SPAIN could create a ‘green corridor’ to allow vaccinated Brits into the country if there is no EU agreement on vaccine passports, the country’s tourism minister has said. 

Fernando Valdés revealed that the Spanish Government were in talks with the UK in a bid to make travel between the two countries easier in time for summer, allowing Brits to book a holiday in the sun.

Mr Valdés added that Spain is hoping to find an agreement with the EU so the country can start welcoming back tourists as soon as possible.

Speaking to Bloomberg TV, he said: “Right now we have discussions with our colleagues in the UK.

“For us the British market is our main market. But obviously since we are a member of the European Union, the solutions have first to be part of the discussions with the EU.

“And obviously if that cannot be reached, we will be thinking of other corridors like green corridors with third countries that can help us restart tourism flows.”

Greek officials have also said UK holidaymakers with vaccine passports could be allowed to skip lengthy queues at the border for Covid-19 tests. 

Plans could be in place by May, which is the earliest possible date British people may be allowed to travel following the results of a government consultation.

The news comes after UK’s health secretary Matt Hancock confirmed discussions about vaccine passports with other countries and the EU.

“We are absolutely working with our international partners on the need for certification in terms of having had a vaccine to be able to travel to another country,” he said, adding that the “EU is part of those discussions”. 

The European Union announced plans earlier this week for a vaccine passport scheme, called the ‘Digital Green Pass’. 

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen revealed the scheme would allow travel to resume across the continent as soon as possible. 

She said: “The Digital Green Pass should facilitate Europeans’ lives. The aim is to gradually enable them to move safely in the EU or abroad for work or tourism.”

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