Spain Visa Information

Passport/Visa

	Passport Required?	Visa Required?	Return Ticket Required?
British	1	No	No
Australian	Yes	No/2	No
Canadian	Yes	No/2	No
USA	Yes	No/2	No
Other EU	1	No	No

Note
EU nationals are only required to produce evidence of their EU nationality and identity in order to be admitted to any EU Member State. This evidence can take the form of a valid national passport or national identity card. Either is acceptable. Passports held by EU nationals need only be valid upon entry to and exit from Spain. Possession of a return ticket, any length of validity on their document, sufficient funds for the length of their proposed visit should not be imposed.

Passport Note
Spain is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement.

Passports
Passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all nationals of countries referred to in the chart above except:
(a) 1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card.

Visas
Not required by nationals of EU countries regardless of purpose and/or length of stay; 2. not required by nationals of other countries referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days.

Visa Note
Nationals of countries not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see General Info).

Warning
On 30 December 2006 at 0900 local time a large car bomb exploded in the multi-story car park at Terminal 4 of Barajas International Airport, Madrid. The Spanish Ministry of Interior says that the attack bears the hallmarks of ETA. No British Nationals are reported to have been involved. Flights to and from Terminal 4 are running as normal. There is a reduced number of parking spaces at Terminal 4.

Travelers should remain aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

In March 2004, 192 people died and over 1400 were injured following bomb attacks on three trains in Madrid.  A group purporting to represent Al Qa’ida claimed responsibility on 13 March.

Most visits to Spain are trouble-free but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate international terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organizations for the latest travel advice:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: (0845) 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel

Health

	Special Precautions	Certificate Required?
Yellow Fever	No	No
Cholera	No	No
Typhoid and Polio	No	N/A
Malaria	No	N/A

Health Care
European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland:
If you or any of your dependants are suddenly taken ill or have an accident during a visit to an EEA country or Switzerland, free or reduced-cost necessary treatment is available – in most cases on production of a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Each country has different rules about state medical provision. In some, treatment is free. In many countries you will have to pay part or all of the cost, and then claim a full or partial refund. The EHIC gives access to state-provided medical treatment only and the scheme gives no entitlement to medical repatriation costs, nor does it cover ongoing illnesses of a non-urgent nature, so comprehensive travel insurance is advised. Note that the EHIC replaces the Form E111, which is no longer valid. Some restrictions apply, depending on your nationality.
Make sure the practitioner you see works within the Spanish state health service. In some parts of the country, particularly the outlying islands, you may have to travel some distance to attend a state surgery (consultorio), health center (centro sanitario) or hospital clinic (ambulatorio). If you need to call out a doctor in an emergency, make it clear that you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and that you want to be treated under the EU arrangements. Whenever you need treatment, show your EHIC. Dental treatment is not generally provided under the state system, and the costs will not be reimbursed. In Spain, doctors, health centers and hospitals have separate surgery times for private patients and those treated under the state health service. If you are asked to pay, you are not being treated under the Spanish health service and your EHIC will not be accepted. Medicines prescribed by health service practitioners can be obtained from any pharmacy (farmacia). You will have to pay up to 40 per cent of the cost unless you are an EEA pensioner, in which case the medicines will be free of charge. You must show proof that you are a state pensioner, otherwise you will be charged 40 per cent of the cost, which you can claim back on your return home. If a hospital says you need medicines after you are discharged, you must take the medical report to a GP, who will give you a prescription. A doctor will usually arrange any hospital treatment you may need. In an emergency, you can only get free treatment in a public ward at a public hospital. You must show your EHIC; if not, you will be charged as a private patient and will not get your money back. Under the strict terms of the Spanish health service, there are no refunds for private healthcare charges. Make sure you have private medical insurance in case you are treated in an emergency in a private hospital. Doctors in the emergency departments of state health service hospitals will prescribe medicines on the appropriate medical report, but do not issue official prescriptions. You must take the report to a primary care doctor who will issue the official prescription. More information can be obtained in Spain from the Servicio Regional de Salud (Regional Health Service Officers).

Note




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