The Government of the Canary Islands have announced that, in order to stem the spread of Covid, and keep holidaymakers on the islands safe, all tourists over six years of age, must now complete a COVID-19 PCR or antigen test before arriving in the holiday hotspot.
The test must be certified by health authorities within a maximum period of 72 hours prior to arrival and must certify that the individual has tested negative and is not a transmitter of COVID-19 in order to access tourist accommodation.
An official statement reads: “The Government of the Canary Islands has taken this measure to regulate tourist accommodation so that the health of both travellers and locals can be protected. As well as this, the measures are designed to restrict the spread of COVID-19, which can cause a paralysis of tourist and economic activity.
“This new decree-law makes the Canary Islands the first Spanish autonomous community to require tourists to perform a diagnostic test in their place of origin or in spaces made available to them prior to entering tourist accommodation.
“Canary residents will be exempted from having to present a negative diagnostic test if they declare under their responsibility that they have not left the Canary Islands 15 days prior to their arrival to tourist accommodation. Non-Canary Islands residents will also be exempted from the necessity to provide a negative test if they have travel documents which prove that they have not left the islands 15 days prior to their arrival to their tourist accommodation.
“Tourist accommodation providers have the responsibility under this new regulation to verify the test certificates provided by tourist accommodation users. They also have the obligation to provide information to tourists regarding the locations in which diagnostic tests can be performed in the event that a particular tourist arrives without sufficient documentation. Under this law, tourist accommodation providers must deny access to any tourist who arrives to their establishment without a negative test for COVID-19.
“Tourist accommodation users must provide documentation, either electronically or on paper, relevant to the completion of a diagnostic test, performed up to a maximum period of 72 hours prior to their arrival to the accommodation. The documentation verifying a negative test result must also state the date and time of the test, the identity of the tourist, and the laboratory responsible for the diagnosis.
“The obligation to verify a negative COVID-19 test for people who arrive in the Canary Islands to stay in tourist accommodation will come into effect on the 10th November, 10 days after this decree-law is passed.
“The decree-law sets out the protocol to follow in the event that a tourist is diagnosed as carrying COVID-19. In this case, public administrations will arrange suitable accommodation.
“In order to guarantee safe holidays for everyone in the Canary Islands, all visitors that stay in a tourist establishment will need to present a certificate that demonstrates the completion of a diagnostic test for active infection by COVID-19 with a negative result as of November 14.”
In brief:
- The test must have been carried out in the previous 72 hours and be approved by the health authorities of your home country or the EU.
- It will be mandatory for all people over 6 years old
- The certificate may be presented in digital or paper format (we bet for digital option for sustainable reason). The certificate is issued in the country of origin by the authorized center.
It is essential that the certificate must contain following details: the date, time of the test, the identity data of the person having the test, the authorized center responsible for the verification test and the negative result. - What type of test:
– It does not have to be a PCR, we always speak of a diagnostic test for active infection by COVID-19 with a negative result. They can perfectly be an antigens test much cheaper and faster. - This certificate will not be required from travellers who prove that they have been in the Canary Islands for 15 days, nor from Canarian residents who declare that they have not left the archipelago in the 15 days prior to their arrival at the establishment.
