A reminder of important UK travel rules and regulations if you’re traveling to Majorca this summer

With many Brits heading to Mallorca and the Balearic Islands this summer, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has issued a reminder to Britons flights to the island and other EU holiday destinations, for which Britons may need to show additional documentation at the border. There is a new rule that travelers from the UK will have to show where they intend to stay. Information is available from the official Foreign Office advice for British holidaymakers going to Spain and states that:
“If you enter the Schengen area as a tourist, you may be required to present additional documents at the border. And a valid return or onward ticketwhen traveling to Spain you may be asked to show:
You have enough money for your stay. Proof of accommodation for the duration of your stay, e.g. hotel booking confirmation
Proof of address when visiting your own property (e.g. second home).

Invitation or proof of address when staying with a third party, friends or family. One of the available options is a Carta de invitation completed by the hosts. Also check if your passport is stamped when entering or leaving the Schengen area through Spain as a guest.

The border guard checks whether you comply with the 90-day visa-free travel limit for short stays in the Schengen area. If you do not have the appropriate entry or exit stamps in your passport, this will be considered an overstay. You can show proof of when and where you entered or left the Schengen area, and ask the border guard to add this date and place in your passport. Examples of acceptable evidence include boarding passes and tickets.

And ABTA – the Travel Association reminds holidaymakers about this When preparing your hand luggage for airport security, stick to applicable regulations regarding liquids and laptops. ABTA’s advice aims to help avoid potential delays and confusion in airport security this half year caused by the delayed rollout of new generation security scanners. The new scanners, when fully rolled out, will abolish the 100ml liquid rule and allow electronic devices (laptops, tablets, etc.) to remain in hand luggage while going through security.

However, by June 1, 2024 – the original government deadline – many UK airports will not be fully operational and equipped with the new scanners. Many foreign airports have also not yet introduced the new technology. With this in mind, ABTA says the simplest approach for all holidaymakers is to follow existing regulations on liquids and electronic devices.

Existing rules:
Liquids cannot exceed 100 ml.
When going through security, please remove your liquids from your bag and place them in one 20cm x 20cm clear, resealable plastic bag, containing only one bag per person. Electronic devices such as laptops and tablets are removed from hand luggage during security screening.
ABTA also advises travelers to pay attention to signage and guidance at the airport regarding applicable safety rules.

ABTA director of public affairs, Luke Petherbridge, said: “To help everyone enjoy a stress-free experience, our message is simple – you can’t go wrong as long as you follow current regulations on liquids and laptops when preparing your hand luggage. New airport scanners will speed up operations and strengthen security once they are fully implemented, while we still have time airports are still working to implement the changes“It’s best to travel as if nothing has changed.”

Further advice on airport security and the new scanners can be found on the ABTA website at abta.com/airportsecurity.