Lifting an entry ban or returning to Spain after expulsion

Key rules

• Who decides: The authority that imposed the ban decides whether to suspend or revoke it.
• Where to file: You can file with that authority directly or through the Spanish consulate in your country.
• Early return: Returning before the ban ends is possible only in exceptional cases.
• Schengen alert: If your ban is in the Schengen database, it must also be removed there.

Procedures and deadlines for lifting a ban can vary by case, so confirm them with the consulate or a lawyer before acting.

The short answer

A ban does not last forever. It can run out on its own, or you can ask for it to be lifted. Coming back early is possible only in exceptional cases, so plan on either waiting out the ban or making a well-supported request.

Two ways a ban ends

• It expires. The ban resolution you received sets its length. Once that period is over, the ban ends. Check the dates on your resolution.
• It is cancelled. You can ask for it to be lifted through an administrative or consular procedure. The authority decides whether to suspend or revoke it. Some bans are lifted if you leave Spain in time.

Where to send your request

Send it to the authority that imposed the ban. That is normally the Delegación or Subdelegación del Gobierno, or the Interior Ministry. Your resolution says which one it was.

You can also file through the Spanish consulate in your country. The consulate forwards the request to the authority. This is often easier if you are already back home.

Grounds that can support a request

• Humanitarian reasons.
• Family ties to a Spanish or EU citizen.
• Other exceptional circumstances.

Back your grounds with proof. The documents block below lists what to attach, and the checklist below walks you through the steps.

Check whether the ban is in the Schengen database

Some bans are entered in the Schengen Information System (SIS). If yours was, lifting it also requires removal from SIS. Otherwise other Schengen countries may still refuse you. Ask a lawyer or the consulate whether your ban was entered there.

If the request is refused

You can challenge a refusal with a recurso de reposición, which asks the same authority to reconsider. You can also go to court with a contencioso-administrativo appeal. Deadlines are short and run from the date you receive the refusal, so read the refusal for the exact time limit and talk to a lawyer quickly.

Before you travel

Do not try to enter Spain while a ban is still in force, even if you have applied to lift it. Wait for the written decision.

Documents you need

Documents for a request to lift a ban

• The expulsion or ban resolution, the official decision that imposed the ban.

• Your ID, such as your passport.

• Proof that you left Spain, for example a travel ticket or a stamp showing your departure.

• Proof of the grounds you rely on, such as humanitarian reasons, or family ties to a Spanish or EU citizen.

Checklist

Steps to ask for a ban to be lifted

• Choose where to file: send the request to that authority, or file it through the Spanish consulate in your country, which forwards it.

• State your grounds, such as humanitarian reasons, family ties to Spanish or EU citizens, or exceptional circumstances.

• Attach the ban resolution, your ID, proof that you left Spain and proof of your grounds.

• Ask a lawyer or the consulate whether your ban was entered in the Schengen Information System (SIS), because lifting it then also needs removal from SIS.

• If the request is refused, challenge it with a recurso de reposición or a court appeal, within the deadlines in the decision.