The Spain Passenger Locator Form (SpTH) was discontinued in October 2022 and is not required for travel as of August 2026. This page is kept for historical reference only. If you are traveling soon, please check our current entry requirements for your destination.
Spain Travel Health Form (SpTH): Why It's No Longer Required
Spain's health-control form is usually searched for as a "Spain PLF," even though Spain never actually called it that - its real name was the Formulario de Control Sanitario, run through the Spain Travel Health (SpTH) platform. It's been gone since 2022. Here's exactly what it required, and why its withdrawal happened in two separate stages rather than a single date.
What Was Spain's Health Control Form (SpTH)?
The Formulario de Control Sanitario - better known by its digital platform name, Spain Travel Health (SpTH) - was a mandatory online health form for travelers arriving in Spain by air or sea. Travelers completed it at spth.gob.es or through the free "Spain Travel Health - SpTH" app, generating a QR code that had to be presented at boarding or upon arrival in Spain.
The form launched on 1 July 2020, under a resolution issued by Spain's Directorate-General for Public Health, as the country reopened to international travel following the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It's worth noting that Spain never officially branded this a "passenger locator form." That's a generic term used by many countries for similar documents. Spain's own terminology was always Formulario de Control Sanitario, or Spain Travel Health.
Why the Spanish Government Created It
The form existed to let Sanidad Exterior, Spain's external health authority, screen and, where necessary, trace international arrivals for COVID-19 risk. It was administered by the Ministry of Health's Directorate-General for Public Health, in coordination with airport operator AENA and Spain's port authorities.
The SpTH form backed up the physical health screening - temperature checks, document review, and visual assessment - that travelers already encountered at Spain's points of entry, in line with the legal basis set out in the Resolución of 29 June 2020 (BOE-A-2020-6927).
What Information Travelers Had to Submit
Completing the SpTH form required travelers to provide:
- Personal, contact, and flight or itinerary details
- Health declaration questions, and, depending on the period, proof of vaccination, a negative test, or recovery from COVID-19
Submitting the form generated a personal QR code, which airlines and border staff checked before boarding or upon arrival in Spain.
How the Requirement Changed Over the Pandemic
Spain adjusted the SpTH requirement more than once before dropping it entirely:
- 2020-2021
The form was used alongside evolving testing and quarantine requirements, which were adjusted multiple times as the pandemic progressed.
- From 8 April 2022
Travelers arriving by air with an EU Digital COVID Certificate (or an equivalent) were exempted from completing the SpTH form. Those without one still had to submit it - a significant easing months before the form was withdrawn entirely.
When and Why It Was Scrapped
The withdrawal of Spain's COVID-19 entry requirements happened in two distinct stages - an important detail that's often collapsed into a single date.
- 20 September 2022
The SpTH form itself, its QR code, and the Spain Travel Health portal and app stopped being required. This update was confirmed officially by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Following weeks
Separately, proof of vaccination, a negative PCR test, or a recovery certificate remained required for non-EU arrivals for several more weeks after the form itself was dropped.
- Early 2023
Spain's Ministry of Health confirmed that no COVID-19 health controls are carried out at Spanish points of entry at all. A narrow, temporary exception briefly applied to flights arriving from China around January 2023, but this too was lifted shortly after.
Is Anything Similar Required to Enter Spain Today?
No. There is currently no SpTH form, health declaration, QR code, or COVID-related entry requirement for travelers heading to Spain. This is confirmed directly by the Ministry of Health's own guidance.
Two unrelated EU developments - the Entry/Exit System (EES) and ETIAS - are sometimes confused with the old SpTH form. Neither is a continuation of it.
Do I still need to fill out Spain's SpTH form?
No. It was withdrawn on 20 September 2022, and by early 2023, all related COVID-19 entry checks had ended.
Is SpTH the same as a "Spain PLF"?
It's functionally similar to other countries' passenger locator forms, though Spain's official name was always Formulario de Control Sanitario, marketed under the Spain Travel Health (SpTH) platform.
When was it introduced?
1 July 2020, alongside Spain's reopening to international travel.
Did the form and the vaccine/test requirement end on the same day?
No. The form itself ended on 20 September 2022, while certificate requirements for non-EU travelers phased out over the following weeks.
What happens if I find the old spth.gob.es site online today?
It documents a discontinued requirement. No current entry form or certificate is needed to travel to Spain.