News & Special Offers

Ministers rush to set up Covid passports from next month - as Spain confirms it will offer travel corridors with UK because it is 'desperate to welcome Brits' back to beaches -

* Spanish Tourism Secretary Fernando Valdés confirms ongoing talks with UK including for a travel corridor
* Nations with surging jab rollouts could be excluded from the EU's ban on visitors with travel expected in June
* More than 20 other countries, including Spain, Croatia, Turkey, Portugal and Cyprus, want proof of a jab
* Insiders say UK will be among first to be allowed in with Covid passports because of its vaccination scheme
* The travel industry has also been told vaccination passports 'will be brought in next month' in time for May 17

Ministers will rush through covid passports in time to start foreign holidays on May 17 - but will only reveal the UK's ‘green list’ of countries on May 7 - as Spain talked up a quarantine-free travel corridor with Britain, it was revealed today.

Greece says it is ready to welcome vaccinated British tourists immediately when its resorts open up on May 15, while Spain and Portugal say they will throw open their borders from June along with much of the EU.

Spanish Tourism Secretary, Fernando Valdés, said he wants UK holidaymakers to 'restart holidays' in six weeks, adding: 'We are desperate to welcome you this summer. We've been having constant conversations with UK authorities'. Mr Valdes said a travel corridor between the two countries, allowing quarantine-free breaks, is firmly on the table but only with covid passports 'easing' the return of 'safe' travel.