More than 13m British residents visited Spain between July and September last year according to CAA figures, a number that is likely to increase this year (Spain maintained Covid entry rules for third country nationals until October 2022) – the country remains the UK’s most popular holiday destination.
However, there is continued uncertainty surrounding passport validity for entry to EU members such as Spain, with some travellers unaware of the rules, while regional crackdowns against bad tourist behaviour mean that there is an increasing number of rules to be aware of when visiting the country.
Passport rules
Last May, the Foreign Office issued long-awaited clarification for British passport validity for travel to the EU. However, confusion persists about how long is required, added time and expiry dates.
Your British passport must meet two requirements for entry to Spain, and other EU member nations, both of which are independent of one another.
- Check the date of issue. A British passport should be no more than 10 years old on the date of entry. Ignore any months that might have been added. Was the passport issued less than 10 years ago on the date you plan to enter Spain? If so, it will be valid.
- Check the expiry date. A British passport should have at least three months left until it expires on the day after you plan to return home from Spain.
If your passport satisfies both requirements, it will be valid for your trip.
Secondly, since Brexit, British passport holders must spend no longer than 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen Area and passports should comply with the two points above for any time spent in the country within this duration. Those planning to stay longer must be in possession of a valid visa. Make sure your passport is stamped on entry, and as you leave Spain. Stamping will be phased out when the EU’s delayed EES and Etias systems are operational.
Driving
If you are driving to Spain, you must display a UK sticker on your car regardless of whether it is incorporated on your number plate. UK drivers should carry their vehicle logbook (V5C) or a VE103 to show they’re allowed to use their hired or leased vehicle abroad.
Local laws
Several local governments and tourist offices have implemented rules and bylaws in recent years in a bid to drive out antisocial tourist behaviour from popular resorts.
Recently, Ses Salines council in the south-east of Mallorca has implemented a new bylaw to curb excess on its beaches, which include Colonia de Sant Jordi. The Majorca Daily Bulletin reported that use of music devices (radios, instruments, loudspeakers) is now prohibited unless for activities or events organised by the council, as well as nudity, hawkers, beach camping, fires and fireworks.
In Magaluf and El Arenal in Mallorca and the West End of San Antonio in Ibiza, laws prohibit two-for-one drinks sales, happy hour and free drinks, as well as advertising cheap alcohol promotions. All-inclusive hotels must limited alcoholic drinks to six per day, and pub crawls, as well as “balconing” – the practice of jumping between hotel balconies and from balconies into pools – have been banned. Alcohol in these resorts is no longer for sale in shops between 9.30pm and 8am and party boats cannot pick up passengers from these resorts. Tourists who break the rules can face fines between €1,000 and €6,000.
Partygoers who attend unlicensed events could be fined even more, with a penalty of up to €25,000 if it takes place in a protected or residential area, even if it is held in a private villa.
Some restaurants and establishments in busy Mallorca resorts such as Playa de Palma now ban “drunken tourism” attire, such as football strips, swimwear, novelty items and clothes that promote binge drinking. The dress code also extends beyond Palma Beach establishments, with topless parading banned on the city streets.
On the Spanish mainland, the resort of Vigo in Galicia last year announced that it would ban peeing in the sea. While difficult to police, a fine of €750 (£645) applies to those who contravene the rule.
Barcelona prohibited smoking on beaches last summer, with fines of €30. Beach smoking bans are also in place in dozens of resorts in around the mainland and the Balearics.
