Stricter controls for passengers arriving at Palma Airport
Friday, March 19th, 2021
Spanish health authorities have reinforced the COVID-19 controls that have been carried out since the start of the pandemic on travellers arriving in the Balearic Islands from abroad.
As a spokesperson for the Balearic Government explained in a press release on Wednesday, all passengers arriving at one of the Balearic islands’ three airports from a country categorised as “at-risk”, will need to undergo several screening measures.
These reinforced measures were introduced due to an expected increase in touristic activity at the end of March and will affect travellers from most European countries.
As before, each passenger will need to present a QR-code for a completed health questionnaire. In addition, passengers will now be required to present the certificate of their negative PCR or TMA test result.
All international travellers will have to pass primary screening, where their temperature is taken and they undergo a visual examination.
They must also fill in the Health Control Form (PLC) and provide documentation that they have tested negative for a PCR or TMA within 72 hours prior to their arrival in Spain.
The requirement to have a negative PCR/TMA is included in one of the questions on the form that all passengers must complete before entering the country.
Passengers who show possible symptoms of COVID-19 or who are unable to provide the required health documentation will be referred to a secondary check, where medical staff will examine them more thoroughly and where they will be asked to take a diagnostic test. If the test is negative, the traveller may continue their journey. A protocol is in place for those who receive a positive test result and the affected passenger will be isolated.
Two companies subcontracted by Aena carry out these primary and secondary controls, under the supervision of the health authorities. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Foreign Health has controlled the arrival of 36,522 passengers at the islands’ airports and 17,500 at the ports.
Since the end of the first state of alert in July 2020 and until February 2021, almost 5,000 international passengers have been assessed at the secondary control of Son Sant Joan, nearly 500 at Menorca Airport, and around 760 at Ibiza Airport.
Please also see our page Covid-19 – What you need to know when travelling via Palma Airport.
