IMPACT – HIGH

The Spanish government recently announced stronger travel restrictions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

 Effective from March 23 at midnight, third-country nationals and EU nationals and their dependents, are no longer allowed to enter the country, with a number of exceptions, including:

  • Spanish residents or residents in transit to their homes in other Schengen Area or EU member states.
  • Long-term visa holders who have visas from Schengen Area or EU member states who are traveling to those places.
  • Professionals engaging in healthcare and elder care who are traveling for work.
  • Transportation personnel who are working to ship goods and flight crew who are working while engaging in commercial aviation tasks.
  • Consular office personnel, diplomatic mission members, and military and international organization personnel who are performing professional work.
  • Individuals with very important family reasons for traveling.
  • Individuals who have documentation of a need or an unforeseen circumstance.
  • Individuals whose movement is allowed because of humanitarian reasons.
  • The suspension also does not apply to these two areas: the inland border with Andorra and at a checkpoint for the Gibraltar territory.
  • Additionally, the inland borders with Ceuta and Melilla are temporarily closed for entering and exiting the country.

Analysis & Comments: The new travel restrictions will impact the mobility of third-country, and EU nationals and their dependents into Spain. It is likely the current state of alert will be extended. Employers should account for affected travelers and rearrange travel schedules accordingly. Significant delays may occur for consular and in-country processing.

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