Essential Spanish tourist information so that you can plan ahead and have a hassle-free holiday!
Passports and Visas
In order to enter Spain, your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave Portugal and it must have been issued within 10 years of the day you enter Spain.
Visas are not required for passengers (and their family members) entering Spain from the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
If you are coming from a Schengen region of the EU, your passport must be valid for 3 months after the day you are planning on leaving and you will need to show your Identity Card to enter the country.
If you are not from a Schengen region of the EU, check this official list of countries that require visas to enter Spain.
Coronavirus Restrictions
Changing almost monthly, it’s important to stay up to date with the latest COVID-19 restrictions and entry requirements. Entry requirements vary for travelers from different countries. You may require (a) to quarantine, (b) Proof of vaccination status, (c) to complete a Passenger Locator form, (d) evidence of recent negative COVID-19 tests, (e) masks, (f) social distancing.
The Spain Travel Health website has a section for the latest Coronavirus regulations.
Customs Regulations and Airport taxes
There are no airport taxes to pay when you arrive in Spain. However, there are maximum limits to the amount of alcohol, cigarettes, and the currency you can bring into the country. it’s also necessary to have a document confirming that you own any medications you bring into Spain You can find out more customs regulations and export and export limitations at Spain info.
Time Zones
Spain has two time zones and observes daylight saving time. Continental Spain uses Central European Time GMT+01:00, while the Canary Islands use Western European Time GMT–00:00.
Money in Spain
The official currency of Spain is the euro, (EUR). One euro is divided into 100 cents (centavos). You may only be able to get 300 EUR from an ATM per day.
Keep your belongings safely stored, and close to your body, and be extra alert around tourist sites, including beaches, monuments, and cruise docks. One of the great things about the late Spanish nightlife is that you will often see people out on the streets at all hours. Like anywhere, avoid dimly lit and deserted places at night.
Bag snatching, car burglaries, pick-pocketing, drink spiking, and accommodation scams are unfortunately beginning to occur in Spain, as they do in almost if not all, other countries.
Tipping in Spain
wages, while high by global standards, are amongst the lowest in Western Europe. Tipping is not mandatory, but it is very common and usually in cash to make sure your waitstaff receives it.
Tip between 5-10% or round up the bill. If a 10% Service Charge is added to the bill, then there’s no need to tip.
For tour guides, tip €5-10 for a half-day, and €10-20 for a full day. On free tours €5-10 is the norm.
SIM cards and Public Wi-fi
If you’d like to phone home and keep in touch while you’re on holiday in Spain, you’ll need a Spain SIM. There are areas of public Wi-fi, but they are not extensive, especially outside the downtown areas of the major cities and towns.
MEO, Vodafone, and NOS are the three mobile providers, with MEO the largest.
You’ll see Vodafone shops in the major airports. It’s a cheap and simple solution to staying in touch. It’s also possible to pre-purchase a SIM and an e-SIM.
Spain Travel Cards
City Cards such as the Hola Barcelona Travel Card give you free transportation on pretty much all kinds of public transport, including funicular railways. and some also offer discounts on activities. The Go City Pass includes a range of attractions.
These cards can be combined with hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus cards in individual cities. See the range of Spain travel cards in Barcelona for more information. In Madrid, you also have the option of buying a Madrid Art Walk Pass to see its three most incredible museums.
In addition, the Eurorail Pass (the Interrail Spain Pass or EN-Interrail) and Renfe Pass can all be purchased for getting around the country by train.
Electrical Sockets
Spain’s standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. Depending on where you are traveling from, you may need to purchase a travel adapter. The correct adapter type for Spain is Type C but Type F is also used. The C plug has two round pins and the F plug has two round pins with two earth pins on either side.
Weights & Measures
Spain uses the metric system – so, for example, kilograms and not pounds, kilometers rather than miles, as well as the Celsius (rather than Fahrenheit) temperature
