🇪🇸Spain

Decision flow

Your regime follows from nationality and trip parameters.

1. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens - not subject to visa requirements, EES registration or the future ETIAS system. A valid national ID card or passport is all you need to enter and stay.
2. Visa-exempt third-country nationals - the Annex II list: the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan and others. Visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with three conditions attached.

• EES registration, active since 10 April 2026 - biometric capture is mandatory at border control.
• ETIAS, not yet launched - an approved electronic authorization before departure, EUR 20 and valid 3 years or until the passport expires. As of August 2026 no launch date has been announced.
• Extensions are normally impossible, but Australia, the USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia hold historic bilateral visa-waiver agreements with Spain allowing, under specific conditions, a further 90 days beyond the EU limit.

3. Visa-required third-country nationals - China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia and others must apply in advance for a short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) at a Spanish diplomatic mission or through the contracted BLS International centres.

Entry formalities common to everyone

No health forms - the former SpTH system is permanently deactivated. Third-country travelers still face four requirements.

• EES biometric registration - arriving from a non-EU state means biometric processing at the border: four fingerprints and a digital facial image.
• ETIAS authorization, once it launches - visa-free third-country travelers pre-register on the travel-europe.europa.eu/etias portal for EUR 20. As of August 2026 no launch date has been announced and applications are not open. When it does start, approval usually takes minutes but can take up to 96 hours in complex cases, so apply several days ahead.
• Customs - cash, cheques or other means of payment totalling 10,000 € or more must be declared in writing on arrival. Meat, milk and products containing them from non-EU states are prohibited on phytosanitary grounds, under threat of confiscation and a fine.
• Proof of funds - border authorities run random solvency checks. Since 1 January 2026 the minimum is 122.10 € per person per day, with an absolute minimum of 1,098.90 € for the whole stay, even a one-day visit.

What matters in practice

• What counts as proof is set out in the rules. The Interior Ministry accepts the money in cash, or certified or traveller's cheques, or letters of payment, or a credit card accompanied by a bank statement or an up-to-date passbook - not the card on its own.
• Carry it on paper. Travellers report officers declining to accept a balance shown in a banking app, and there is no way to argue the point at the desk. A printed, stamped statement covering the past three months removes the question, costs nothing, and is what the rule describes anyway.
• Insist on a manual check if your case is unusual. Automatic e-gates at Madrid and Barcelona airports produce errors in the electronic EES records. Resident-status travelers (TIE card holders) and anyone relying on a specific bilateral agreement should use a staffed booth, or risk being wrongly flagged as an overstayer in the Schengen register.

• Between EU countries there is no duty-free limit. Goods bought tax-paid in another member state travel with you; customs may only ask what a very large quantity is for, against indicative figures of 800 cigarettes and 10 litres of spirits.
• Arriving from outside the EU the allowance is one set of numbers: 200 cigarettes, 1 litre of spirits over 22 % (or 2 litres of fortified or sparkling wine), 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer.
• Other goods are capped by value - EUR 430 arriving by air or sea, EUR 300 by land - and the allowance cannot be pooled between travellers for a single item.
• Cash of EUR 10,000 or more must be declared, counting notes, coins, cheques and prepaid cards together. The money is seized for not declaring it, not for carrying it.
• The Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla are outside the EU VAT and excise area. A flight from Tenerife to Madrid is treated as an arrival from outside for duty purposes, which is why the duty-free shops there are real.

Health, insurance and where to be treated

• Vaccinations and health risks: Spain requires no mandatory vaccinations for entry as of 2026. The risk of malaria or dengue on Spanish territory is negligible. Tap water is microbiologically safe and drinkable.
• Pharmacies (Farmacia): Marked with a prominent green cross. Common painkillers (e.g. Ibuprofen, Paracetamol) are sold exclusively in pharmacies, not in regular supermarkets. Outside standard hours, 24-hour duty pharmacies (Farmacia de guardia) operate.
• Hospitals suitable for foreigners:
• Madrid: Hospital Universitario La Paz (a state hospital with a large international department and emergency room), Hospital Universitario Gregorio Marañón.
• Barcelona: Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (centrally located, with multilingual emergency staff), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (the largest trauma center).

Accommodation

For the first nights, pick a safe, well-connected district.

• Madrid
• Barrio de las Letras - historic literary quarter in the centre, calm and close to the main museums.
• Sol and Centro - the absolute heart of Madrid; excellent access, but heavy night noise and tourist crowds.
• Retiro, on the edge of the park - quiet and residential, suited to families.
• Barcelona
• Eixample - modern, residential, wide well-lit boulevards, Gaudí architecture.
• El Born - Gothic-quarter lanes with restaurants and boutiques, less crowded than the neighbouring Gothic Quarter.

(Price ranges depend on season and booking lead time - check current listings rather than a fixed figure.)

Barcelona: municipal tourist tax (IEET + municipal surcharge, effective 1 April 2026 - 31 March 2027)

Per person, per night, collected at check-in on top of the room rate. Confirmed directly on the Catalan Tax Agency's own rate table:

Guest registration duty under Royal Decree RD 933/2021

Since 2 December 2024, Spanish accommodation providers are subject to strict guest-data-collection rules, and refusing to provide the data is grounds to refuse a room.

• Every guest over 14 must present an original passport or EU ID card at check-in and sign the Parte de Entrada form.
• Within 24 hours the host sends a wide set of personal and financial data points - name, address, e-mail, phone, relationships between co-travelling minors, and payment method - to the Interior Ministry via the SES.HOSPEDAJES portal.
• It is under EU legal challenge but still enforceable. In June 2026 the European Commission opened infringement proceedings against Spain (case INFR(2026)4005) over RD 933/2021, arguing the scope of data collected - payment and location details especially - conflicts with EU data-protection rules; multiple law firms tracking the case (including DLA Piper) confirm the case number and timing. The decree itself and the SES registration duty remain fully in force while the case proceeds.

SIM and eSIM: what to buy right after arrival

Spanish law requires passport-based identity registration at the point of sale for any physical prepaid SIM. At the airport that means a queue and, usually, a worse deal than the same operator's city store. An eSIM bought before departure skips the registration entirely and connects the moment you land, but costs more per gigabyte than a local prepaid plan.

What the operators actually sell

Prices and allowances below come from the operators' own Spanish sites, but all four revise their prepaid line-ups several times a year - check the operator's page before you buy rather than treating any figure here as fixed.

• Vodafone - the Prepago range starts at 10 € for 28 days (Prepago S), with larger tiers at higher prices; EU roaming is included but capped at a portion of the bundle (Vodafone's own pages state up to 15 GB usable while roaming, after which per-GB charges apply).
• Movistar - prepaid tariffs start around 5 €, with the Plus, Premium and Total tiers stepping up the data allowance. Telefónica's own press releases confirm the tier names and that allowances were increased; the current GB figure per tier is on movistar.es.
• Orange and Yoigo - both sell comparable prepaid bundles in the same 10-15 € range through their own stores and The Phone House.
• International eSIM (Saily, Holafly and others) - data-only, no passport registration, active on landing. Reasonable for short trips or as a backup; generally worse value per GB than a local prepaid SIM for stays beyond a week.

Roaming from outside the EU is uneconomical. UK operators in particular charge a daily fee with a low data cap, so a local SIM or eSIM is worth it even for a few days.

Where exactly to buy

• International airports (MAD, BCN, AGP) - The Phone House and similar shops in the arrivals halls handle registration and prepaid sales. At Madrid and Barcelona, Vodafone vending machines allow self-service purchase with remote passport verification through a built-in camera.
• City centres - the best terms, free of airport markups, at the operators' official brand stores. Staff insert the card and activate it on the spot.
• Online eSIM platforms - bought and installed before departure, active on arrival.

Short verdict

• Short trip, no local number needed: an eSIM bought before departure, for zero queue and zero paperwork.
• Longer stay or heavy data use: a prepaid SIM from an operator's own city store, which is where the 10 €-scale bundles with large allowances actually live.

Sockets in Spain are Type C and F at 230 V, 50 Hz - the same round Schuko outlet used across most of continental Europe.

• A Europlug fits every socket in the country. Chargers and laptop bricks need nothing else.
• The earth is a pair of clips on the rim, not a hole, so a two-pin adapter leaves an appliance unearthed even when it is plugged in firmly.
• British, American and Australian plugs need an adapter. Chinos and ferreterias sell them for a couple of euros; airport shops do not.
• A handful of buildings have French Type E sockets, mostly institutional ones. A Spanish plug works in both, so this only matters if you are carrying a bare Schuko plug.
• 230 V means American 120 V-only appliances need a converter, not just a shape adapter.

Local rules and cultural differences

• Street drinking ban (Anti-botellón): Drinking alcohol in public spaces outside licensed terraces is strictly prohibited throughout Spain. Violations in Madrid or Barcelona are fined from 600 €. In the key tourist zones of the Balearic Islands (Magaluf, San Antonio, Playa de Palma) an absolute ban applies to shop alcohol sales after 21:30, and street-drinking fines reach 3,000 €. All-inclusive hotels in these designated zones have a legal alcohol cap of 6 drinks per person per day (3 at lunch, 3 at dinner).
• Smoking and vaping bans: Under Spanish anti-tobacco law, smoking and e-cigarette use are strictly banned on Barcelona's beaches, on selected Balearic and Canary beaches, on restaurant terraces and near schools and hospitals. Fines range from 30 € to 2,000 €. Disposable e-cigarettes are being legislatively withdrawn from the market.
• Drone rules (AESA): Under Royal Decree 517/2024, every camera-equipped drone (even under 250 g) must be registered with the AESA aviation authority. The drone and its controller must carry a fireproof plate with the owner's details, and the pilot must hold liability insurance with at least 1,000,000 € coverage valid for Spain. The maximum flight altitude is 120 meters above ground, and flying in built-up zones or near airports without a permit is severely punished.
• Public dress and beach etiquette: Walking city streets in swimwear or shirtless is banned in Barcelona, Málaga and Palma de Mallorca, with fines from 120 € to 500 €. Leaving a towel on the beach early in the morning to "reserve a spot" (e.g. in Calpe or on Tenerife) is prohibited; police confiscate the items and issue fines up to 3,000 €.

Everyday practical information

• Power sockets: Standard European type C and F sockets. Mains power is 230 V at 50 Hz.
• Time zone: Mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands run on Central European Time (CET, UTC+1; CEST, UTC+2 in summer). The Canary Islands are one hour behind year-round (WET/WEST).
• Opening hours: Large department stores and supermarkets open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 21:00 or 22:00. Smaller shops and family businesses strictly observe the siesta and close between 14:00 and 17:00. Most shops are closed on Sundays.
• Recycling rules in Madrid: Leaving an unflattened cardboard box next to a recycling container (instead of putting it inside) counts as a serious offense with fines starting at 2,000 €.

Money and payments

• Currency and exchange rate: Spain's currency is the euro (EUR, €).
• ATM withdrawals (Cajero Automático): Withdraw cash exclusively from ATMs of the traditional banking houses (Banco Santander, BBVA, CaixaBank). These institutions charge a fixed fee of 3.00 € to 7.00 € per foreign-card withdrawal. As of March 2026 the exact fee is 4.50 € at CaixaBank, 5.00 € at Deutsche Bank and 6.00 € at Bankinter. Categorically avoid the non-bank Euronet ATMs in tourist zones, which charge fees from 1.95 € to 4.99 € and apply an unfavorable exchange markup (DCC) of up to 12%. The standard single-withdrawal limit is 600 €.
• DCC protection (Dynamic Currency Conversion): At any card payment in a shop or ATM withdrawal, the terminal may ask whether you want the transaction settled in your card's home currency. Always choose the local currency (EUR). Choosing the home currency lets the merchant or ATM operator set their own exchange rate, making the transaction 5% to 12% more expensive.
• Cashless payments: Contactless payments (card, Apple Pay, Google Pay) are completely standard in Spain and accepted even by small vendors and market stalls. American Express (Amex) cards, however, are refused in many places because of high interchange fees. Carry a minimal amount of cash (10 € - 20 €) for tickets on some regional buses that do not take cards.
• Tipping: Tipping is not obligatory and is not automatically expected in Spanish culture, since the service charge is included in prices by law. In ordinary cafés and restaurants it is customary to round the bill up with loose coins (about 1 € - 2 €). At formal dinners with exceptional service, a 5% to 10% tip is the standard.

Pick by what your first hours actually need.

• Solo traveler on a low budget - take the train. In Málaga the C1 (1.80 €), in Madrid the commuter train from T4 (2.60 €), in Barcelona the R2 Nord using one ride of a T-Casual card at 1.30 €. Fastest journey times, and no risk of sitting in road traffic.
• Family with children and heavy luggage - pre-book a private transfer such as Welcome Pickups: the driver waits in the arrivals hall with a name board, helps with bags, and the car comes with certified child seats at 5 € per seat. Failing that, an official taxi - Madrid applies its flat fare, and Barcelona charges nothing extra for strollers.
• Night arrival, 1:00 AM to 5:00 AM - in Madrid the Airport Express (Exprés Aeropuerto) runs all night to Plaza de Cibeles; in Barcelona the Aerobús runs nonstop to Plaça Catalunya. Málaga has neither night trains nor regular buses, so it is the official night taxi at its 19.01 € minimum fare.

Urban transport in the Spanish metropolises is integrated and card-based - in both cities you buy a carrier card first, then load journeys onto it.

Madrid

• The card - any metro, EMT city bus or ML light rail journey needs the plastic Tarjeta Multi, bought for 2.50 € at metro machines.
• What to load - the 10-trip Metrobús ticket at 6.10 €, or the standard 7.30 € - 12.20 € rate depending on the current state subsidy level.
• It is shareable - one card can be tapped repeatedly at the gate by several people travelling together.
• Apps - Metro de Madrid (iOS/Android) for route planning, and Tarjeta Transporte Público (iOS/Android) for checking the balance and topping up instantly over the phone's NFC.

Barcelona

• The card - paper contactless T-mobilitat tickets, with a 1.00 € issuance fee.
• Short stays: the T-Casual at 13.00 € - 10 rides within Zone 1, each valid 75 minutes from validation including transfers between metro, buses and trams. Strictly non-shareable: one person at a time.
• Longer stays arriving by metro: the T-Usual at 22.80 € per month. Personal, but it includes airport rides with no airport supplement.
• Under 30, any nationality: the T-Jove at 45.50 €, unlimited travel for 90 days.
• Apps - TMB App (iOS/Android) for navigation and for buying and topping up T-mobilitat tickets by phone.

Most toll motorways are now free, and the emergency kit changed: the V-16 beacon replaced warning triangles in January 2026.

• The V-16 is compulsory. The connected beacon sits on the roof if you break down and reports the position automatically. Warning triangles no longer satisfy the law, and a hire car should have one - check before leaving the desk.
• Most of the toll autopistas were freed in 2021. What remains is around Catalonia, the Basque Country, Madrid and a few tunnels; the AP-7 along the coast is free.
• The alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l, and 0.3 g/l for drivers in their first two years.
• Motorway speed is 120 km/h, and urban limits are 30 km/h on single-lane-each-way streets, which is most of a Spanish city.
• Fuel stations close at night in rural Spain more often than visitors expect; fill up before a long evening drive across Extremadura or Aragon.

Safety and the most common scams

Spain is stable for personal safety, but the tourist centres of Madrid and Barcelona concentrate petty theft and organized scams. All four of the classics work the same way: someone creates contact or distraction, and an accomplice takes your things.

• The rosemary blessing - a sprig is offered as a good-luck gift near a major monument. Take it and your hand is grabbed, your palm read, and 10 € to 20 € aggressively demanded. Refuse and she shouts to embarrass you into paying.
• Petition girls - a group with clipboards pretends to collect signatures for a deaf-mute charity. The clipboard is held at eye level so you cannot see your belongings, while an accomplice works your pockets or backpack.
• Bird poop - a thief squirts a liquid resembling droppings or mustard onto your clothes, a "helpful passer-by" appears to point it out and clean you up, and your wallet or phone leaves your pocket during the fuss.
• Airport and transit theft - organized crews target freshly landed tourists with large luggage, at airports and at ticket machines, working the moments of distraction while you buy tickets or board.

The protective measures are simple: wear bags across the body with zips facing forward, never leave a phone lying on a restaurant table, and avoid all interaction with strangers who approach you in the street.

Emergency numbers

All free and answered 24/7. Operators on 112 speak English.

• 112: The single European emergency number (connects to ambulance, fire and police; operators speak English).
• 091: National Police (Policía Nacional - crime, theft and assault).
• 092: Local Police (Policía Local - public order and traffic).
• 061: Emergency medical service (Ambulancia).

An EHIC covers necessary care for EU citizens. See the Health section for the hospitals with international departments.

Public or private is a decision, not a detail

Spain has an excellent public emergency system and a large private one alongside it, and in tourist areas the private one is often nearer and quicker to answer a hotel's phone call. The difference only shows up on the invoice.

If you are taken to a private hospital in an emergency, that is not a mistake to unwind on the spot - get treated, then tell your insurer the same day. What causes the argument later is the missing paperwork, not the choice of hospital.

Two things to carry

• The state card and an insurance policy number - they cover different things and neither replaces the other.
• The name and address of your accommodation written down. It is the first question the 112 operator asks, and it is the one most people cannot answer in a strange town.

What it is for

Reporting a theft in a country whose language you do not speak is the part of a bad day that turns into a lost afternoon. AlertCops is published by Spain's Ministry of the Interior and developed with the National Police and the Guardia Civil, and it is built for exactly that gap:

• an SOS button that requests immediate assistance from the screen
• a chat that puts you in contact with the National Police and the Guardia Civil
• location sharing, including with trusted contacts

Install it before you need it - a free app downloaded on hotel wifi at the start of a trip is worth more than the same app remembered halfway through a police station queue.

For anything medical, keep dialling 112. AlertCops is a policing channel; the emergency number reaches ambulance, fire and police together and is answered in English.