International flights to Spain unlikely before July

The government has informed the European Union of Spain's schedule and is wanting the reopening of Schengen borders to be based on common and non-discriminatory epidemiological criteria. Madrid does not therefore envisage certain regions of the country receiving foreign travellers before others. Its wish, in principle, is for the whole country to enter the situation of "new normal" at the same time. However, regions can raise the possibility of an earlier opening of borders with the national ministry of health, taking into account the possible risk of importing new infection.

The European Commission is due to present its recommendations regarding Schengen internal borders on Wednesday. The Spanish government accepts that not all countries will be able to open their borders at the same time, as they are at different stages of managing the pandemic. The view of the government is that its timetable for border reopening will not be very different to that of France and Italy.

By the beginning of July, the government wants there to be a series of agreed common protocols for tourism. These would cover, for example, hygiene and capacity at airports and the availability of health centres.

The government is meanwhile studying the conditions for international (Schengen) flights arriving in Spain and will shortly be setting these out in the Official Bulletin of State.