Spain has announced it will loosen its border requirements, with children over 12 from non-EU countries no longer needing to be fully vaccinated.

The Spanish government announced that it is relaxing its travel rules from Monday, which will be a boost for British holidaymakers planning to head abroad in February half-term.

Children aged 12 to 17 will now be able to visit by showing a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival in Spain, as an alternative to presenting a Covid certificate with proof of having been fully vaccinated.

Reyes Maroto, Spain’s minister for trade, industry and tourism, said: “As one of the world’s favourite tourism destinations, we are committed to making travel to Spain a safe and easy experience for our visitors, especially for families travelling with children.”

All other UK travellers, excluding children under 12, will still need to present a Covid certificate showing proof of being fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to arrival in Spain. If more than 270 days have passed since the last dose was administered, proof of a booster jab is also required.

Prior to travelling to Spain, all passengers must also present a QR code which is obtained from filling in the Health Control Form (FCS in Spanish) available via Spain Travel Health (SpTH).

Tourism bodies welcomed the move, with a spokesperson for ABTA, the British Travel Association, saying the changes to the rules will mean more families will be able to enjoy a break in one of the UK’s most popular overseas holiday destinations.

“This, along with the UK also relaxing its travel requirements, means it is getting easier for people to set off on their long-awaited holidays abroad.

“With two-thirds of families saying their holidays are more important to them now than before the pandemic, the latest changes should give more people confidence to book their much-missed foreign holiday,” the spokesperson added.