The holidays are back on the cards for many after Spain eased its covid entry requirements.

UK airports have seen a surge of travellers, leading to long queues and delays, as many set off on holiday for the first time since the start of the covid pandemic.

Now, with the covid rules changing regularly, it can be confusing to keep up with and if you haven’t traveled in a while you might be wondering what you need before you fly to sunny Spain.

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Passengers have been encouraged by airlines and airports to prepare the correct documents to avoid long delays and some have been warned of losing their holidays all together.

So no matter where you’re heading, it’s important to check what you need before you fly.

Here’s everything you need to check before you fly to Spain.

Passport expiry date

The Home Office has warned of a 10-week processing time for new passports following a surge in applications.

It comes as a new Brexit rule means passports are valid for 10 years from date of issue – canceling out any extra months that may have been added previously.

To travel to Spain, you have three months left on your passport after the day you plan to leave.

You can check the passport rules and travel advice for the country in question here.

Passenger Locator Form

Check if you need a passenger locator form.

Spain is allowing those who are fully vaccinated, or have proof of covid recovery within the last six months, to enter without completing a health check form.

Proof of Covid-19 status

Spain is accepting British travelers if they have proof of being fully vaccinated or have evidence of recovery from Covid-19 within the past six months.

It should be noted that many countries, including Spain, require travelers to receive a booster shot to be considered fully vaccinated if more than nine months have passed since the second dose. But this time frame may change depending on each country, so check the specific travel advice.

Your last dose must have been administered within 270 days of your trip to Spain.

You can get proof of covid recovery from NHS Inform.

If you print the copy or have it as a PDF on your phone, it should be dated November 1, 2021.

Children between the ages of 12 and 17 inclusive traveling for tourism can enter Spain by presenting a document certifying that they have carried out a Covid-19 PCR test.

Gov.uk points out that to travel to the Canary or Balearic Islands from mainland Spain you may need to show a negative covid test depending on which region you are traveling from. For specific information on travel to the Balearic Islands, consult the Balearic Islands tourist office.

Those visiting the Canary Islands may be required by tourist accommodation providers to show proof of a negative test, see the Canary Islands Tourism Board website for details.

Face mask requirement

Each country can enforce its own face mask rules, as can airlines – here are the current rules for Ryanair, Tui and more.

This means it’s worth checking your airline and destination country to make sure you know the rules around face masks.

In Spain, face masks are not compulsory but are encouraged in busy public spaces and indoors.

However, they are mandatory on public transport and in metro stations.