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Tourism bosses in Spanish holiday hotspots have updated their Covid advice and reintroduced one rule due to the risk of new strains and rising cases.

Health experts in the Costa del Sol, Málaga, and Seville are asking everyone to consider wearing masks inside crowded places.

However, for now doing so is not compulsory for holidaymakers.

READ MORE: Three important travel rules to know for 2023 – including new EU entry fee

At a meeting yesterday they urged everyone – locals and tourists alike – to make sure they are vigilant at all times in the face of new strains and rising cases in China, which recently opened its borders to the world.

Spain also does not allow unvaccinated travellers from China to enter the country, reports the Mirror.

For now, Brits who have not had a vaccination are able to holiday in Spain as the gov.uk site states: "Spain does not require any proof of vaccination, a negative test result, or a COVID-19 recovery certificate to enter the country, regardless of your vaccination status."

Spanish health chiefs decided to reimpose some regulations which had been lifted last year, but only in relation to nursing homes.

It's important to remember that Spain holds a series of local governments who can change Covid rules at any time – so always check the local requirements before booking or flying.

Local rules don't just apply to Covid either – a ban on all smoking on Barcelona's beaches was brought into force just last year.

You should also take a mask with you if heading to Spain as restrictions can change at any moment and you don't want to be caught out in private business spaces when you're asked to put one on.

Yesterday, Spain's health minister, Carolina Darias, hinted that requirement to wear masks on public transport would be scrapped soon, without giving any specific date.

The president of Andalusia – where Costa del Sol, Málaga, and Seville are based – Juanma Moreno said he was not impressed by her remarks and that he would continue suggesting masks be worn.

He said people in general and especially those from vulnerable groups should wear masks in those indoor places where there is a crowd of people without being able to maintain a safe distance.

For nursing homes, the regional government is turning back the clocks and reintroducing the booking system for visitors to make sure they are not showing any signs of Covid.

This won't affect holidaymakers who were fearing that other tougher measures might be introduced.

While the vaccine requirements have been scrapped for entry into Spain, there are some things worth considering before booking a holiday there.

Brits heading to the country must make sure that their passport was both issued in the past 10 years at the time of entry, and it must be valid for at least three months on the date that you leave the country.

You will not need a visa as you can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without one.

But make sure you get your passport stamped when you enter or exit the country, as this is used to keep track of how long you've been there for.

You can check Spain's entry requirements on the gov.uk website.

READ MORE:

• Cost of passports to rise next month with adult postal service priced at £93

• Couple who booked 28-day holiday say it's cheaper than bills at home

• Lesser known passport rule that could stop your travelling to Europe on holiday

• Get 2023 holidays to Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Greece from £14pp per night

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