Spain entry requirements, by passport
Spain visa requirements at a glance: 51 of the 81 passports VisaRadar tracks can enter Spain without arranging a visa beforehand — visa-free, with a visa on arrival, or with an electronic travel authorization. The other 30 must obtain a visa before they travel.
Which passport do you hold?
We'll take you straight to the entry requirements for Spain for your nationality.
What we've verified for Spain
Beyond the yes/no matrix, we've checked these against an official primary source (last checked 2026-08-13). The specifics depend on your nationality — open your passport's row in the table for the detail that applies to you.
- Standard short-stay visa fee: EUR 90.00
- Typical processing time
- Required documents (5)
- Required vaccinations
- Health-insurance rules
- Customs limits (cash, alcohol, tobacco)
- Overstay penalties
- Airport transit rules
Sources: exteriores.gob.es; travel-europe.europa.eu/etias (official ETIAS portal, including the official confirmation of the €20 fee and the "not in operation" status quoted verbatim via Euronews 12/08/2026, since the official site isn't readable by automated tools); eeas.europa.eu; europa.eu/youreurope (cash/EU customs); eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/810/oj (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 15 — €30,000 medical insurance required for the Schengen visa APPLICATION, not for visa-exempt entry) (checked 12 August 2026).
This table summarizes the exact entry mechanism for every passport we track — the difference between entering visa-free, with an electronic authorization, with an e-Visa, or with a traditional visa is explained in visa, e-Visa, and electronic authorization: what's the difference. How we verify every row before publishing it is on methodology.
Base entry rules refreshed 2026-09-17. Published: 2026-08-10.
| Passport | Requirement | Max. stay |
|---|---|---|
| Free movement | ||
| Austria | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Belgium | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Bulgaria | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Croatia | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Czech Republic | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Denmark | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Finland | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| France | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Germany | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Greece | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Hungary | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Iceland | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Ireland | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Italy | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Malta | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Netherlands | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Norway | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Poland | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Portugal | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Romania | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Sweden | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Switzerland | Free movement (EU/EEA/Switzerland) | No limit (tourism)* |
| Visa-free | ||
| Argentina | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Australia | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Brazil | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Canada | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Chile | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Colombia | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Costa Rica | Visa-free | 90 days |
| El Salvador | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Georgia | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Guatemala | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Honduras | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Israel | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Japan | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Malaysia | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Mexico | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Moldova | Visa-free | 90 days |
| New Zealand | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Nicaragua | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Panama | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Paraguay | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Peru | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Singapore | Visa-free | 90 days |
| South Korea | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Ukraine | Visa-free | 90 days |
| United Arab Emirates | Visa-free | 90 days |
| United Kingdom | Visa-free | 90 days |
| United States | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Uruguay | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Venezuela | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Visa required | ||
| Algeria | Visa required | — |
| Bangladesh | Visa required | — |
| Bolivia | Visa required | — |
| Cape Verde | Visa required | — |
| China | Visa required | — |
| Cuba | Visa required | — |
| Dominican Republic | Visa required | — |
| Ecuador | Visa required | — |
| Egypt | Visa required | — |
| Equatorial Guinea | Visa required | — |
| Gambia | Visa required | — |
| Ghana | Visa required | — |
| India | Visa required | — |
| Indonesia | Visa required | — |
| Jordan | Visa required | — |
| Kenya | Visa required | — |
| Mali | Visa required | — |
| Morocco | Visa required | — |
| Nigeria | Visa required | — |
| Pakistan | Visa required | — |
| Philippines | Visa required | — |
| Russia | Visa required | — |
| Saudi Arabia | Visa required | — |
| Senegal | Visa required | — |
| South Africa | Visa required | — |
| Sri Lanka | Visa required | — |
| Thailand | Visa required | — |
| Tunisia | Visa required | — |
| Turkey | Visa required | — |
| Vietnam | Visa required | — |
* EU/EEA/Switzerland free movement: no stay limit for tourism; after 90 days of residence you must register with the destination country's local authorities.
Staying in Spain? Work out your Schengen 90/180-day limit with our calculator →
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Ceuta and Melilla: what changes
Ceuta and Melilla have a special local border traffic arrangement with the Moroccan provinces of Tetouan and Nador. Registered residents of those areas can enter the two cities without a visa as long as they do not stay overnight on Spanish territory, and cross-border workers have their own authorisation. That arrangement covers the two cities only: it does not allow onward travel to mainland Spain or the rest of the Schengen area, which still needs the relevant visa. Check the exact category and its conditions with the Ministry of the Interior before travelling.
Source: interior.gob.es, Control de fronteras, nacionales de Marruecos; exteriores.gob.es (comprobado 18/09/2026)
Do you need a different visa for Madrid, Barcelona, or Valencia?
No. Spain sets the requirements, so entering through Madrid asks for the same as entering through Barcelona or Valencia. If you're arriving overland or through a small border post, check that separately: some countries apply their own rules to specific crossings.
With one exception, explained above: the rules for Ceuta and Melilla are not the rules for the rest of Spain.
What does change is where you file the application when a visa is needed, and that depends on the country you live in rather than the city you're travelling to.
What draws travelers to Spain
Spain is best understood through its regional contrasts. The Andalusian south holds the Moorish legacy — the Alhambra in Granada, the Mezquita in Córdoba, Seville's Alcázar — and it is where the clichés of flamenco and white hill towns are genuinely true. Barcelona and Catalonia revolve around Gaudí's work (the Sagrada Família, Park Güell) and open onto the Costa Brava. The Castilian interior — Madrid as a base, with Toledo, Segovia and Salamanca a short train ride away — is monumental, museum Spain, led by the Prado. The green north, from San Sebastián to Galicia, offers seafood, mountains and the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. The Balearic and Canary islands work as separate sun destinations. With 50 UNESCO World Heritage sites, fifth in the world, almost any route runs into one. A week is enough for Madrid and its surroundings at an unhurried pace, or for Andalusia, or for Barcelona and the coast; trying to do all three in one trip is the classic first-timer's mistake. Spring and autumn are the best seasons — August is fiercely hot inland and packs the coast.
Sources for this section: spain.info (Turespaña, the official tourism board); UNESCO World Heritage List (whc.unesco.org, 50 sites in Spain); travel advice from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Accessed 31 August 2026.
Things to see and do in Spain
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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Where can Spain passport holders travel visa-free? →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.