Given the current situation in Europe and the rest of the world, from AU PAIR IN SPAIN we would like to give you a COVID-19 update in Spain. How is COVID 19 affecting our normal operations and how we are addressing the issues, concerns and fears. All you need to know if you want to be an Au pair In Spain during Covid-19 pandemic.
Current situation in Spain:
The Spanish authorities have put in place a series of extraordinary measures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to help reduce the spread of the virus:
- Perimeter limitation of entry and exit per territorial units depending on evolution of the pandemic and risk assessment. You can check situation in this link.
- Spain already started vaccination campaign against Covid-19. Updated information here.
- Primary and Secondary Schools, Language schools and universities are open. They all offer hybrid and on line classes when confinement is required.Nurseries and day care centres are open.
- Public sports centres, national museums, theaters, bars and restaurants are open but with limited capacity according to the rules of Ministry of Health.
- In most territorial units in Spain there is a movement limitation at night from 22:00- 6:00. In Madrid territory from 00:00 to 6:00.
- Public transport works normally and air space of Spain has never been completely closed except for some countries and for limited period of time depending on risk assessment made by authorities.
- National and local festivals such as Las Fallas in Valencia, Holly Week in Seville, San Fermines in Pamplona, etc… have been suspended.
- Social groups of no more than 6 or 10 people depending on the territory.
- Travel restrictions from foreign countries: Europeans can enter in Spain with no limits, excepting temporary closures. Non europeans normally can entry only if they are students and hold a proper student visa. If you want to be an Au Pair in Spain and come from a non european country you need to get a Student Visa. They all need to complete a Health Control Form.
- From November 23rd, 2020, all passengers who come from a risk country/area in relation to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, must present, in order to enter Spain, a certificate with a NEGATIVE PCR result (COVID-19 RT-PCR), carried out in the 72 hours before arrival in Spain.
More detailed information and FAQ in this site.
Government predictions: around Summer period they expect to have all population vaccinated.
What We Are Doing:
The health and safety of our au pairs and host families is a priority. We make families and au pairs to sign an aditional agreement regarding Covid-19 outbreak. The purpose is to promote safety of both parties and facilitate the coexistence during these difficult times. It is a Safety protocol linked to what it is regulated by health authorities that will contribute to promoting a more comfortable and fluid relationship between host family and au pair.
We also have teamed up with several international travel insurance and national medical insurance providers to make sure au pairs will get medical coverage in Spain during their stay. Due to the pandemic, public hospitals may be collapsed and the best to guarantee medical assistance is to get aditional private medical insurance, even when they have the European Health Insurance card. See more detailed information about insurance options here.
We are spending a lot of time and effort attending many questions and concerns from au pairs and families.
We are monitoring the Coronavirus outbreak closely and we are following local authority websites and monitoring all the likely sources of information and the media in order to inform properly and to be able to provide answers to our au pairs and families in the most responsible way. We will keep maintaining this information updated as new information becomes available.
Our programs still continue to operate as usual but we are taking extra precautions and giving applicants the recommendations below.
Our AU PAIR IN SPAIN program:
Our au pairs continue arriving to Spain. They are mostly americans with an student visa and europeans. Any one had any problem of entry in Spain and they had been able to attend their spanish lessons in person.
We are receiving au pair and family applications and closing matches for this current school year and for the summer starting in May/June and for academic year starting in September 2021.
In case of travel bans, airport closures or quarantine due to coronavirus, etc…. we can assist au pairs and host families to find an alternative option.
Our host families continue searching for asap and June – September start dates in high numbers so the situation has not affected that much the demand for applicants. We are also offering more flexible cancelation policies in order to help during these uncertainty times.
We hope that the situation will improve with the upcoming spring and summer weather and with the vaccination campaign that has already started in Spain..
Recommendations for applicants that want to be an Au Pair in Spain:
- If you would like to be an Au Pair in Spain starting in the next upcoming months, please fill out or on line form , and start talking to families available with no commitment. You both can decide together when can be the best moment to start your stay.
- Au pairs who are scheduled to arrive will be asked not to travel if they are sick or feeling unwell prior to traveling to Spain.
- Au pairs need to check travel advice pages from their local Government before traveling to Spain. Au pairs arriving to Spain need to complete this Health control form before arrival.
- We recommend they arrange cancelation insurance when booking their flight. From our research, many airlines do now also offer more flexible flight change policies.
- We recommend they check travel insurance implications with travel insurance providers to make sure they will get medical coverage against Covid in Spain during their stay.
More information will be shared when available. Best wishes.
Links of Interest:
Spain
Updated information about Covid-19 in this site of MINISTRY OF HEALTH IN SPAIN
Official Twitter channel in Spain
UK
INFORMATION ABOUT CORONAVIRUS IN UK
Ireland
INFORMATION ABOUT CORONAVIRUS IN IRELAND
United States
INFORMATION ABOUT CORONAVIRUS IN THE USA
International
