Arriving at the Spanish border

It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. You will know what to expect and what to carry for your passport and your situation.

Start with "Arriving visa-free: your 90 days and what to plan next". It explains how to enter lawfully, how the days are counted and what to do before they run out. After that, pick the page that fits you:

• If you hold an EU, EEA or Swiss passport, read "Arriving in Spain as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen".
• If you hold a long-stay visa, read "Arriving at Spanish passport control with a long-stay visa".
• If you enter by land or through another Schengen country, read "Arriving by land or via another Schengen country".
• To keep evidence of your entry date, read "Why your entry date matters and how to prove it".
• If you are stopped for questions or turned away, read "What to do if you are questioned or refused entry".
• If you travel with children, read "Arriving in Spain with children".
• If you have a disability or carry medical equipment, read "Arriving with a disability or medical equipment".

Key rules

• Visa-free stay: Visa-free visitors may stay up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period, counting days in all Schengen countries together.
• Border waiting limit: You can be held in the border waiting area for up to 72 hours before a decision on return or admission.
• TIE deadline: With a long-stay visa, you apply for the foreigner identity card (TIE) within one month of entry.
• Assistance booking: Request airport assistance for reduced mobility at least 48 hours before departure; it is free.
• Documents: A valid passport or national ID card is enough, and no visa is needed.
• No stamp: Expect a quick check and no passport stamp, so keep your own proof of the arrival date.

Arriving at the Spanish border: the whole process, step by step

• Check your passport: issued within the last 10 years, at least two blank pages (visa-free visitors): Before you book, and again before you travel; it must be valid for at least three months after you plan to leave the Schengen area

• Work out which entry route applies to you: EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, non-EU family member, long-stay visa holder or visa-free visitor: Before you travel

• Apply for the ETIAS online travel authorisation once it starts, if you are a visa-free visitor: Before you travel, once it is required; it is expected to start in the last quarter of 2026, with a grace period of at least six months

• Book free airport assistance if you have reduced mobility, and tell the airline about any medical equipment: At least 48 hours before departure; some airlines ask for more notice for equipment

• Pack medicines in their original packaging with the prescription or a doctor's letter: Before you leave; controlled medicines need extra paperwork

• Pass border control and keep proof of your entry date, such as tickets, boarding passes or a stamp: On the day you arrive

• If you enter through another Schengen country, keep your travel records and be ready to declare your presence: Within three working days of entry, if the authorities ask for it

• If you are questioned or refused entry, ask for a lawyer and for the decision in writing: At the border; you can be held in the border waiting area for up to 72 hours before a decision on return or admission

• Appeal a refusal if you want to challenge it: Within one month to the authority that refused you, or within two months in the administrative courts

• Apply for the foreigner identity card (TIE) if you entered with a long-stay visa: Within one month of entry

• Count your days if you are a visa-free visitor, and leave or regularise before the limit: Throughout your stay; you may stay up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period

• Keep evidence of your days in Spain for the tax residence test: Through the calendar year; you are tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in Spain in a year

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Valid passport
• A valid passport or a valid national identity card — Arriving in Spain as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
• Valid passport containing your long-stay — Arriving at Spanish passport control with a long-stay visa
• Passport issued within the last 10 years — Arriving visa-free: your 90 days and what to plan next
• A valid visa or residence permit — What to do if you are questioned or refused entry

Other documents

• The child's birth certificate showing who the parents — Arriving in Spain with children
• Your Spanish long-stay — Arriving by land or via another Schengen country
• Proof of your onward journey to Spain — Arriving by land or via another Schengen country
• Proof of your arrival date in Spain — Arriving by land or via another Schengen country
• A valid travel document — What to do if you are questioned or refused entry
• The written refusal decision — What to do if you are questioned or refused entry
• Your prescription or a doctor's letter for any medicine you carry — Arriving with a disability or medical equipment

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Arriving at the Spanish border: questions that cross several articles

Does the EES register me when I enter Spain?

The EES registers you only if you are a non-EU short-stay traveller, whether visa-free or on a short-stay visa. It does not register EU, EEA or Swiss citizens, long-stay visa holders, residence permit holders or family members with a residence card. Read "Arriving visa-free: your 90 days and what to plan next" or "Arriving at Spanish passport control with a long-stay visa".

Do non-EU family members of an EU citizen need a visa to enter Spain?

No, a non-EU family member who holds a valid residence card as a family member of an EU citizen does not need a visa, and their passport should not be stamped. Without the card they need a visa, and border police may ask for proof of the family link.

Do I need ETIAS to enter Spain now?

No, ETIAS is not required yet, but it is expected to start in the last quarter of 2026 for visa-free visitors. See Arriving visa-free: your 90 days and what to plan next.

What proves my entry date if my passport has no Spanish stamp?

Flight, train, bus or ferry tickets, boarding passes and accommodation bookings are generally accepted, and the first Schengen country's stamp also helps. The office decides case by case, so keep several. Read "Arriving by land or via another Schengen country" and "Why your entry date matters and how to prove it".

Which deadlines start from my date of entry?

Your entry date starts the 90-day count for visa-free visitors, the one-month deadline for the TIE with a long-stay visa, and the three-working-day declaration of presence if you came from another Schengen country. Read "Why your entry date matters and how to prove it".