Visas and documents

What to check before you travel, and where to confirm it.

This is general guidance, not the requirement for your trip.

Requirements change without notice and depend on your nationality, your destination and the exact date. Before travelling, always confirm them with your destination's official source or your embassy — TripPlan doesn't guarantee that this page is enough for your case. See the liability section in the terms of use.

The official links on this page are to the Spanish authorities. If you're not travelling on a Spanish passport, check the requirements with your own country's authorities and with your destination's embassy.

Visa

It depends on your nationality and the country you're going to: there are destinations where you don't need one, others where it's issued on arrival or online (eVisa), and others that require going to the consulate in advance. There's no single rule, and it changes with each country's policy.

Check the exact requirement at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Passport validity

Many countries won't admit a passport that's about to expire: to enter the Schengen area, for example, it must still be valid for at least 3 months after your planned departure date, and have been issued within the last 10 years. Other destinations ask for more margin.

Check the validity your destination requires Going to be in the Schengen area more than once? Work out your days with the 90/180 rule

Vaccinations

Some countries require a vaccination certificate — yellow fever is the most common — to let you in, and others recommend it without requiring it depending on the area you're visiting. In Spain, the Ministry of Health's international vaccination centres are the ones that confirm it and, if needed, administer it.

Find your international vaccination centre

Travel insurance

To enter the Schengen area on a short-stay visa, travel medical insurance is compulsory by regulation, with a set minimum cover. Outside Schengen it isn't always compulsory, but without it a medical problem abroad comes entirely out of your own pocket.

Insurance requirements for the Schengen visa