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Spain Visa Policy

Discover the Spanish visa policy and find out the requirements for your nationality.

Visa Policy for Spain

The visa policy of Spain is a set of regulations and requirements established for foreign citizens from around the world.

The visa requirements to visit Spain depend on whether the traveler resides in a country that is part of the Schengen Area or not.

If the foreign citizen belongs to the list of Schengen countries, they can travel to Spain without the need to obtain a visa, as they are granted freedom of movement whether arriving by air, land, or sea, for any purpose of visit.

Other visa-exempt travelers to the Schengen Area are currently granted visa-free access as long as the stay does not exceed 90 days within every 180-day period, for a few select purposes including tourism.

However, from 2025 a new Schengen Area visa policy revision will come into effect. This new regulation decrees that any third-national citizen exempt from a visa must pre-register for an electronic authorization, ETIAS, before traveling to Spain for the same period of time.

This online visa waiver system for Spain is being implemented to strengthen the European borders. It will permit the holder of an approved ETIAS authorization to travel to all Schengen Area countries for short stays during its validity, for tourism, business, medical treatment, or transit purposes.

More than 150 foreign citizens who wish to visit Spain for longer-term stays or other purposes are required to apply for an embassy visa through an embassy or a consulate.

The traveler must specify the type of visa they want when filling out the visa application form since the embassy offers numerous different types, whether a tourist visa, business visa, work visa, student visa, or visa for transit, among others

The period of stay will depend on that permitted by each visa, and the document may be issued for single or multiple entries, depending on nationality.

Below you will find a complete list of Spanish visa regulations to travel to Spain from your Country of Citizenship.

Tourist Visa Policy for Spain

Current visa regulations state that citizens of some countries can enter Spain without a visa for tourism while others must obtain an embassy tourist visa from a Spanish overseas diplomatic mission in advance.

Spanish visa policy stipulates that up to 90 countries can currently visit Spain visa-free without a visa for tourist reasons, many of which belong to the Schengen area

However, once the ETIAS authorization system is introduced, all visa-exempt citizens from outside of the Schengen Area will be required to pre-register online before traveling to Spain.

An approved ETIAS visa waiver will be issued as a multiple entry travel authorization and permit a stay of up to 90 days for tourism with each entry to Spain and all other Schengen countries. It will be valid for 3 years from approval, meaning no need to apply before every trip to Europe.

The visa laws of Spain identify 150 other countries that must obtain a visa at a Spanish embassy or consulate in advance to visit the country for tourism.

This involves supplying a range of supporting documentation, including an eligible passport valid for at least 6 months prior to the intended date of arrival in the country.

Find below further information about Spanish tourist visa requirements for your nationality.

ETIAS for Spain

From 2025, the European visa waiver for Spain (ETIAS) will be available online. Once it is introduced, obtaining this electronic authorization will be a mandatory requirement for visa-exempt travelers planning to visit the Schengen Area.

Once approved, an ETIAS will grant entry to the European states in the Schengen Area, including Spain, during its lengthy validity.

ETIAS for Europe is a multiple entry online visa waiver, which means that it will allow the holder multiple stays in Schengen countries, for a maximum of 90 days with each entry.

Once approved, a Spanish ETIAS is valid for 3 years from the date of approval and allows travel for purposes of tourism, transit, business, or medical treatment.

Registering for an ETIAS travel authorization for Spain is a simple process that can be completed through a desktop or mobile form.

When applying for an ETIAS for Spain, it is necessary to complete the form with basic biographic data. Before submitting the application, the ETIAS processing fee must also be paid.

Once ETIAS has been approved it will be electronically linked to the applicant’s passport, and a copy is also sent directly to the traveler’s email address.

To obtain an ETIAS visa waiver, eligible citizens will need to have a valid passport with a minimum validity of 3 months from the date of arrival. It will also be necessary to indicate the first-entry Schengen Area country, whether Spain or another Schengen state.

You can check ETIAS for Spain eligible countries below.

Spain Embassy or Consular Visa Required

Spanish visa policy indicates that there are over 150 territories whose citizens must obtain a Schengen visa for Spain (also known as an embassy visa) in advance of travel, regardless of the intended purpose and length of the trip.

In order to apply for a Spanish Schengen visa, it is necessary to make an appointment at the Spanish embassy or consulate nearest your home, to submit supporting documents.

Some nationalities may also be required to provide biometric identifiers (ten fingerprints and a digital photograph).

All embassy visa applications must be submitted at least 2 to 3 weeks before the intended travel dates to ensure sufficient processing time.

Schengen visa requirements for Spain usually stipulate that it is necessary for the applicant to fill out a form with personal and passport data to be brought to the interview, indicating the purpose of the trip and the expected length of stay of the application.

In addition, supporting documentation depending on nationality and travel purpose will need to be presented. This may include travel insurance covering the journey, or proof of sufficient economic resources for the whole period of intended stay in Spain.

The applicant must also ensure that the passport used to apply has at least 6 months validity from the intended date of entry to Spain.

Browse the list below and discover if a Spanish embassy visa is required for your nationality to travel to the country.

Spain Embassy or Consular Visa Required: Country list

  • Afghanistan
  • Aland Islands
  • Algeria
  • American Samoa
  • Angola
  • Anguilla
  • Antarctica
  • Armenia
  • Aruba
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Belarus
  • Belize
  • Benin
  • Bermuda
  • Bhutan
  • Bolivia
  • Bonaire
  • Botswana
  • British Indian Ocean Territory
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Cape Verde
  • Cayman Islands
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • China
  • Christmas Island
  • Cocos Islands
  • Comoros
  • Congo
  • Cook Islands
  • Cuba
  • Curacao
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Djibouti
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Eritrea
  • Ethiopia
  • Falkland Islands
  • Faroe Islands
  • Fiji
  • French Guiana
  • French Polynesia
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Greenland
  • Guadeloupe
  • Guam
  • Guernsey
  • Guinea
  • Guinea Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Isle of Man
  • Ivory Coast
  • Jamaica
  • Jersey
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kuwait
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Laos
  • Lebanon
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Maldives
  • Mali
  • Martinique
  • Mauritania
  • Mayotte
  • Mongolia
  • Montserrat
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Myanmar
  • Namibia
  • Nauru
  • Nepal
  • New Caledonia
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Niue
  • Norfolk Island
  • North Korea
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Palestinian Territory
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Philippines
  • Pitcairn Islands
  • Puerto Rico
  • Qatar
  • Reunion
  • Russian Federation
  • Rwanda
  • Saint Barthelemy
  • Saint Helena
  • Saint Martin
  • Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Sierra Leone
  • Sint Maarten
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  • South Sudan
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sudan
  • Suriname
  • Svalbard and Jan Mayen
  • Swaziland
  • Syrian Arab Republic
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand
  • Togo
  • Tokelau
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Turkmenistan
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Uganda
  • United States Virgin Islands
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vietnam
  • Wallis and Futuna
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
Get Embassy Info

Visa Not Required for Spain

Currently, there are up to 90 nationalities that can visit Spain exempt from a visa for a variety of travel purposes.

Citizens of the member states in the Schengen area can enter Spain without a passport because citizens of countries who have signed the Schengen Agreement are granted freedom of movement if they present a valid ID card at Spanish borders.

However, other visa-free countries for Spain must travel with a valid passport, which should be valid for at least 6 months from entry to the country. These visa-free citizens can currently travel to Spain for tourist, business, or transit` purposes , and stay for no more than 90 days at a time.

Nevertheless, these same passport holders will be required to obtain an ETIAS visa waiver to travel to Spain for the same periods and purposes once this travel authorization is implemented in 2025. Please see above for further information about ETIAS.

Visa not required citizens who want to come to Spain for long-term stays must apply for a Schengen visa at the nearest Spanish government diplomatic office.

Find below a complete list of countries that can travel to Spain without a visa.

Visa Not Required for Spain: Country list

  • Albania
  • Andorra
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Brazil
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Dominica
  • El Salvador
  • Estonia
  • Federated States of Micronesia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Kiribati
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macau
  • Macedonia
  • Malaysia
  • Malta
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Moldova
  • Monaco
  • Montenegro
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Norway
  • Palau
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Republic of Cyprus
  • Romania
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Samoa
  • San Marino
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Korea
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • Timor Leste
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tuvalu
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • Uruguay
  • Vanuatu
  • Vatican City
  • Venezuela
Get Embassy Info

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