MADRID: British tourists will be admitted to Spain from next month only if they can show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination, according to a Spanish government bulletin published on Saturday as the country tightened travel restrictions amid concern about the new Omicron coronavirus variant.

Until now, Britons were admitted to Spain if they could show proof they had been fully vaccinated against coronavirus or a negative PCR test result taken up to 72 hours before arriving.

“The appearance of new variants causing (coronavirus) obliges an increase in restrictions,” with regard to people from the UK and Northern Ireland, said the announcement in the Bulletin of State.

The new measure comes into force from Wednesday, Dec. 1.

“This will affect British residents but not British people who are resident in Spain,” a spokeswoman for Spain’s Industry, Trade and Tourism said.

About 300,000 Britons have residency in Spain, making it the largest group of UK citizens in Europe outside Britain.

Spain restricted flights from South Africa and Botswana on Friday following similar decisions by other European governments.