GOV.UK
Foreign travel advice
Spain
Entry requirements
The information on this page covers the most common types of travel and reflects the UK government’s understanding of the rules currently in place. Unless otherwise stated, this information is for travellers using a full ‘British Citizen’ passport.
The authorities in the country or territory you’re travelling to are responsible for setting and enforcing the rules for entry. If you’re unclear about any aspect of the entry requirements, or you need further reassurance, you’ll need to contact the embassy, high commission or consulate of the country or territory you’re travelling to.
You should also consider checking with your transport provider or travel company to make sure your passport and other travel documents meet their requirements.
Passport validity
Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you do not need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this. This applies to the whole of Spain, including the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands (Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera).
The rules for travel to most countries in Europe will change if there’s a no-deal Brexit. If your adult passport was issued over 9 years ago, you may be affected. You should check your passport is still valid for your trip before booking travel.
Adult and child passports should have at least 6 months’ validity remaining on your date of travel. If you renewed your passport early, extra months would have been added to your new passport. Any extra months on an adult passport will not count towards the validity requirement, so some passport holders will need to have more than 6 months remaining in order to travel.
You can check your passport here.
Visas
If you hold a British Citizen passport, you don’t need a visa to enter Spain. If you’re planning a stay of longer than 3 months, see our Living in Spain guide and contact the Spanish Embassy if you have further questions.
The rules for travelling or working in Europe will change if there’s a no-deal Brexit, but you should not need a visa for short trips. The European Commission has proposed that British Citizens would be able to visit countries in the Schengen area or elsewhere in the EU for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa.
If you’re travelling to Spain, previous visits to the Schengen area within the 180 days before your date of travel would count against the 90-day limit, but trips to other EU countries outside the Schengen area (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania) would not. The 90-day visa-free period would not entitle you to work - most countries will require a visa and work permit. You may also need to get a visa before you travel if you’re planning to stay longer than 90 days, or your visit would take you over the 90 days in 180 days limit. You should check with the Spanish Embassy what type of visa, if any, you will need.
After Brexit, on arrival in the Schengen area you may be asked to confirm that you have sufficient funds available for the duration of your stay. As non-EEA nationals, different border control checks will apply, and you may also be asked to show a return or onward ticket. UK nationals would not have an ongoing right to use the separate lanes provided for EU, EEA and Swiss nationals.
UK Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs)
UK ETDs are accepted for entry, airside transit and exit from Spain.