Procedures and Requirements to enter Spain

Latin American countries have a very strong cultural link with Spain, which makes many of its citizens want to visit the European country.

Requirements to enter Spain

The requirements to travel to Spain for a maximum of 90 days are very specific. First of all, the traveler must have a valid and current passport or document.

A valid document is understood to be a passport issued within the last ten years, at most, and must not expire before three months from the date of departure from Spain.

Citizens of any State of the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein only need a National Identity Document or a valid passport.

The United Kingdom and Ireland do not belong to the Schengen area and their travelers require a passport to enter Spain. If the traveler is a minor, they must bring ID or passport, as well as parental permission.

The second necessary requirement to travel to Spain is to have a visa. Luckily, most Latin American countries do not need this document.

Citizens of Mexico, Colombia, Chile or Argentina are not required to obtain a visa to travel to Spain. They can only enter the European country with their passport for a maximum period of 90 days.

D.documents to enter Spain

Once we arrive at the border, either at the airport, in a port or by road, we will have to go through police control, where we will show our passport and visa, if we are required to have one.

At police control they may ask us for more documentation to justify our stay. If the trip we make to Spain is for tourism, the police can ask us:

  • Proof of the establishment in which we will stay or letter from the individual who gives us his home or lodges us in it.
  • Confirmation of the reservation of an organized trip, with its itinerary.
  • Return ticket or tourist circuit to be followed.
  • You can also ask for proof of specific economic requirements, which are 73.59 euros per person/day, with a minimum of 661.50 euros for the stay.
  • If the trip to Spain is for commercial reasons, we will be required to invite a company or institution to attend the meetings. Also documents that prove the business relationship. And, if we travel to Spain for study reasons, it is an essential requirement to have the registration in the center where we will develop the classes.

One more detail: once we enter Spain legally, as the country belongs to the Schengen area, we can travel to other European countries without the need for further formalities and during a period of 90 days. Thus, we can also visit Portugal, France, Italy or Germany, to give an example.

Spanish Visa Application

There are different types of visa to enter Spain, this depends on the purpose of your trip, be it transit, stay, residence, work and studies.


  • Transit

This type of visa allows you to circulate through an international transit area of ​​a Spanish airport, it also gives you the possibility of crossing Spanish territory.


  • Stay

It allows an uninterrupted stay or successive stays for a period for a period or sum of periods whose total duration does not exceed three months per semester from the date of first entry into the country.


  • Courtesy

This is issued to diplomatic agents, consular officials, delegated representatives of permanent missions of international or intergovernmental organizations based in Spain.


  • Home

For this visa it is important to understand that it allows you to reside in Spain as long as you do not carry out a work or professional activity.


  • Work or Residence

This type of visa authorizes the person to reside and also to carry out a work or professional activity on their own account or to be an employee.


  • Studies

It allows you to stay in Spain to carry out courses, careers, postgraduate degrees, training, etc.

Restrictions when entering Spain

The restrictions are subject to the type of Visa with which you are visiting Spain, for example, the restrictions of the Tourist Visa is that you cannot Work, the Work Visa does not allow you to leave the country on some occasions, among other things.

How much does it cost to enter Spain?

Including the tickets, which according to the season or the willingness to take a flight with stopovers, the price can vary between 600 and 1000 euros.

The Stay in a Hotel that can vary between 30 and 50 Euros per night.

In addition to the Visa Payment, which will be proportional to 5 UT. It will also depend on the type of Visa and Country.

Demonstration of Economic Amount to stay in the Country

In principle, for your support, it is assumed that during your stay in Spain, you must bring an accredited amount that must reach an amount that represents 10% of the gross interprofessional minimum wage in euros (that is, approximately 73 euros per day).

Questions Asked by the Police at the Time of Entering Spain

Some of the questions that you will be asked at the Airport or the Arrival Terminal may scare you, but you must breathe and remember that they are routine, you do not have to be nervous if you have not done anything wrong and all your papers are in order. but anyway, here are some examples to prepare you mentally:

  1. What are you coming to do in Spain?:

    I always recommend bringing a planned travel itinerary, it can simply be a printout with the days and cities where you plan to travel.

  2. Are you traveling alone?:

    Young women who travel alone are the most suspicious. Unfortunately, there is a long history of young people who come to stay to work and support their families of origin or are used as mules for drug trafficking.

  3. How do I pay for the Trip?:

    It’s usually better to answer with my work. I have saved etc. I don’t think answers like: my boyfriend pays me, a friend’s uncle pays me, I won the lottery, etc. If you have a job in your country of origin it is a good idea to bring something to prove it.

  4. How much money do you have?:

    It is best to show as much money as possible. In cash, in traveler’s checks, with the credit card.

  5. How much time is left?:

    This is easy, just show the return ticket. Remember that the maximum stay time as a tourist is 90 days.

  6. Do you have Health Insurance?:

    It is important to bring it, show it and that’s it! If they don’t bring it, it’s a problem, and let’s say there aren’t many excuses to justify it!

  7. Where will you stay?:

    It is important if you are going to travel on your own (without a travel agency) that you bring a defined itinerary

What happens if Entry is Denied?

Depending on the reason for the refusal, a sanction will be imposed, in which you can be prohibited from entering for a certain time, or you can opt for the voluntary withdrawal of entry to Spain, and you can go back the way you left without apparent sanctions.

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