British sun-seekers jetting off to Spain are being hit with a bizarre new £6 entry fee and a confusing online form, sparking fears of major delays and holiday chaos this summer.
The new rule, which came into force for UK travellers in 2024, requires all visitors to fill out the 'Spain Travel Health' form and pay a fee online before they can even board their flight. The move has left many families confused and frustrated before their holiday has even begun.
'It Felt Really Weird': Holidaymakers React
One traveller, speaking to the Mirror, described the process as deeply unsettling. "I felt weird filling it out," they said, comparing the invasive health questions and payment demand to something from a dystopian novel. The form asks for highly personal information, including details about recent illnesses and underlying health conditions.
Many tourists are only finding out about the new requirement at the last minute, leading to frantic scrambles to complete the digital paperwork on phones at the airport. The fear is that this will become a recurring nightmare, causing massive queues and missed flights during the peak summer season.
Is This The New Normal For European Holidays?
This new fee is a precursor to the wider EU Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which is due to launch soon. ETIAS will be a more extensive visa-waiver scheme, similar to the US ESTA, and will cost travellers €7.
The implementation of these systems marks a significant change post-Brexit, fundamentally altering how Britons travel to the EU. What was once a simple flash of a passport has now become a bureaucratic and financial hurdle.
Travel Experts Issue Warning
Industry experts are urgently advising holidaymakers to factor in this new step when planning their trips. The key advice is to complete the Spain Travel Health form well in advance of arriving at the airport to avoid any unnecessary stress or delays.
Failing to have the correct documentation and paid fee confirmed could result in passengers being denied boarding by their airline, turning a dream holiday into an instant nightmare before it's even begun.
