Spanish Entry Requirements

Spanish Entry Requirements are the set of rules that travelers coming to Spain should meet to enter the country smoothly. These requirements also specify all documents that must be gathered prior to the planned trip.

Depending on the traveler's nationality, the purpose of travel, and the intended duration of stay in Spain, necessary documents may differ.

Among the most important documents required of visitors to Spain is a valid passport or ID card. Nationals of the European Union, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway can use either of these documents to enter Spain. Citizens of other countries will need to present a valid passport.

Although it is not mandatory to have a passport or ID card to travel from one border-free Schengen EU country to another, you will need to provide one of these documents, for example, to board the flight.

Non-EU nationals traveling to Spain will need to hold a passport with at least 3-month validity from the date of planned exit date from Spain. Moreover, the passport must be issued within the previous 10 years.

Another document that one visiting Spain may need is a visa. If you are a citizen of one of the 26 Schengen countries, you can travel to Spain visa-free under the freedom of movement agreement. The visa-exempt entry applies to any travel purpose and all ways of entering the country, i.e., by air, land, or sea.

Other visa-exempt travelers are granted visa-free access to Spain for up to 90 days within every 6-month period. It applies to a few short-term travel purposes, including tourism, family or friend reunions, attending business meetings, sports or cultural events, and short-term training or studies.

Once the ETIAS authorization is finally introduced across the Schengen Area, all third-national citizens who are allowed to visit Spain visa-free will need to make an online pre-registration.

Additionally, Spain requires around 150 different counties to obtain an embassy visa for a long-term stay in the country, including, e.g., work, education, and business purposes.

The Spanish authorities no longer maintain any entry measures introduced due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As of 20th September, all remaining covid-related restrictions were lifted. Passengers arriving from any part of the world do not need to provide either an EU Digital Covid Certificate (or EU Equivalent) or complete the SpTH Health Control Form.

Read on to find out more information on Spanish entry and exit requirements. Please note that amid the still evolving coronavirus pandemic, some rules are subject to change at short notice.

Who can enter Spain?

Spain welcomes all international travelers who to meet different entry requirements depending on their nationality and Covid-19 vaccination status.

Documents check-list for entering Spain

• valid passport or ID card
• valid Spanish visa (if applicable)
• travel insurance (optional)

Important! From 20th September 2022, travelers from non-EU countries or outside the Schengen Area no longer need to provide one of the following documents:

• SpTH Health Control Form (QR Code);
• EU Digital Covid Certificate or EU Equivalent of Covid-19 vaccination or negative test result or recovery proof.

Testing, vaccination, and quarantine requirements

Please note that the following requirements apply only to travelers from outside the EU or Schengen zone. Travelers from the EU and Schengen countries are no longer subject to any Covid-related restrictions.

Important: All certificates (negative test/vaccination proof/recovery certificate) must be issued in Spanish, English, French, or German. If you are unable to provide a certificate in one of these languages, you will need to submit its certified translation into Spanish.

Testing Requirements

Travelers can submit a negative NAAT test report performed within 72 hours before arriving in Spain or a rapid antigen test result taken within 24 hours prior to the planned arrival.

Vaccination Requirements

The vaccination certificate will be recognized if it confirms that it has elapsed from 14 to 270 days from receiving the last vaccination dose. The vaccination recognized for entry to Spain must be one from those accepted by the WHO. If the date of receiving the final dose exceeds 270 days, the certificate must include the information on receiving a booster dose.

Recovery certificate

A traveler can also use a recovery certificate to enter Spain. The certificate may be recognized as valid only if it was issued at least 11 days from the date of obtaining the first positive test result against Covid-19 (RAT or NAAT). Certificates issued earlier than 180 days after receiving the first positive test result will be invalid.

Quarantine Requirements

Should you test positive for Covid-19 during your stay in Spain, you may need to undergo quarantine or self-isolation in accordance with local health requirements. The costs related to your extended stay in the country will be at your own expense.

In case of contacting a person who has tested positive for Covid-19, you should follow the guidelines of the local Spanish health authorities.

Traveling from Spain

There are no specific exit requirements for passengers departing Spain. Nevertheless, you must have your travel document, i.e., a valid passport or ID card (depending on your nationality) and other documents required by the authorities of the next travel destination.

Before leaving Spain, make sure that you are familiar with the entry requirements of your final travel destination or your home country. If you need to perform a pre-departure valid test for Covid-19, ensure that it will meet all the requirements.

Traveling to Spain

Entering Spain from within the Schengen Area or the EU:

There are no coronavirus restrictions in place for travelers arriving from these areas. They do not need to present either a Covid Certificate or the SpTH QR code.

Entering Spain from outside the Schengen Area or the EU:

Passengers traveling outside the Schengen Area or the EU need to present either:

• EU Digital Covid Certificate (or Equivalent Document) or;
• QR code of the completed SpTH form.

Entry Rules for Children

Children younger than 12 years are exempt from the following:

• completing an online SpTH Health Control Form
• providing vaccination proof
• taking any diagnostic pre-departure tests
• submitting proof confirming their Covid-19 recovery within the last 6 months

Children aged between 12 and 17 are subject to the requirements applicable to adult travelers.

Transit through Spain

International travelers transiting Spain either by land or sea on their way to another country are exempt from health control, testing requirements, and the necessity to complete the SpTH form as long as they do not plan to leave the airport tranist area or seaport.

Nationals of certain countries may also need a transit visa which is issued for 24 hours. Moreover, some aiports may have other rules, e.g., allow for a transit stop of maximally 6 hours.

Check with your flight-booking agency or airline for more precise information on your tranist trip. Please also remember to check the entry requirements of the country of your final destination.

Spain visa requirements

Visa-exempt countries

Currently, there are around 90 different countries whose nationals can travel to Spain visa-free.

Among the visa-exempt countries, there are 26 member states of the Schengen Area that do not need either a visa or passport. They can enter Spain simply with a valid ID card.

Moreover, other visa-free countries are allowed a 90-day stay without a visa. Upon arrival in Spain, they will need to present a valid passport with at least 6-month validity.

Following, there is a complete list of countries exempt from visa requirements if traveling to Spain:

• Albania
• Andorra
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Australia
• Austria
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belgium
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Brazil
• Brunei Darussalam
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Chile
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Dominica
• El Salvador
• Estonia
• Federated States of Micronesia
• Finland
• France
• Georgia
• Germany
• Greece
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Japan
• Kiribati
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macau
• Macedonia
• Malaysia
• Malta
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Moldova
• Monaco
• Montenegro
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Norway
• Palau
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Poland
• Portugal
• Republic of Cyprus
• Romania
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Samoa
• San Marino
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Solomon Islands
• South Korea
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Timor Leste
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tuvalu
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Uruguay
• Vanuatu
• Vatican City
• Venezuela

Spain Embassy or Consular Visa

There are over 150 territories whose nationals must apply for a Schengen visa before the planned travel, no matter the purpose of their visit or duration of stay.

Spanish embassy or consular visa requires visiting the Spanish diplomatic post to submit the required documents.

Depending on the applicant's nationality, the visa requirements may differ.

All applicants must remember to start applying for the Spanish visa a few weeks before the date of their planned trip.

Check if your country is listed among those that must apply for a consular or embassy visa. The complete list includes the following:

• Afghanistan
• Aland Islands
• Algeria
• American Samoa
• Angola
• Anguilla
• Antarctica
• Armenia
• Aruba
• Azerbaijan
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Belize
• Benin
• Bermuda
• Bhutan
• Bolivia
• Bonaire
• Botswana
• British Indian Ocean Territory
• British Virgin Islands
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Cape Verde
• Cayman Islands
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• China
• Christmas Island
• Cocos Islands
• Comoros
• Congo
• Cook Islands
• Cuba
• Curacao
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Djibouti
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Falkland Islands
• Faroe Islands
• Fiji
• French Guiana
• French Polynesia
• Gabon
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Gibraltar
• Greenland
• Guadeloupe
• Guam
• Guernsey
• Guinea
• Guinea Bissau
• Guyana
• Haiti
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Isle of Man
• Ivory Coast
• Jamaica
• Jersey
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Kenya
• Kuwait
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Lebanon
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Libya
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Maldives
• Mali
• Martinique
• Mauritania
• Mayotte
• Mongolia
• Montserrat
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Myanmar
• Namibia
• Nauru
• Nepal
• New Caledonia
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Niue
• Norfolk Island
• North Korea
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Palestinian Territory
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Pitcairn Islands
• Puerto Rico
• Qatar
• Reunion
• Russian Federation
• Rwanda
• Saint Barthelemy
• Saint Helena
• Saint Martin
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Saudi Arabia
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Sint Maarten
• Somalia
• South Africa
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
• South Sudan
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan
• Suriname
• Svalbard and Jan Mayen
• Swaziland
• Syrian Arab Republic
• Tajikistan
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Togo
• Tokelau
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Uganda
• United States Virgin Islands
• Uzbekistan
• Vietnam
• Wallis and Futuna
• Yemen
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

ETIAS for Spain

By the end of 2022, the European visa waiver is planned to be finally available online. ETIA will be obligatory for all visa-exempt travelers planning to visit any country of the Schengen Area.

The introduction of the ETIAS visa waiver was postponed due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Once introduced, ETIAS for Spain will be valid for 3 years from the date of its approval and cover the purpose of tourism, business, transit, or medical treatment.

SpTH Health Control Form

The Spanish Locator Form was introduced under the Spain Travel Health Program (SpTH). The form is no longer mandatory to be completed by any travelers.

Travelers had to complete the SpTH Health Control Form within 48 hours of the planned entry to Spain. All the provided details must be up-to-date and correct.

A successful application is followed by receiving a unique QR code which will be verified upon your arrival in Spain.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is not mandatory to travel to Spain. Nevertheless, when deciding to travel abroad, you should always consider purchasing the insurance policy that best matches your travel needs.

In case of being tested positive for coronavirus during your stay, you will need to cover all the quarantine-related costs. Therefore, choose the insurance policy that also includes Covid-19 coverage.