You can escape to Spain this summer, provided you have your COVID passport

The Spanish government has officially confirmed that it will be welcoming vaccinated Brits to their beaches as of June using the NHS app as a vaccine passport to allow holiday travel.

The NHS app to double as COVID passport

According to statistics, the progress has been so good that holiday vacations could resume as early as 17 May as was revealed in the UK government's roadmap out of lockdown. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps explains:

I have to say that so far the data does continue to look good from a UK perspective, notwithstanding those concerns about where people might be travelling to and making sure we're protected from the disease being reimported.

Mr Shapps also confirmed that the NHS app will double as a certification to prove that Brits have been vaccinated against the virus in order to allow foreign travel. He added:

In terms of vaccine certification, I can confirm we are working on an NHS application, actually it will be the NHS app that is used for people when they book appointments with the NHS and so on, to be able to show you've had a vaccine or you've had testing.

Spain ready to welcome tourism

Tourism minister, Fernando Valdes Verelst, explained that the country's government has been pushing for tourism to start back as soon as possible as Spain's economy relies heavily on it.

In particular, the conversation surrounding digital vaccine passports has been supported from the get go with the idea to ultimately have a mutual agreement between both countries so that spaniards could also see themselves going on holidays in the UK.

This would also mean that vaccinated Brits returning back home to the UK would not need to quarantine upon leaving Spain. Mr. Valdes Verelst explains:

June will be the start of the recovery of tourism in Spain. By then, we will have a digital vaccination certificate in place and we will be able to reopen our borders.