What you need to enter San Marino with a British passport
British citizens do not need a visa to travel to San Marino: 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
- Schengen rule: 3 months after leaving the Schengen area
Last verified: 2 October 2026
Verified practical details
You don't need a visa to enter San Marino, but here are some practical details worth knowing before you travel:
Authorisation system
No border control: entry is through Italy
San Marino is not part of the Schengen area, but it lets people arriving from a Schengen State enter and stay without a visa, and in practice the only way in is through Italy. There is no passport check at the crossing, but you must carry a passport with a valid Schengen entry stamp. The 90 days in any 180-day period cover the Schengen area and San Marino together. Anyone staying longer than 30 days or planning to work must go to the Gendarmerie to register and get a permit of stay.
Required documents
- A passport meeting Schengen rules: issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months after the planned departure from the Schengen area. EU citizens enter with their national ID card.
- A valid Schengen entry stamp in the passport, for non-EU citizens.
Transit rules
Schengen rule: no more than 90 days in any 180-day period, adding San Marino and the Schengen area together. Stays longer than 30 days must be registered with the Gendarmerie.
More San Marino rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the San Marino page:
Official portal: https://www.esteri.sm/. Destination data verified on 2 October 2026. Sources: exteriores.gob.es (travel advice of Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for San Marino, updated 7 March 2025: ID card or passport, visa-free entry from Schengen States, vaccinations, prices and Italian customs); gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/san-marino (UK Government: travel through Italy, passport validity, Schengen entry stamp, 90-day rule, registration with the Gendarmerie beyond 30 days, customs as in Italy); data.unesco.org (World Heritage List). All checked on 2 October 2026.
Travel insurance for San Marino
It isn't listed as mandatory for this entry, but without insurance, medical care during the trip can get expensive.
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Things to see and do in San Marino
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 San Marino need an electronic travel authorisation to enter the United Kingdom. See the San Marino → United Kingdom page.
All 10 passports from Northern Europe that VisaRadar tracks can enter San Marino visa-free. Same result as the United Kingdom: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland and Latvia.
With a passport from the United Kingdom, in the rest of Southern Europe you can enter Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain and Vatican visa-free.
A passport from the United Kingdom ranks 35 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 156 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 British citizens need a visa for San Marino?
No. You can enter San Marino with just your passport, for up to 90 days.
How long can I stay in San Marino?
Up to 90 days with no additional paperwork.
What minimum passport validity is required?
A passport meeting Schengen rules: issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months after the planned departure from the Schengen area. EU citizens enter with their national ID card.
What currency is used in San Marino?
Euro (EUR).
What do British passport holders need for the countries near San Marino?
With a passport from the United Kingdom, in the rest of Southern Europe you can enter Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain and Vatican visa-free.
Related pages
See San Marino requirements for other passports →
See entry requirements to United Kingdom for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.