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Chronicle Live
National
Simon Meechan

Spain travel rules, visa and passport requirements for British tourists in 2023

Spain is one of the most popular destinations for passengers to travel to from Newcastle Airport.

Ryanair, Jet2 and TUI are among the airlines with direct routes from Newcastle International Airport to mainland Spain, the Balaeric Islands and the Canaries.

As well as peak summer flights, there are connections to Spain throughout the year, including to popular winter sun destinations like Tenerife and Lanzarote.

Read more: 30 European countries Brits will need to pay fee to enter

Families, couples and young groups alike have plenty of choice in mainland Spain, including routes to Alicante for the ever-popular Benidorm, as well as Balaeric Islands like Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca

For city breaks, there are direct flights from Newcastle to Barcelona.

Spain travel rules 2023

Since Brexit was completed, the rules for UK Passport holders travelling to Spain have changed. And they are set to change again later in 2023.

Passports and visas

UK Passport holders are restricted in how long they can spend in Spain as tourists without a visa. A visa is not required to travel to Spain if you are a UK Passport holder (but a visa waiver will be later in the year, more on that later).

Without a visa, UK Passport holders can only spend up to 90 days of a 180-day period in he Schengen Zone, which includes Spain, as tourists. That means you can spend up to three months of a six-month period in Spain along with most EU countries, without a visa.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office says: "If you are visiting Spain and need to extend your visa-free stay for exceptional reasons, such as a medical emergency, you must apply to the immigration authorities (Extranjería) to do so."

There are also rules on passport validity and expiry dates.

To enter Spain, UK Passports must be issued less than 10 years before the date you enter Spain and must be valid for at least three months after you plan to leave Spain.

If you had your passport extended, then check the issue date. That issue date needs to be less than 10 years ago to be valid to enter Spain.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office adds: "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[but the issue date may be over 10 years old]."

Make sure your passport is stamped upon arriving and leaving Spain, including if you go through an E-gate. You may also be asked to provide proof of funds and accommodation.

Covid-19

There are no coronavirus restrictions for passengers arriving into Spain from the UK

Fee to enter Schengen countries including Spain - coming late 2023

Brits will have to pay a fee for a visa waiver to travel to Schengen zone countries, which include Spain, from 'late 2023' according to the European Commission's latest updates.

The ETIAS visa waiver will grant UK passport holders the same rights they have now - to spend 90 days of a 180-day period in the Schengen zone - but they will have to apply for it and have it approved. The fee is expected to be around £7 and the waiver will last for three years.

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