With many people heading away on holiday this summer, it's important to know the rules for where you are travelling to.
There are a number of additional documents that tourists may be asked to show if entering Spain.
It comes as it was announced that UK tourists may have to prove they have around £85 to spend per day of their trip.
Read more: Spanish holidaymakers may have to prove they can spend certain amount each day
We've put together everything you need to know if you are travelling to Spain from Northern Ireland.
Covid entry requirements
If you are traveling to Spain you must show valid proof of one of the following on entry:
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being fully vaccinated. Your vaccination status must meet the Spanish authorities’ validity period requirements. See ‘If you’re fully vaccinated’.
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a negative COVID-19 test: either a PCR taken within 72 hours prior to departure, or an antigen test taken within 24 hours prior to departure. See ‘If you’re not fully vaccinated’.
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having recovered from COVID-19 in the last 6 months. You can use a medical certificate or recovery record to prove your COVID-19 status on entry to Spain. See ‘If you’ve had COVID-19 in the past year’.
These requirements do not apply to children under 12 years old. See ‘Children and young people’
Travellers from the UK who can either show proof of being fully vaccinated, or of having recovered from prior COVID-19 infection in the last 6 months, or who are aged under 12 years old, do not need to complete Spain’s Travel Health Control form. Everyone else must complete Spain’s Travel Health Control form no more than 48 hours before travel to Spain. See Spain’s Ministry of Health travel pages for more detail.
Passport validity
Your passport must be:
- issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
- valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)
You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.
Additional documents required by tourists
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 (e.g. 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. More information is available from the Spanish Ministry of Interior.
The UK Foreign Office is reported to have 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.”
According to the Express, tourists from the UK may be asked to present suitable evidence that they have at least €100 (£85.22) to spend per day of the holiday as well as a further minimum of €900 (£766.94) or its legal equivalent in foreign currency.
The Spanish Ministry del Interior is reported to have said: "Foreigners from third countries must prove if required to do so by the officials in charge of controlling the entry of people into Spanish territory, that they have economic resources for entering the country, through cash, traveller’s cheques, payment letters, or credit cards, which must also be proven to have sufficient funds available on them."
For more info, visit GOV.UK's Spain travel advice.
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