What you need to enter Spain with a Mexican passport
Mexican citizens do not need a visa to travel to Spain: a passport is enough, for stays of up to 90 days.
- Maximum stay
- 90 days
- Processing time
- Not applicable: direct entry with your passport.
- Entry cost
- Free
- Minimum passport validity
- 3 months after departure
Last verified: 10 September 2026
What border control in Spain can ask for
Mexicans do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days within any 180 (tourism, business, family visits, short study): the exemption rests only on the unilateral Annex II list of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, with no bilateral reciprocity agreement behind it, as with Chile, Argentina or Venezuela. It does not cover paid work, which still requires the corresponding visa and authorisation. What is specific to this corridor: unlike Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, Honduras or Paraguay, Spain and Mexico have not signed a dual nationality treaty. Even so, a Mexican who acquires Spanish nationality is not required to effectively renounce the Mexican one: Article 23(b) of the Civil Code exempts nationals of Ibero-American countries from that requirement, so de facto dual nationality is complete even without a treaty. If you hold a valid Spanish passport, travel on it: as a Union citizen the 90/180 limit and non-EU entry checks do not apply to you. Not needing a visa does not guarantee entry either: at the border the Policía Nacional may require proof of the purpose of the trip, an accommodation booking or an invitation letter processed before the Policía Nacional itself, a named non-transferable return ticket, and means of subsistence (for 2026, €122.10 per person per day, with a €1,098.90 minimum). If these aren't shown, entry is refused despite the visa exemption.
Application details verified on 10 September 2026. Sources: eur-lex.europa.eu (Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, Annex II: Mexico with no bilateral visa waiver agreement; Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Schengen Borders Code), inclusion.gob.es (Spain's dual nationality treaties: Mexico not listed), boe.es (Civil Code, Arts. 23(b) and 24) and interior.gob.es / sede.policia.gob.es (entry to Spain: requirements, means of subsistence and refusal of entry). Checked 10 September 2026.
Verified practical details
You don't need a visa to enter Spain, but here are some practical details worth knowing before you travel:
Authorisation system
None operational yet (ETIAS delayed)
Spain is part of the future European ETIAS system, the travel authorisation that nationalities exempt from a Schengen visa will need. 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 the last quarter of 2026 from its official website, which now says the start date will be announced several months before launch, without committing to any date. 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 is no official date. Once launched it will cost €20 and be valid for three years, and it will apply to passport holders from countries exempt from a Schengen visa, such as the United Kingdom, the US, Canada or Australia.
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)
How much money you need to show
€122.10 per person per day, with a minimum of €1,098.90 per person even on a shorter trip
They are 10% and 90% of Spain's 2026 minimum wage (€1,221 a month, Royal Decree 126/2026), under Order PRE/1282/2007, so they change when the minimum wage goes up. The daily figure is multiplied by the days of your stay and by the people travelling as your dependants. You show it with cash, certified or traveller's cheques, or a credit card together with a bank statement or an up-to-date passbook. Statements printed from online banking are not accepted.
What each Schengen country asks for →Source: European Commission, Annex 25 to the Practical Handbook for Border Guards (reference amounts notified by each State), version of 8 June 2026, and Spain's Official State Gazette (Order PRE/1282/2007 and Royal Decree 126/2026). Checked on 1 November 2026.
Health insurance
Not mandatory for this visa-exempt entry, though it's strongly recommended.
When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓How long you can stay
Schengen rule: a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area.
Calculate your available Schengen days →More Spain rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the Spain page:
Official portal: https://www.exteriores.gob.es. Destination data verified on 13 August 2026. 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 by Euronews on 12 August 2026); eeas.europa.eu; europa.eu/youreurope (cash/EU customs); eur-lex.europa.eu, Directive 2007/74/EC, Arts. 8 to 10 (alcohol and tobacco allowances, checked 27 September 2026); boe.es, Organic Law 4/2000, Arts. 53, 55, 57 and 58 (penalties for unlawful stay, checked 27 September 2026); 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).
Travel insurance for Spain
It isn't listed as mandatory for this entry, but without insurance, medical care during the trip can get expensive.
See IATI's international site →IATI sells its policies according to the country you live in. Where do you live?
If your country isn't listed, try IATI's international site.
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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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This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of Spain can enter Mexico visa-free. See the Spain → Mexico page.
Of the 8 passports from Central America that VisaRadar tracks, for travel to Spain 7 enter visa-free and 1 need a visa. Same result as Mexico: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.
With a passport from Mexico, in the rest of Southern Europe you can enter Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia and Vatican visa-free.
A passport from Mexico ranks 57 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 131 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Mexican citizens need a visa for Spain?
No. You can enter Spain with just your passport, for up to 90 days.
How long can I stay in Spain?
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counting every stay in the Schengen area, not only those in Spain.
What minimum passport validity is required?
At least 3 months of validity beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area, and issued within the previous ten years (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a)).
Do I need travel insurance to enter the Schengen Area?
It's not mandatory for a visa-exempt entry, though it's strongly recommended.
Do Mexicans need a visa for Spain in 2026?
Not for tourism, business, family visits, or study of under 90 days within any 180. The exemption is unilateral (Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806); working does require a visa.
Does Mexico have a dual nationality treaty with Spain?
No. Unlike Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, Honduras or Paraguay, there is no treaty. But a Mexican who naturalises as Spanish does not have to truly renounce Mexican nationality: the Civil Code exempts Ibero-Americans from that requirement.
I hold both a Mexican and a Spanish passport. Which do I enter on?
The valid Spanish one: as a Union citizen you have no stay limit or non-EU entry checks. On the Mexican one you count as a visitor, subject to the 90/180 limit and entry checks.
Can I be turned back at the airport even without needing a visa?
Yes. If at the check you don't prove the purpose of the trip, accommodation, a named non-transferable return ticket and means of subsistence (€122.10 per day, €1,098.90 minimum in 2026), the Policía Nacional can refuse entry and order return.
How much money do Mexican passport holders need to enter Spain?
The reference amount is €122.10 per person per day, with a minimum of €1,098.90 per person even on a shorter trip. They are 10% and 90% of Spain's 2026 minimum wage (€1,221 a month, Royal Decree 126/2026), under Order PRE/1282/2007, so they change when the minimum wage goes up. The daily figure is multiplied by the days of your stay and by the people travelling as your dependants. You show it with cash, certified or traveller's cheques, or a credit card together with a bank statement or an up-to-date passbook. Statements printed from online banking are not accepted.
What do Mexican passport holders need for the countries near Spain?
With a passport from Mexico, in the rest of Southern Europe you can enter Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia and Vatican visa-free.
Related pages
See Spain requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.