MADRID – Spain is lifting its restrictions on travelers from the United Kingdom beginning Monday, saying British tourists play a key role in the Spanish economy.

Spanish authorities published the rule change in the government gazette Friday. Restrictions on travel from Japan were also lifted.

In 2019, Britain sent 18 million people to Spain, the most of any country. Tourism is a mainstay of the Spanish economy.

The rule change noted that the European Union is discussing whether to scrap limits on travel into the bloc from the U.K. and Japan, and that the change is likely to be approved.

However, a major snag remains for British tourists. Spain is on the U.K. government’s so-called amber list, meaning people traveling back to the U.K. from Spain need to go into quarantine for 10 days and get tested twice.