Gibraltar has said British visitors won’t have to provide a COVID test when travel to the British Overseas Territory resumes.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told Sky News: “Gibraltar has an open frontier with Spain and the rest of the European Union, and we don’t require PCR testing for those who come across our land frontier.

“We therefore don’t think it would be appropriate for us to require PCR testing of those who are coming from the United Kingdom, which has a higher vaccinated population and a lower incidence of COVID than the rest of the European Union.”

He added Gibraltar will offer a ‘great British staycation in the Mediterranean’. Its not likely that British holidaymakers will be able to use Gibraltar as a ‘backdoor’ into Spain or the rest of the EU as, currently, only residents of Spain or Gibraltar or workers are allowed to travel over the border.

“When you’re coming to Gibraltar you’re coming to a part of Britain, and therefore you’re going to be very welcome here without the need for a PCR test,” said Mr Picardo.

“It’s thanks to the United Kingdom Government that Gibraltar can proudly say that all of our adult population is now vaccinated.

“Gibraltar has zero cases of COVID today.”

Meanwhile, Israel has also said it is ready for fully vaccinated British tourists to visit from 23 May.

Visitors will be required to take a serological (antibody) test on arrival to prove their vaccination status, but this could be dropped for UK holidaymakers, according to Sharon Ehrlich Bershadsky, head of the Israeli government’s London tourist office.