A COVID Safe Destination

Gran Canaria Convention Bureau

As of 14 November 2020, in order to be accommodated at any tourist accommodation, everybody over six years of age (who is not arriving from the Canary Islands) must present a certificate showing that they have tested negative for COVID-19 in the 72 hours prior to their arrival.

What type of test is valid?
Both rt-PCR tests and antigen tests are valid. Alternatively, the tourist can show that they have already had the disease by providing an antibody certificate to confirm that they have developed IgG antibodies.

What kind of certificate?
The test certificate may be presented in digital or hard-copy format and must contain the following information: date and time it was taken, the person's identity details, details of the laboratory responsible for the verification and the nature of the same, and the negative result.

When and how must clients be informed?
Before making their booking or arranging any tourist accommodation service, they must be informed that the terms and conditions for check-in include providing proof that the above diagnostic test has been taken.

When making their booking or arranging the tourist accommodation service, each client must accept the terms and conditions of check-in that apply to them.

All tourist accommodation establishments must hang signs providing information about these terms and conditions for check-in, in at least five community languages, in their reception area.

What happens if test results are not provided?
The tourist establishment will deny access to anybody who does not present the results of their diagnostic test and will inform them of the nearest authorised centres and laboratories where they can take the test.

As an exception, if the tourist cannot prove that they have taken the test, but states that they are willing to take it, they may check in and remain in their room until their results can be obtained, although they will not be allowed to leave their room (except to take the test and collect the results).

What if you test positive?

The movement of positive cases will be assessed by the healthcare authorities depending on symptoms. As a general rule, asymptomatic cases will remain isolated at the same establishment, in units specially set up for this purpose.

The Government of the Canary Islands has a travel insurance policy in place to cover, in the absence of a private policy, any cases of tourists who test positive for COVID-19 who are staying at regulated tourist accommodation and whose holidays in the Canary Islands are for no longer than 30 days. This policy covers the costs of extending their stay for a maximum of 15 days for both the person who has tested positive for COVID-19 and their direct relatives. To activate this cover, the healthcare services must report the patient to the insurance company and tell them how to proceed.

If you change accommodation or island, do you have to repeat the test?
You do not have to repeat the test, but you must present the certificate at the new establishment, along with your travel documents to show that you took the test in the 72 hours prior to your arrival in the Canary Islands.

Furthermore…
Tourist accommodation establishments must keep the documentation proving that the client has complied with these safety measures for 15 days after the client checks out, in case it is required by the Canary Islands Healthcare Service.

The establishment will inform its clients that they have to download the RADAR COVID contagion alert mobile app and keep it enabled during their stay on the islands and for 15 days after they leave.

All information valid from 19th November and collected from www.turismodeislascanarias.com