were safe and sound, and that was super important. If you’re not sure where to start, we recommend checking their website by clicking the button below.

We know we’ll be using their plans again.

Here are some of the reasons that influenced our decision on going with SafetyWing:

  • In times that carry extra concerns on top of your standard health worries during traveling, it’s good to have a plan that addresses these concerns specifically. So, on top of dealing with regular medical problems, this plan had a segment just for these crazy times. That made us feel extra safe.
  • Their website is very intuitive and easy to navigate. This may not seem like an important thing for insurance, but let’s face it – it’s 2021, and being able to finish things in a few steps over the phone sometimes is a lifesaver.
  • If you’re a Digital Nomad or just frequently changing countries during your trips, you get bored of all the documentation. SafetyWing makes this process easy and smooth, plus all the illustrations on their website make buying insurance more fun than it should be.
  • Unlike many other travel medical insurance plans, SafteyWing lets you buy insurance when you’re already abroad. So if you forget to do it before your trip, it’s not too late to do it from your hotel room.

Of course, you don’t have to be a nomad or plan a giant trip to find a suitable plan from SafetyWing. They also cover short stays and vacations from 5 days onward.

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Secure yourself the best travel experience

  • SafetyWing – The best travel insurance for digital nomads and remote workers. It is perfect for all people who want to experience a coliving way of lifestyle.
  • italki – Why not learn some Spanish before your trip and make your coliving even better? italki is the perfect platform for that, where more than 3500 native speakers are waiting to help you with your Spanish.
  • Discover Cars – Spain is a large country, and there is a lot of land to cover. The cheapest way to do that and truly explore Spain is by renting a car.

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