With its beautiful beaches, vibrant cities and near-guaranteed hot and sunny weather, it’s no wonder that Spain is consistently a go-to holiday destination for Brits.
In fact, over 19million UK visitors headed to Spain last year and this year’s expected to have similar numbers. However, there have been a swathe of changes to travel rules for the holiday hotspot in recent years, from new post-Brexit passport requirements, to extra documents you may need to show on arrival.
We take a look at three key recent travel rules that are worth having on your radar before you even head to the airport…
New passport rules for Spain
If you’re heading to Spain, it’s not just the expiry date on your passport you’ll need to pay attention to. Like other EU countries, there are two key dates in your travel document that will determine if you’re allowed to board your flight.
The first is the issue date; your passport needs to have been issued within 10 years of the date of your departure, or your document won’t be deemed valid.
The second date is the expiry date, but don’t assume that if your passport is still valid for your dates of travel, that will be enough. Under the new rules, your passport needs to be valid for at least three months from the day you leave Spain – if it doesn’t meet this criteria, then your document will be deemed invalid and you’re likely going to be denied boarding at your flight.
New Entry/Exit System (EES)
The Foreign Office updated its travel advice for 30 countries this week due to the new Entry/Exist System (EES) affecting countries in the Schengen Area, which includes Spain. Anyone with a UK passport will be asked to provide biometric data – this involves providing fingerprints and having your photo taken at the Spanish border.
Children aged 11 or under might not be asked to provide fingerprints, but will likely still need to be photographed.
The good news is that you don’t need to do anything before heading to the airport, you’ll just be asked to provide this biometric data on arrival. The bad news is that the EES has been causing delays at a few major airports, so you may want to steel yourself for longer queues at border control.
Extra documents needed for Spain
In its Spain travel advice, the Foreign Office has warned Brits that they may be asked to show extra documentation when arriving in the holiday hotspot.
This could include proof of a return flight ticket, proof of travel insurance, or being able to show that you have enough money for your stay (the amount can differ depending on the accommodation you’re staying at). Other documents could be a hotel booking confirmation, or proof of address if you’re staying in your own holiday home.
Visiting friends or family? Make sure they have completed a ‘carta de invitation’ as you may be asked to show evidence of this, or proof of their address.
