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Article from the Moncloa website.
The campaign #ViajaSeguro, which the ministerial department tends to present each year, places particular focus this year on its digital dimension and is shaped as one of the main lines of digital communication and public diplomacy of the department.
It is comprised of nine graphic pieces that will be posted on the department’s social media and throughout the network of the embassies and consulates, as well as on an ad hoc microsite on the department’s webpage, and seeks to raise awareness of the consequences that travel abroad may have in the current situation of the spread of the pandemic, offering a series of recommendations for those who, despite the global presence of the virus, decide to choose a foreign country as their destination.
In addition to the traditional goals of raising awareness of the precautions that should be adopted before undertaking a trip and of announcing the consular services that can be resorted to in the event of necessity, this year a series of warnings are added, including the call for Spanish travellers to assess the uncertainty that exists in a good many countries regarding borders, quarantines and restrictions on mobility, as well as the possibility of new spikes in the region of the country chosen.
Before packing luggage, which should include sufficient face masks and sanitising gel, travellers are invited to consult the specific travel recommendations deriving from COVID-19 and the compulsory health demands imposed by local authorities.
The campaign also warns of the international transport situation, which mainly affects restrictions on air traffic, the difficulties of international air connections and the frequency with which cancellations deriving from all the limitations imposed occur internationally.
Accordingly, it is more necessary this year than ever before to reiterate the need to take out a travel insurance policy to cover such circumstances as may arise, as well as a medical insurance policy that can cover any health situation in those countries where the capacity of the national health systems may be severely limited by the ravages of the pandemic.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation also reminds travellers that neither embassies nor consulates have the capacity to cover such deficiencies as may arise in the tourist services contracted, nor such deficiencies as may develop in health systems and nor will they address any extra costs that may derive from stays that are extended unexpectedly for Spaniards having voluntarily chosen a foreign country to take their holidays.
In the present circumstances, as well as travelling safely, people should also travel responsibly and make sure they are well-informed (by carefully reading the travel recommendations that are updated on the webpage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, which include all countries in the world) and be aware that they should travel after registering on the register of travellers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.
The register of travellers can be completed using an app, available on iOS and Android platforms, and information can be consulted on the following link: https://registroviajeros.exteriores.gob.es. This application allows people to register their trips, indicating their contact and travel details and thus have direct and intuitive access to the department’s travel recommendations and to alerts in the case of emergency. This is an application that has been developed and promoted by the department in its endeavour to improve consular services and attention, and to make them easier, more straight-forward and accessible. It should be noted that by registering on the register of travellers application significantly contributes to facilitating and improving consular protection and assistance in the case of emergency. Note: as it’s a consular service, offered by the Spanish Exterior Ministry, only Spanish nationals can register on the App.
As is usual, it is also important to ensure that the documentation necessary to travel is in order, valid and lasts until after departure from the country, that travellers have obtained a visa as and when necessary and to be particularly cautious in the event of children travelling when not accompanied by both parents. In this context, it is also very important to ensure that all obligatory vaccines have been obtained for authorisation to enter the country, and to take enough medicine in case there are supply problems in the destination country.
This informative work is completed with the “Spain with you” service, which allows an SMS to be sent to the mobile phone of Spaniards when travelling abroad, indicating the emergency phone number of the closest consular office to the place of arrival.
