Visa Requirements for Spanish Citizens
Visa requirements for Spanish citizens are determined by the rules and regulations of the visiting country that apply upon arrival. Visa requirements can vary from country to country, which can be confusing for travelers.
However, there are some basic rules that make things easier when determining what type of visa a foreign country requires for Spanish citizens. The first thing to determine is whether the traveler needs a visa to reach the chosen destination.
The next step will be to determine if one can receive the visa upon arrival at the airport or if you can receive the eVisa before the trip begins. Luckily for Spanish citizens, the Spanish passport gives its holder great freedom of international travel.
More than 150 countries welcome Spanish citizens without any type of visa.
Additionally, around 30 visa-free countries have free travel agreements with Spain, allowing Spanish citizens to travel with only valid identification documents in hand. More than 40 destinations have an eVisa option for Spanish citizens.
This allows them to obtain a visa before traveling and avoid long queues at the airport, thus avoiding unnecessary inconvenience.
Although applying for an embassy visa is never pleasant due to the time it takes to get one, there are around 30 countries that do not allow Spanish citizens to enter without a visa. This is why it is always important to check which countries require this before traveling abroad.
Further information on visa requirements for Spanish citizens is available below.
Electronic visa
The eVisa is a visa that Spanish citizens can apply for before their trip begins.
This allows them to avoid long lines at the airport and complete the visa application process online with ease.
List of countries offering eVisas for Spanish passport holders
- American Samoa
- Angola
- The Ascension Island
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Benin
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Guam
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- India
- Iran
- Ivory Coast
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Laos
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Myanmar
- New Zealand
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Suriname
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- USA
- Vietnam
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
More than 40 countries now offer an eVisa option for Spanish citizens. This makes international travel much easier as the entire visa processing can be done online by following three simple steps. Electronic visas are ideal for short-term leisure, business or transit travel. Spanish citizens with an eVisa can go on vacation, visit friends and family abroad, go on business trips or make stops abroad. Electronic visas for Spanish citizens are usually issued for 30 or 90 days, depending on the country chosen.
However, some destinations have different allowed lengths of stay. You can easily get your eVisa online after going through a quick and intuitive application process.
Any work device with an Internet connection works well to apply for an eVisa at home. All Spanish citizens need to do is choose their preferred destination, check that they meet the minimum requirements, prepare the necessary documents (usually just a valid passport) and Start filling out the form.
Applying online takes just a few minutes and most eVisas are approved in 72 hours or less.
Visa on Arrival
Another visa option for Spanish citizens is to apply for a visa at the airport upon arrival.
This method depends a lot on the chosen destination because not all countries have a visa-on-arrival system.
List of countries that offer a Visa on Arrival option for Spanish citizens
- Angola
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Cambodia
- Comoros
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Guinea-Bissau
- Iran
- Iraq
- Iraqi Kurdistan
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Hainan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- The Maldives
- Mauritania
- Mongolia
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Somaliland
- Sri Lanka
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
More than 40 destinations now have visa-on-arrival systems that Spanish passport holders can use. To visit any of the countries listed above, Spanish citizens do not need to apply for a visa before their intended trip. It should be noted that many VoA countries have an additional eVisa option that Spanish citizens can use.
It’s best to apply for an e-visa whenever possible to prepare for your trip and avoid long lines at the airport. Without the eVisa option, one must apply for a visa on arrival at the nearest border control point. Travelers should request a VoA application form and fill it out carefully, avoiding errors in the data provided. Then, if necessary, Spanish nationals must pay the VoA issuance fee, provide all additional supporting documents and wait for approval. VoA , like the eVisa, is used for short-term stays (usually 15, 30 or 90 days) for tourist, professional or transit reasons.
So you can travel abroad for vacation, to visit family and friends, for business or for transit with a visa on arrival available at your chosen airport.
Embassy visa
An embassy visa is a visa issued by a foreign embassy or consulate.
Embassy visas are used for both short-term and long-term travel depending on the type chosen.
However, it should be noted that traditional visas are more difficult to obtain and can even take several weeks to process.
List of countries that require Spanish citizens to have an Embassy visa upon arrival
- Abkhazia
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Bhutan
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- The Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- The Republic of the Congo
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Crimea
- Cuba
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Liberia
- Libya
- Mali
- The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- Sudan
- Syria
- Turkmenistan
- Tokelau
- The United States Minor Outlying Islands
- Yemen
Spanish citizens must apply for an embassy visa, regardless of their purpose of travel, to the 30 countries. The only way to get a visa to visit these countries is through that country’s embassy or consulate. Since many requests are processed manually with much needed evidence and documentation required, this can take some time (up to several weeks). Spanish nationals applying for an embassy visa must go to their local consulate or embassy office to apply in person. Sometimes visitors also have to go through a visa interview.
The main difference between an embassy visa and a visa on arrival, e-visa or visa-free travel is that traditional visas can also be used for long-term travel. Including issues related to work, study and even living abroad. However, as we mentioned, the registration process is much more difficult.
Visa-free countries
A visa-free system is in place between Spain and many countries. It should be noted that this does not necessarily mean that all travelers can freely visit any of these countries without restrictions or without additional documents.
In most cases, visa-free status only covers trips related to tourism, family visits, and transit purposes.
List of visa-free countries for Spanish citizens
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Cape Verde
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kiribati
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Namibia
- Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Oman
No less than 120 countries allow Spanish citizens to visit their territory without a visa.
It is important to remember that visa-free travel includes all short-term visits related to leisure, business or transit, such as:
- going on vacation
- exploring foreign countries
- trying the available tourist attractions
- handling any business affairs abroad
- taking part in a conference/seminar
- transiting to reach another final destination
So, What does visa-free travel really look like?
Spanish citizens who want to travel internationally without a visa must prepare a valid passport.
In addition, the tourist’s passport cannot expire for the entire duration of the planned trip.
Please note!
Countries that have free movement agreements with Spain only allow Spanish citizens to travel based on their valid identification documents.