Spain ETIAS
Whit its world recognized artistic and cultural heritage and breathtaking sceneries, Spain is one of the top world destinations for international tourism.
ETIAS to Spain: key points
Spain to require ETIAS to incoming non-EU/Schengen short-term visitors from 2025
ETIAS needed to enter Spain for citizens of 60 Visa Waiver Countries
ETIAS covers for a permanence in 34 countries as a group of no longer than 90 days in 6 months
ETIAS to be used only for incoming journey for business, leisure, transit or medical treatment.
Key points about Spain
Whit its world recognized artistic and cultural heritage and breathtaking sceneries, Spain is a country that needs no introduction.
One of the top world destinations for international tourism, Spain’s economy is also thriving and has been emerging in the last 20 years as the new European power to be reckoned with.
Intensive agriculture, livestock farming, and energy production are the traditional leaders of Spain’s productive sectors that lately where sided by new incoming players such as construction industry but also to the ever-growing fashion sector.
Never to be underestimated, as an economic and cultural source of huge visibility and touristic income for Spain, is also the notorious Sport sector with its top-class football and basketball teams as well as with renowned racetracks.Spain, EU and ETIAS
Firm Member of the Schengen Area Spain as often been sponsoring freedom of movement as an important key value to foster European Economy and it is therefore no wonder that Spain itself has been one of the main political sponsors behind the conception and the creation of the ETIAS Visa Waiver that will be necessary to enter Spain and 33 more European Countries from 2025.
To be applied for electronically only ETIAS System has been designed to be easy to handle and will require each candidate just a few minutes of their time.
Visa Waiver citizens of 60 eligible countries will indeed just have to insert a short set of data to forward their application.
The required data for ETIAS application are grouped in four main sections:- Personal information
- Contact details including a valid e-mail address
- Travel schedule to ETIAS Area
- General eligibility questions such as criminal record, healthcare risks and immigration history
ETIAS security clearance and issuance
When the ETIAS request is sent through, EU institutions and Security Databases will cross check it and provide an outcome, sent via e-mail exclusively, in usually no longer than 72 hours.
Once ready the ETIAS approval will be sent directly to each petitioner’s personal e-mail, and it is therefore important for each applicant to input a valid and working e-mail account when they fill out the required form.
It must be remembered that each person planning to travel to the ETIAS Area, minors included, must hold an individual passport, and is therefore asked to apply for an ETIAS of his/her own albeit through the support of an authorized adult.
Once issued ETIAS Visa Waiver is valid for 3 years from its date of issue and allows for multiple entries in Spain and in the 34 Member Countries in general as long as such trips comply with the general ETIAS limitations for purpose and duration of stay as mentioned in the basic facts; also, each visitor’s passport must have at least 3 months of remaining validity counting from the date they plan to leave Europe’s ETIAS Area.ETIAS to Spain: eligibility and exceptions
Individuals that already hold a valid Schengen Visa or a Permit of Stay issued by a Schengen Member Country are not required to have a valid ETIAS to enter Spain or any other member State.
As a direct consequence, voyagers whose aim to work or study in the EU on a long-term basis will not be considered eligible for ETIAS and will still be required to apply for Consular Schengen Visa.
Although ETIAS is not fit for long term study programs, ETIAS Visa Waiver can be used to enter Spain for short training programs (such as language classes, cooking classes and corporate training courses) if the stay in the ETIAS Countries Area as a whole, will not surpass the limit of ninety days within 6 months.
More details about ETIAS terms of use are available here.ETIAS Area border crossing
Upon arrival at the Spanish land, air or sea borders with non-Schengen Countries, ETIAS travelers might be asked to provide supplementary documents to assess purpose and planned duration of the trip such as:
- return ticket to country of origin
- onward ticket to another country not belonging to ETIAS Area where the person has a proven right to enter (i.e. valid visa or visa waiver rights)
- proof of holding enough funds to support the entire stay
An health coverage is not compulsory to enter Spain on an ETIAS while it is among the basic conditions required for holders of Schengen Visa.
ETIAS to Spain- controversies
Spain shares part of its land borders with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Unlike other B.O.T.s Gibraltar was, together with UK itself, member of the European Union until late 2020.
Since BREXIT took place, many negotiations have been carried out to rule upon the movement of persons and goods across the Spanish / Gibraltar border but the process that should lead the British Overseas Territory to join the Schengen Area is still ongoing and might take several years. Until then, the mentioned land border is to be considered among the EU/Schengen Area’s external ones and therefore ETIAS travelers willing to visit Gibraltar must comply with local immigration laws.About Spanish overseas territories
The Spanish overseas territories of Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla are part of both the European Union and the Schengen Area and, besides some rare exception, adopt the Spanish immigration rules in full.
Consequently, ETIAS will soon become a requirement for visa-free visits to such Islands and Regions.