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All inclusive drink restrictions. Confusion has been caused in the Spanish press over claims in the UK tabloids that "Spain has a new law that is limiting people to six drinks a day on all inclusive holidays".....The truth is that the law is not new, these rules have been in force since 2020 and only apply to certain areas of the Balearic Islands (see below)
These rules DO NOT apply to mainland Spain and therefore Benidorm is NOT affected.
The Balearics introduced all inclusive drinking limits of six drinks per day (three at lunch and three at dinner), but these rules do not apply right across the Islands and do not only apply to UK tourists. but all nationalities.
These rules are designed to target unruly holidaymakers, they are focused on the areas that typically experience antisocial behaviour.
The law against drunken tourism has caused great discomfort among many tourists who arrive at hotels in the Balearic Islands on an all-inclusive basis. Most of them say they were unaware of the existence of the regulations.
These are the affected regions:
Majorca - Magaluf, El Arenal, Playa de Palma
Ibiza - Sant Antoni
In designated areas of the resorts of San Antonio, Magaluf and Playa de Palma there are prohibitions on happy hours, open bars (such as all you can drink in 1-hour offers), the sale of alcohol from vending machines, self-service alcohol dispensers and the organising of pub-crawls and party boat trips. The law also prohibits “off-licence” sales between 9:30pm and 8am.
Last January Easyjet and many other companies warned all its potential customers who planned to book their holidays in the Balearics of the new limitations that were going to be encountered.
The story was picked up by the UK press when a 42-year-old tourist in a hotel in one of the areas affected by the regulations in Mallorca. The tourist claims his £240 all-inclusive trip "has been ruined" by alcohol's limitation to six alcoholic beverages per day. Jason Walker stated he felt "angry" and "upset" after discovering there were restrictions on his free drink voucher after landing on the island for a three-night birthday trip. "We only found out when we checked in and didn't budget as much money for this trip because we thought all our food and drink would be covered," Walker says in the British newspaper. "I understand that they are trying to stop alcohol abuse and noisy behavior, but I think this has been done without the necessary publicity: we were not informed and did not know anything about the new law."
Whether you are heading to the Balearic Islands or elsewhere, it is always a good idea to check the terms of a holiday marked as all inclusive before booking.
There’s no official definition of all inclusive, which means you might not get the same at every resort. Always check the small print before booking your holiday.
17th July 2022 - In a bid to stem the flow of drunken tourism, 11 restaurants on the Spanish island of Mallorca have banned people from entering wearing tank tops, swimming costumes, fancy dress costumes, football tops or clothing with logos of branding of other businesses on the islands that promote drunken tourism.
Keep up to date with all the latest on Benidorm Seriously FB group. or join us on the Benidorm Social Club
Travellers to Spain could be asked to prove they have at least €100 per day (per person) in order to be able to enter the country.
This has actually been the rule for some time, and CAN be asked for by border control along with other things such as proof of a return ticket to place of origin. Whether it is asked for or not is entirely down to the officer working on the border at the time. (Its similar to rules to enter the USA or Australia, proof of funds).
See Entry Requirements from the UK
According to the EU laws on entry for third-country nationals, travellers from non-EU and non-Schengen countries need to show proof that they have the financial means to support themselves during their stay in the Schengen Area..
The same requirement also applies to Spain Schengen visa applicants, which means that they need to show proof that they have at least €100 per each day they plan on staying in Spain when applying for a Schengen Visa to Spain, border guards may verify the sufficient means of subsistence on cash, travellers’ cheques and credit cards in possession of the traveller.
The amount required for crossing the external borders is fixed by the Spanish national authorities and has been noted by the official EULaw database & home of the EU Official Journal, known as EUR-Lex.
Why €100?
It is the responsibility of each country to set the per day required amount for stays in its territory.
The amount of €100 per day represents ten per cent of the gross minimum interprofessional gross salary or its legal equivalent in third-country currency multiplied by the amount of days they plan on spending in the territory of Spain and by the number of other travellers whose expenses will also be covering.
Since January 1st, 2022, the Spanish authorities have set the minimum interprofessional wage at €33.33 per day or €1,000 euros per month, depending on whether the wage is fixed by days or by months.
Belgium requires travellers to show proof they have €95 per day if they are staying in a hotel and at least €45 per day if they will be accommodated at cheaper options, and for France the minimum required daily amount of money is €120 if the traveller holds no proof of prepaid accommodation. If the accommodation has been prepaid, the required amount drops to €65 per day.
“I Travelled to Spain Several Times and I Was Never Asked For Such Proof”
Many travellers might have visited Spain more than once, and have never been asked to show proof of sufficient financial means for entry into the country.
The reason behind this is that while travellers are absolutely obliged to hold such proof, the border guards are not required to ask each person entering the country to present these documents. In fact, random travellers are selected to be asked for such documents.
“Foreigners must prove, if required to do so by the officials in charge of controlling the entry of people into Spanish territory, that they have economic resources [for entering the country],” the Spanish Ministry of Interior notes.
The Ministry also points out that travellers are eligible to prove they have the required financial means through cash or by presenting certified checks, traveller’s checks, payment letters, or credit cards, “which must be accompanied by the bank account statement or an up-to-date bank book.” Other means that reliably prove the amount available as credit such as travellers’ cheques and credit cards in possession of the traveller are also acceptable.
What Happens If I am Asked to Prove I Have €100-Per-Day and I Don’t Have It?
If the border guards decide to ask a traveller whether he or she has the required means of subsistence, and the same fails to do so, the border guards have to right to refuse entry into the country to that traveller.
Border officials also have the right to permit entry into Spain to persons who do not have sufficient financial means but by reducing the length of their permitted stay in proportion to the amount of resources available, this means they will set a deadline when the travellers must leave Spain so a new departure ticket would have to be purchased according to this deadline.
Over 135,000 Third-Country Nationals Were Refused Entry at EU External Borders in 2020
Article provided by Schengen Visa Info
Changes to EU travel - There are two quite big changes due for travel in and out of the European Union that will affect non-EU citizens such as British, Americans, Australians and Canadians etc.. The two new border systems being put in place will mean a slight change to travel both in and out of the EU and Schengen zone.
The two systems will be known as EES (Entry/Exit System) and ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System)
Changes to EU travel
EES - Entry/Exit System - latest update points to the system starting in September.
This does not change anything in terms of the visas or documents required for travel, or the rights of travellers, but it does change how the EU’s external borders are policed.
Basically this will be a security upgrade to replace the current system that relies on border guards with rubber stamps, these will be replaced with an electronic swipe in/out system that registers more details such as your immigration status, this tightens up the 90-day rule and means that anyone attempting to over-stay will instantly be spotted.
The EES system will be able to calculate how long you can stay within the EU, based on your rights of residency or your 90-day allowance, it also checks whether your passport has ever been flagged for immigration offences such as overstaying a visa.
This system is for non-EU nationals who are entering the EU as a visitor (rather than residents). The system scans your passport and will tell you how long you can stay for (based on the 90-allowance or the visa linked to the passport).
The system will register the person’s name, type of travel document, biometric data (fingerprints and captures facial images), as well as the date and place of entry and exit. In addition, the system will also record entry refusals. The data will be gathered at land crossings, seaports, and air and then will be shared with the relevant government agencies.
Many airports already have biometric passport scanners but at the moment they are only checking that your passport is valid and the photo matches your face.
The system will help bona fide third-country nationals too to travel more easily while identifying more efficiently over-stayers and cases of document and identity fraud. As soon as the new system starts being operational, the authorities will put self-service devices at airports. These devices will be used to scan airports, faces, and fingerprints, land borders will get gates where people will be able to scan their documents and face and register their entry or exit into the EU.
This is only for the EU’s external borders, so will not apply if you are travelling between France and Germany, but would apply if you enter any EU or Schengen zone country from a non-EU country eg crossing from the UK to France or flying into Germany from the US.
What if you are a resident? Non EU nationals who live in an EU country and have a national residency card such as a TIE in Spain are not affected by this, since they have the right to unlimited stays within their country of residence.
For non-EU nationals who have residency in an EU country it could mean the end of the rather inconsistent process of passport stamping, which has been a particular issue since Brexit
(more info will follow)
The European Commission first started consulting on this in 2016 with a planned start date of 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted that. The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is set to become fully functional in May 2022.
Changes to EU travel
ETIAS - European Travel Information and Authorisation System - Note - An ETIAS visa waiver is NOT a visa.
This is only relevant to non-EU citizens who do NOT live permanently in an EU country or have a visa for an EU country, so includes tourists, second-home owners and those on family visits or doing short-term work.
ETIAS will become mandatory by May 2023. The launch of the scheme has been postponed several times now, so there’s always a possibility that it will be postponed again. However, May next year is the current date of the ETIAS launch given by the EU.
Citizens of many non-EU countries including the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can spend up to 90 days in every 180 in the EU or Schengen zone without needing a visa – the so-called ’90 day rule’ – people are still entitled to spend up to 90 days in every 180, but the process will not be completely free and travellers will have to fill out an online application before they travel.
Once issued, the authorisation lasts for three years, an ETIAS will be valid for a period of three years at first, and then it will be issued for longer periods, so frequent travellers do not need to complete a new application every time they travel.
Each application will cost €7, which is over 11 times less than paying for a visa, which costs €80, plus extra fees for applications filed through outsourced visa services - FREE for under 18s and over 70s.
The procedures for obtaining an ETIAS include going online at the ETIAS website (which hasn’t been launched yet) and completing a simple application form. This form contains questions regarding the identity of the traveller and some background security questions.
The traveller is required to upload his/her passport scan on the system and pay a small fee at the end of the application. The European Commission state that applications should be processed quickly (10-15 minutes to complete) but advise travellers to apply 72 hours in advance in case of delays.
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Find a test Provider in the UK - Help finding a coronavirus (COVID-19) travel test provider if you're arriving in England
You can compare and choose a test provider based on cost and whether they are available in your region.
The government does not endorse or recommend any specific test provider - you should do your own research about them and their terms and conditions.
See returning to the UK for ALL travel info
If you’re arriving in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland
There are different rules. Find out what you need to do:
if you’re travelling to Scotland
if you’re travelling to Northern Ireland
If you are fully vaccinated
You do not need to take any COVID-19 travel tests before you travel to England or after you arrive.
You do not need to quarantine when you arrive in England.
If you are not fully vaccinated
book and pay for a COVID-19 PCR test – to be taken after you arrive in England
When you arrive in England – not fully vaccinated
You do not need to quarantine when you arrive in England.
You must take the COVID-19 PCR test that you booked before you travelled.
You can take the test any time after you arrive and before the end of day 2 at the latest. The day you arrive in England is day 0.
If the test result is positive or unclear, you must self-isolate
If you’ve ordered tests and there’s a problem
Contact your test provider to get help with the tests you’ve ordered. For example, if they have not arrived or you do not have your results.
The information above is provided by Gov.UK.
Find other information on Travel in this section of the website
Visa Waver fee for British Nationals - 4th August 2021. The European Commission have announced that British nationals will have to pay a visa waiver fee to enter the Schengen area from 2022
The ETIAS which stands for European Travel Information and Authorisation System is an online platform and is part of a plan to improve border security for the Schengen Area.
The ETIAS authorisation will cost €7 for all applicants between the ages of 18 and 70, and will be a one-off fee which will be valid for three years for multiple entries into Schengen states.
This is set to launch before the end of 2022 and will affect visa-exempt non-EU nationals.
Fortunately, ETIAS is easier to obtain than a visa, the registration process is fully online with no need to visit an embassy or consulate.
Travellers will need to fill in an online application form via an official website or use an app to receive approval. EU Commission state that “a vast majority of cases (expected to be over 95 per cent) will result in automatic approval”. If further checks are needed, authorisation may take up to 30 days.
It can be used for train, road, ferry, and air travel to Europe as well as to cross land and sea borders.
It will be a mandatory condition for entry to the Schengen States, and will be checked alongside travel documents by the border guards when crossing the EU border. The European Commission will publish the date from which travellers can apply on its official website.
Once a British citizen has crossed an external Schengen border with ETIAS they can move around the borderless travel zone without facing further checkpoints. Like other visa-exempt third-nationals, UK passport holders can stay in the Schengen zone for up to 90 days per 180-day period.
Use this Schengen Visa Calculator to make sure you do not break the rules
Visa waiver fee for British Nationals
The European Commission states:
“This prior verification of visa exempt non-EU citizens will facilitate border checks; avoid bureaucracy and delays for travellers when presenting themselves at the borders; ensure a coordinated and harmonised risk assessment of third-country nationals; and substantially reduce the number of refusals of entry at border crossing points.”
It added that it will not change which non-EU countries are subject to a visa requirement, and will not introduce a new visa requirement for nationals of countries that are visa-exempt.
Read further information on ETIAS here.
Find more information on travel in this section of the website
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