What you need to enter Spain with a Bulgarian passport

Ceuta and Melilla: different entry rules

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)

Authorization system

None operational yet (ETIAS delayed)

Spain is part of the future European ETIAS system (a travel authorization for nationalities exempt from a Schengen visa). As of the verification date, ETIAS is NOT operational and no applications are being collected: in mid-July 2026 the EU removed the target date of "last quarter of 2026" from its official website; the official site now states that the start date will be announced several months before launch, without committing to any date yet. eu-LISA's management board (the agency building it) is expected to meet in September 2026, where a revised timeline is anticipated — until then there's no real date to give; not having one here is correct, not a gap. Once launched: cost €20, validity 3 years, applicable to passport holders from countries exempt from a Schengen visa (including the United Kingdom, the US, Canada, Australia).

What ETIAS is, who it will affect and when it starts →

Fee

Doesn't apply until ETIAS is operational. For consular Schengen visas, the fee depends on the visa type and hasn't been verified.

Required documents

• A valid passport or travel document, issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a))
• Evidence of the purpose and conditions of your stay: a booking for your accommodation or, if you are staying at a private address, a letter of invitation that your host files with the Spanish National Police (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(c))
• A return or round-trip ticket, issued in your name, non-transferable and with a fixed date (Order PRE/1282/2007, Art. 2)
• Funds of €122.10 per person for each day of your stay, subject to a floor of €1,098.90 per person even on a shorter trip (10% and 90% of the 2026 Spanish minimum wage, set at €1,221 per month by Royal Decree 126/2026)
• Proof that you actually hold that money: cash, certified cheques, traveller's cheques, or a credit card together with a bank statement or an up-to-date passbook. The rule does not accept statements printed from online banking (Order PRE/1282/2007, Art. 2)

Vaccinations

• No mandatory vaccines for entry: no international certificate of vaccination (yellow fever included) is required under the International Health Regulations.

Health insurance

Not mandatory for this visa-exempt entry, though it's strongly recommended. The border officer may still ask for proof of sufficient funds and accommodation for your stay — a separate requirement from insurance.

How much money you need to show →

Transit rules

Schengen rule: a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area.

Why isn't your passport being stamped? The EES system →

Customs limits

Cash

Declare if entering or leaving the EU with €10,000 or more in cash (or the equivalent in another currency).

Alcohol

Free movement within the EU. Arriving from outside the EU: limits harmonized at EU level (varying by type of beverage); check the Spanish Tax Agency for the exact current figure.

Tobacco

Same as alcohol: free within the EU, with harmonized limits if arriving from outside the EU — verify the exact figure with the Tax Agency.

Overstay penalties

The general Schengen rules apply, not only Spanish regulations.

What happens if you stay past 90 days →

Common reasons for denial

• Producing a false or falsified travel document, or reasonable doubts arising about the authenticity of the supporting documents submitted or the truthfulness of their content (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 32(1)(a)(i) and 32(1)(b)).
• Failing to justify the purpose and conditions of the intended stay (Art. 32(1)(a)(ii); the same entry condition appears in Art. 6(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2016/399, so it is also checked at the border).
• Failing to provide proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the whole intended stay and for the return to the country of origin or residence, and not being in a position to acquire such means lawfully (Art. 32(1)(a)(iii)).
• Having already used up the 90 days of stay within the current 180-day period on the territory of the Member States (Art. 32(1)(a)(iv)).
• Being the subject of an alert in the Schengen Information System (SIS) for the purpose of refusing entry (Art. 32(1)(a)(v)).
• Being considered a threat to public policy, internal security, public health or the international relations of any Member State (Art. 32(1)(a)(vi)).
• Failing to provide proof of adequate and valid travel medical insurance, where applicable (Art. 32(1)(a)(vii)).
• Reasonable doubts arising about the reliability of the statements made or about the applicant’s intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the visa applied for expires (Art. 32(1)(b)).