Americans are back in Spain; here’s a glimpse of their first day

Americans can once again indulge in the charm of España. As we've mentioned, it has been a tense few weeks for those eager to visit Spain. Initially announced to reopen on June 7, there were later concerns that Americans might not be allowed entry until June 30 or beyond.

After some last-minute adjustments, Spain has officially reopened to American travelers today.

Dinogo reader Liz Ender reached out to TPG founder Brian Kelly, sharing her excitement about being one of the first American tourists to arrive in Spain. Eager to hear her story, we learned that she and her brother Brian made spontaneous plans as soon as news broke about Spain's reopening back in May.

We spoke with Liz and Brian Ender about their sibling adventure. They traveled from New York-JFK to Madrid's Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (MAD), landing at 8:45 a.m. — likely among the very first Americans to arrive under the new regulations.

Brian Ender shared that Spain ranks among his favorite destinations; he studied there and has returned at least ten times. He mentioned that he and his sister Liz are quite "spontaneous," so when they learned Spain was reopening, they instantly booked Delta One tickets without hesitation.

Brian remarked, "Upon hearing the reopening date of June 7, I realized my birthday is on June 6. I thought, what better way to celebrate my birthday than in my favorite country?"

They mentioned that airlines don’t verify your eligibility to travel when you book during COVID-19. Brian explained, "Once you make your reservation, they start sending you emails. You might require a test, but they don’t advise against booking the flight."

I inquired if they felt anxious due to the constantly shifting regulations. Brian replied, "It did become somewhat stressful. I spent a lot of time reading and translating the information released by the Spanish government, IATA, and more." They also kept up with TPG articles on the reopening, which were revised at least four times!

The duo admitted they both felt nervous. Brian stated, "I couldn't get a definitive answer."

They even reached out to the U.S. embassy in Madrid and the consulate in Washington D.C., but "even the embassies lacked clear information."

Brian remarked, "We understood there was some risk involved, but I was ready to take a chance... We’re fearless."

Brian went on to say:

"We contacted Delta several times seeking clarity on whether a PCR test was necessary. I was informed that without a PCR test, I would be denied boarding at JFK. We decided to take a chance and skip the test, as I had read in Spanish that it wouldn’t be required. When we arrived at the counter, they only asked for our vaccination cards and the Spain QR code, with no mention of a test despite the Delta app indicating we would need one. It turned out to be the right call."

Brian affirmed, "I can say with certainty that vaccinated Americans did not need to present a PCR test in Spain — only proof of our two vaccine doses taken within the last 15 days and the QR code from the Spain Travel Health (SpTH) form."

They mentioned that no one ever requested test results, and at the gate, they were only asked for their passports.

Liz recounted that upon arrival, they felt extremely anxious. Being the first to disembark, the border control officer seemed unsure when they explained they were Americans visiting for tourism. They presented their vaccination cards and passports, and Liz noted he appeared "confused" and went to fetch a supervisor. She said they exchanged no words with either the officer or the supervisor. After some discussion, their passports were stamped, and they were allowed to proceed. They had one final stop to show their QR codes to personnel in PPE, and that was it. Welcome to Spain!

Interestingly, after they arrived, the Spanish consulate followed up with them regarding the updated regulations:

"Starting June 7th, all travelers departing from the U.S. to Spain will be allowed entry if they can show their vaccination card upon arrival, indicating that they completed their vaccination more than 15 days prior. This requirement does not exempt anyone from needing a visa where applicable. In every case, obtaining a QR code from https://www.spth.gob.es/ before boarding is mandatory."

I asked Liz and Brian if all the stress was worthwhile. Liz replied, "Absolutely worth it. We've been stuck at home... we love to travel. It was tough for us to not be on a plane."

Brian said, "Once we arrived, it felt very rewarding to be among the few international tourists in the country at that moment. People would ask us where we were from; they seemed genuinely pleased to have us back."

To learn more about the regulations for visiting Spain, you can read this article. Vaccinated Americans are allowed entry into Spain without needing a negative COVID-19 PCR test. However, unvaccinated travelers from the U.S. are still prohibited from entering for tourism purposes.