Travel updates from July 1st – Where you can travel abroad

Where will you be able to travel to from the start of July?

Up until the 1st July 2020, all visitors to Spain must comply with a 14 day quarantine. This meant holiday makers were staying away from the country, as they were essentially unable to holiday there. However from the start of July this measure is being lifted, meaning the most popular holiday destination for Brits will again become a popular choice.

With EasyJet, Jet2 and Ryanair resuming flights from the beginning of July, the regular low-cost flights will make travel to destinations such as Benidorm and Mallorca possible again. It’s likely there will be a large discount in flight and hotel costs, as businesses scramble to fill their seats and rooms. With many holiday makers still likely nervous about foreign travel, it’s highly likely that a price war will ensue.

The first destinations you’ll be able to travel to from July will include Spain and Italy, including Alicante, Verona and Malaga . All passengers must wear masks on flights and no food will be sold during the flight to minimise the risk of cross contamination. There will also be increased cleaning and disinfecting of the planes between flights, which will likely mean fewer flights with longer windows between take-offs.

Will I need a visa to travel?

If you are a British Passport holder, you will not need a visa to travel to Spain or Italy from July 1st. If you do not hold a British Passport but are a British Citizen, you may require a visa to travel.

Many applicants who hold indefinite leave to remain in the UK are under the impression that this status grants them the same travel rights as a British citizen but unfortunately this is not the case. When establishing if you require a visa to travel to a Schengen country, this will always be determined by your passport rather than the status you hold in the United Kingdom.

Therefore, if you do not hold a passport from one of the countries with freedom of movement authorisation, you will be required to obtain a visa to travel to any country within the Schengen area. A Schengen Visa grants entry into the Schengen area and is necessary to obtain for those who hold a passport from a non-EU/EEA country.

The only exemption to this is if your residence permit explicitly states one of the following wordings, and you are travelling alongside an EU/EEA/Swiss national for the entirety of your trip to the Schengen area but be aware that this exemption is only offered by a limited number of Schengen countries:

• Residence Card of a Family Member of an EEA National (endorsed in passport)
• Permanent Residence Card (endorsed in passport)
• Residence Card of a Family Member of a Union Citizen (biometrics card)
• Permanent Residence Card (biometrics card)

Where can I get a visa from?

The Visa services for both Italy and Spain remain suspended as of 26th May, therefore if you do require a Schengen Visa for your journey you are not yet able to apply for this. It’s likely that they will open again for processing before the travel restrictions are lifted, however there will likely be a backlog of application and the possibility of limited operational staff at the Embassies.

If you require a Visa for your holiday, get in touch with our visa team at visas@vitalconsular.com, call us on 0330 088 1142 or use our live chat system. We can keep you up to date on progress, as well as help you process your visa when the necessary services are back up and running.