UK travellers visiting Spain must now share additional personal data when checking into any hotel accommodation hotels or hiring a car.
It’s the latest in several changes to Spain’s entry requirements for visitors introduced over the past few years.
All hotel owners, private rental providers, campsites and car hire companies are now required to collect personal data on guests and supply it to the Spanish Ministry of Interior (similar to the UK Home Office) within 24 hours of check-in.
The Spanish government says the law is designed to improve national security.
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Spain data collection: what information do I have to give under the new law?
Along with your full name, email address and passport number (all of which were required from hotels before the law change), you’ll need to share the following information for all members of the group over the age of 14 checking into accommodation, or when renting a car:
- Gender
- Nationality
- Date of birth
- Home address
- Landline phone number
- Mobile phone number
- Payment details and method
- Relationship to any children in the travelling party under the age of 14.
Should I be concerned by the new law?
If you’re worried about extra paperwork, no. When you’re booking a hotel or car hire online, it’s likely you’re already giving away more information than just your name, email address and passport number. For example, most of us book hotels and car hire online so have already supplied our credit card details.
And many hotels already chose to collect additional data, or scan your passport. Wait times at check-in for your accommodation might also be longer while hotels, rentals and car hire companies adapt to this change.
If you’re concerned about data privacy and hacking risks, then this change is cause for concern. Some businesses may not be equipped to securely store your data.
You can’t refuse to give your details. Instead make sure you have ‘strong’ online passwords that don’t use personal information, and set up two-factor authentication on your devices and important accounts and apps.
Will I have to show my bank balance?
No. This is a myth, based on the so-called ‘£97 a day rule’ when travelling to Spain this summer, which UK holidaymakers are highly unlikely to fall foul of.
What is the £97 a day rule in Spain?
Non-EU citizens, including British tourists, entering any country in the Schengen area can be asked to provide evidence that they have enough money for the duration of their stay. This figure varies by country and in Spain it’s set at €113.40, or £97. Visitors can also be asked to show that they have a return ticket and provide details of where they’ll be staying during their trip.
These rules have been in place for many years but, since the UK left the European Union, they now apply to British citizens. However, the Ministry of the Interior has confirmed that this rule isn’t being applied to tourists and no British tourist has been refused entry on this basis.
Entry rules and requirements for visiting Spain
British citizens are much more likely to be caught out by changes to passport validity rules post-Brexit.
It isn’t the only issue that could catch you out. In some parts of Spain, the Canary Islands and Balearics, you can be fined for drinking or smoking in public places.
Eventually, British travellers will also need a visa waiver, known as the European Travel Information and Authorisation Scheme (ETIAS) to enter Spain – although the launch date for this scheme has been pushed back to 2025. The same is true of the Entrance/Exit System (EES), which will ultimately require UK travellers to be fingerprinted at the airport or other entry point.
Here’s a summary of everything you need to know when visiting Spain this summer.
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What are the passport rules for Spain?
British passport-holders need to check if their passport meets the EU and Schengen area’s requirements for ‘third-country nationals’, which Brits are classed as since Brexit.
You can do this by checking if your passport’s ‘date of issue’ and ‘date of expiry’ satisfy two requirements:
Date of issue – it must have been issued less than 10 years before your arrival date in Spain
Date of expiry – it must be valid for at least three months after the day you’re leaving Spain
These passport rules also apply to the Canary Islands, as well as every country in the EU and Schengen area apart from Ireland.
Some UK holidaymakers have been denied boarding because their passport was issued more than 10 years ago. This is because the Passport Office used to add extra months if you renewed your old passport early, so your current passport could be valid for more than 10 years.
You’ll also need to renew your passport if you’ve run out of blank pages because it will be stamped when you enter and exit Spain.
The Passport Office currently advises travellers to allow at least three weeks for their application to be processed – but at peak times waits can be much longer. Make sure to check your passport before you book your holiday.
Will I need to be fingerprinted to enter Spain?
Eventually. The new new Entry/Exit System (EES) will require any non-EU citizen entering most European countries – including Spain – to provide ‘biometric data’.
This means you’ll be fingerprinted and have your photo taken at your entry point into the country. For most people this will be at the airport. Biometric data will then need to be taken on all future trips, rather than having your passport stamped when entering or leaving the country.
The introduction of EES has been delayed several times. The EU has said it will be introduced some time in 2025.
This is separate to the planned visa-waiver scheme, ETIAS – which is expected to be introduced in 2025. Both schemes are intended to tighten Europe’s borders and make it harder for terrorists and other criminals to enter.
Considering the Canaries? Find out the best Canary Island, according to our latest survey.
Visas for Spain – do I need one when travelling from the UK?
You don’t need a visa for short visits to Spain. British passport-holders are allowed to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 out of 180 days. So you could stay in Spain for up to 90 days, or visit several countries in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days.
You will need a visa waiver to visit Spain and the Canary Islands, as well as every country in the Schengen zone from mid 2025. It’s expected to cost €7 (£6) and be valid for three years.
The EU’s ETIAS was due to be introduced in 2024, but has been postponed until 2025.
Read more about ETIAS on the official European Union website.
Local laws in Spain: Bikini bans and alcohol limits
Spain has introduced local laws and restrictions on alcohol, smoking and wearing swimwear in public in recent years. Make sure you’re aware of these rules to avoid being fined.
Drinking and smoking in public in Spain
Some local authorities in Spain, including in Madrid, the Balearics and the Canaries, have banned drinking alcohol and smoking in public places with on-the-spot fines for anybody who doesn’t comply with the rules. These rules apply to some beaches as well.
There’s a limit on the amount of alcohol you can buy or consume in an effort to clamp down on anti-social behaviour in several resorts in the Balearics – Magaluf and Palma on Mallorca, and parts of Ibiza. Tourists on all-inclusive deals are limited to six drinks a day, and two-for-one drinks, happy hours and pub crawls are banned.
Smoking is prohibited on most Spanish beaches, including all of the beaches in Barcelona. Those caught smoking where they’re not supposed to could be fined £25.
Where do you need to cover up in Spain?
It’s against the law to wear just a bikini or swimming trunks in the street in Barcelona, Malaga and Palma in Mallorca. Being bare-chested in the street has also been banned in some areas. You could be fined up to €300 (around £250) for not following the rules.
This rule applies to other public settings too, such as restaurants, shops and bars. Always cover up when walking back from the beach or swimming pool to be on the safe side.
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