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Travel Summary

• There is a high threat from terrorism in Spain.  Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.  Recent attacks have taken place on the island of Mallorca (Majorca), in Burgos and in Bilbao in the North of Spain.  See the Terrorism section of this advice for more details.
  
  
• There are confirmed human cases of the H1N1 virus (Swine flu) in Spain. If you are concerned about the outbreak of the H1N1 virus, there is a dedicated freephone number for British nationals overseas: (+44) 207 928 1010. You can check for updates through the Spanish Ministry of Health website: http://www.msc.es/en/home.htm (in Spanish). Tel: 901 400 100. You should also monitor local media reports for any developments and advice. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its pandemic threat alert Phase to Level 6.  The WHO website at: www.who.int/ has further details. Check Swine Flu for further information. Guidance on Pandemic Flu can be obtained on the UK Department of Health website at www.dh.gov.uk.  There are currently no quarantine measures in place for Spain.
  
  
• Since mid-July, forest fires have spread across many of Spain's regions. Aragon, the Canary Islands, Catalonia and Murcia have been particularly badly affected. The fires have claimed a number of lives, mainly of firefighters. Visitors throughout Spain should be alert to the risk in rural areas and should take care to avoid any actions that could cause fires. Significant punishments exist for such actions, which include carelessness when disposing of cigarette ends.
  
  
• Chelsea FC play Atletico Madrid in Madrid on 3 November 2009, for further information see: Atletico Madrid v Chelsea.
  
  
• In March 2004, 192 people died and over 1400 were injured following bomb attacks on three trains in Madrid.  A group purporting to represent Al Qa’ida claimed responsibility.
   
  
• Around 17 million visits to Spain each year are made by British nationals (Source: Instituto de Estudios Turisticos - IET).  5,430 British nationals required consular assistance in Spain in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident; deaths (1,825 cases); hospitalisations (741 cases) and arrests, for a variety of reasons (2,290 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (7,548 cases). You should also be alert to the existence of street crime.  See the Crime section of this advice for more details.  If you need to contact the emergency services in Spain call 112.
  
  
• On 1 January 2006 legislation came into effect across Spain which brought in controls covering smoking in bars, restaurants and other workplaces. Additional legislation has since come into effect bringing in more stringent controls on drinking & sexual activity in public places. This includes Spanish beaches, where regulations have increased significantly. Fines imposed for breach of regulations range from €30 to a maximum of €1500 .
  
  
• Since 19 June 2007, passengers flying to Spain have needed to supply to their airline details of their date of birth, nationality, and passport number before flying.  This is part of EU-wide measures to improve security.  Further information can be found at: Direct gov - Air Travel .
  
  
• We recommend that comprehensive travel and medical insurance is obtained before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake.  See General (Insurance) section of this advice and  Travel Insurance for more details.