Hosting friends and family who visit you in Spain

Terms used

• Carta de invitación — The carta de invitación is a letter from the National Police that a resident requests to support a guest's visa application or entry.
• Comisaría de Policía Nacional — The Comisaría de Policía Nacional is the local National Police station where you request an invitation letter.
• ETIAS — ETIAS is an EU online travel authorisation planned for visa-exempt non-EU visitors before they travel to the Schengen area.
• Oficina de Extranjería — The Oficina de Extranjería is the immigration office that handles foreigners' stays and permits.

Key rules

• Stay limit: Visa-exempt visitors from outside the EU get 90 days in any 180-day period, shared across all Schengen countries.
• Invitation letter: You request it at your local police station, and it does not guarantee entry or a visa.
• Passport: Non-EU guests need a passport valid three months beyond departure and issued within the last 10 years.
• EU guests: EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no visa and can travel with a national ID card.

Start with your guest's nationality

Nationality decides almost everything. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no visa. Visitors from the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Israel and most of Latin America are also visa-exempt for short stays. Albanian, Serbian and Ukrainian visitors are exempt too, if they hold biometric passports.

Many African and Asian nationals need a Schengen visa. So do visitors from Russia, India and China (ordinary passports). If you are unsure, ask your guest to check with the Spanish consulate in their country before booking flights.

How long they can stay

Visitors from outside the EU can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counting days in all Schengen countries. A week in Italy or France uses part of the same allowance.

Extensions are rare. They are granted only for exceptional reasons, such as force majeure, humanitarian grounds or serious personal reasons. Ask the Policía Nacional or the Oficina de Extranjería. Overstaying can bring fines and an entry ban. Staying longer legally needs a national visa or residence permit, which is a different process.

The EU's Entry/Exit System now records non-EU visitors' entries and exits automatically instead of stamping passports. It also tracks the day count for you, so plan the dates carefully.

The invitation letter

If your guest needs a visa, you can request a carta de invitación. You request it at the Comisaría de Policía Nacional for your area. Take:

• your ID or residence card
• a copy of your guest's passport
• proof of your accommodation: a property title, rental contract or recent utility bill
• proof that you can support the guest
• your guest's details and travel dates

Your guest then uses the letter with their visa application or at the border. It does not guarantee a visa or entry. Visa-exempt visitors are not normally asked for it. Required documents can vary by police station, so ask yours before you go.

ID and passports

Non-EU guests must carry a passport. It should be valid at least three months beyond the planned departure date and issued within the previous 10 years. EU citizens can use a national ID card or a passport.

Tell guests to carry the original. A copy is often accepted, but it depends on the officer. At the border they may also be asked for proof of accommodation, funds and a return ticket. Failing to show ID can mean a trip to the police station and a fine.

Visa-exempt guests from outside the EU should also check whether ETIAS travel authorisation is already required. Its start date has shifted more than once.

Timing the visit

Spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) suit most of Spain, with mild weather and fewer crowds. July and August are very hot, often above 38–40°C in Seville, Córdoba and Madrid. Coasts are crowded and expensive then, and many small city businesses close for part of August.

Book early for Semana Santa, Seville's April Feria, San Fermín in July and La Tomatina in August. Winter is mild on the south coast and in the Canary Islands, but cold inland and in the north. Some beach resorts close from November to March. In smaller towns, shops and sights often shut on Sundays and in the afternoon.

If guests stay in a hotel or tourist rental

Expect to hand over ID details for each guest aged 14 and over. The checklist below covers the full preparation steps.

Timeline and deadlines

• Check whether each guest needs a Schengen visa or is exempt: before your guest books travel

• Ask a guest who needs a visa for an invitation letter at your National Police station: before the guest applies for the visa

• Check whether visa-exempt guests now need ETIAS travel authorisation: before travel, as it was planned for late 2026

• Plan the trip dates within 90 days in any 180-day period, counting all Schengen countries: when you plan the visit

• Guest's entry and exit are registered automatically by the Entry/Exit System, which replaces passport stamping: at each border crossing

• Ask the Policía Nacional or Oficina de Extranjería about an extension if an exceptional reason forces a longer stay: before the permitted stay ends

Documents you need

• Valid passport for each non-EU guest, valid at least three months beyond the planned departure date and issued within the previous 10 years. Carry the original if possible.

• National ID card or passport for EU guests, as their identity document.

• Schengen short-stay visa, for guests whose nationality needs one. Visa-exempt guests do not need it.

• Invitation letter (carta de invitación), issued by the National Police station in your area. It is for guests who need a visa or are asked for proof at the border.

• Your own ID or residence card, which you bring to the police station when you request the invitation letter.

• Copy of your guest's passport, plus their details and travel dates, for the invitation letter request.

• Proof of your accommodation: a property title, a rental contract or a recent utility bill, for the invitation letter request.

• Proof of means to support the guest during the visit, for the invitation letter request.

• Proof of accommodation, funds and a return ticket, which border officers may ask your guest to show.

Checklist for hosting visitors from abroad

Before your visitors arrive

• Check whether each visitor needs a Schengen visa or is exempt for short stays, based on their nationality.

• Ask visa-exempt visitors from outside the EU to check whether the ETIAS travel authorisation is already required for their nationality before they book.

• Ask a visitor who needs a visa for a carta de invitación (formal invitation letter) at your local National Police station, if the visa application calls for one. It does not guarantee a visa or entry.

• Bring your ID or residence card, a copy of the guest's passport, proof of accommodation (a property title, rental contract or recent utility bill) and the guest's details and dates when you request the invitation letter.

• Work out the dates of the trip against the 90 days in any 180-day period limit, counting days spent in all Schengen countries.

• Tell non-EU visitors to check that their passport is valid for at least three months after departure and was issued within the last 10 years.

• Tell visitors to carry their original passport (EU citizens can carry a national ID card) and keep proof of accommodation, funds and a return ticket ready for the border.

• Ask each visitor for their ID details if they will stay in a hotel or tourist rental. Guests aged 14 and over must give name, document number, nationality, date of birth, address and contact details at check-in.

• Book the lodging with the arrival and departure dates and the number of travellers ready to give at check-in.

Frequently asked questions

Does an invitation letter guarantee my guest can enter Spain?

No, an invitation letter does not guarantee entry or a visa, because the consulate and border officers still decide.

Can my guest extend their stay beyond the limit?

Yes, but only exceptionally, for force majeure, humanitarian or serious personal reasons, through the Policía Nacional or the Oficina de Extranjería. Extensions usually go over the limit by very little. Overstaying can bring fines and entry bans, and staying longer legitimately needs a national visa or residence permit.

When is the best time of year for my visitors to come?

Spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) are the best times for most of Spain, with mild weather and fewer crowds. July and August are very hot, often above 38-40°C in Seville, Córdoba and Madrid, and many small city businesses close for part of August. Easter week, the April Feria de Abril in Seville, San Fermín and La Tomatina need early booking.