Spanish officials have issued a statement following reports UK travellers could have to spend £85 a day to visit the country. Holidaymakers had been left fearing they might not be able to afford visits to the popular destination due to a new set of policies.
It was reported tourists would need to provide proof of sufficient funds for more than £85 a day to cover the length of their stay, the Liverpool Echo reports. But Spain has now hit back at the reports and clarified the rules facing Brits travelling to the country.
The Express reported that the UK Foreign Office had updated its travel advice for Spain last month. The change meant visitors from the UK may be asked to prove they have at least €100 (£85.22) to spend in Spain per day, and a further minimum of €900 (£766.94), or its legal equivalent in foreign currency.
The advice said: "At Spanish border control, you may need to show a return or onward ticket; show you have enough money for your stay; show proof of accommodation for your stay, for example, a hotel booking confirmation, proof of address if visiting your own property (eg second home), or an invitation from your host or proof of their address if staying with a third party, friends or family. The Spanish government has clarified that the ‘carta de invitation’ is one of the options available to prove that you have accommodation if staying with friends or family.”
But now, the nation's tourist office said it wanted to reassure visitors they would not have to demonstrate proof of having that amount of cash to cover their stay, reports SomersetLive. A statement on behalf of the Spanish Tourist Office said the rule was not new and had been in force since January 1.
It added that the regulations were not confined to Spain and applied to visitors from most nations outside the EU-Schengen border-free travel area. Manuel Butler, Spanish Tourist Office director (UK), said: “The requirement for UK travellers to be able to illustrate sufficient means for the duration of their stay and the return is established in the Schengen Borders Code and is not a Spain-specific requirement.
“This is not a new requirement and has been in place for some time for visitors from outside of the European Union or Schengen area. When entering Spain, these checks are not systematically carried out for every traveller.
“Likewise, travellers coming to the UK are also required to show that they have specific means to support themselves and any dependents for the duration of the trip and the ability to pay for the return or onward journey.”
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