Spain Travel Tips: Documentation to enter Spain and driving througout the country
If you got your plane tickets, your hotel or apartment booked, and your guidebook, now it’s time for you to know what papers you need to enter Spain.
Here are some tips:
Documentation
EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein: valid passport or ID card. Under 16s can be included on the passport of their father, mother or tutor, as long as they have the same nationality as the passport holder and are travelling with him/her. Furthermore, if the young person is travelling with an ID card, this should be accompanied by parental authorisation.
Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, the USA, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, San Marino, the Vatican, Singapore, Uruguay or Venezuela: valid passport, which will allow you to remain in Spain for a maximum period of 90 days.
Other countries: apply for a visa from the Spanish Consulate in your place of residence, subject to criteria established by the EU. You will also require a valid passport. You may be required to specify the reason for your application for entrance to Spain. Furthermore, if considered opportune, the Spanish authorities may require a document showing the establishment of accommodation in Spain, confirmation of booking on an organised tour, a return ticket or ticket for a tourist itinerary, or an invitation by a third party. In addition, they may also require you to show that you are in possession of sufficient funds for maintenance during your stay in Spain.
If you are travelling in your own vehicle you should know that:
You must be 18 year old:
To drive in Spain you must be aged 18 or over. To rent a vehicle you must be 21 or over. Many companies also require you to have held your driver’s license for a minimum of one or two years.
You need a valid driver’s license:
If you are the citizen of an EU member state, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, or of one of the countries that has adopted the standard license as agreed in the Geneva or Vienna conventions: you only require your valid driver’s license. If you are from another country you will require an International Driver’s License.
Motor insurance:
EU member state, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra or Croatia: insurance policy along with a payment receipt showing validity of the policy.
Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Byelorussia, Israel, Iran, Morocco, Moldavia, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Tunisia, Turkey or the Ukraine: Green Card - the International Motor Insurance Certificate.
Other countries: Frontier Insurance policy (a temporary, obligatory, third party policy for motor vehicles).
Road safety regulations:
- Car radios and mobile phones must be switched off while re-fuelling.
- A reflective jacket must be used when getting out of the car on the road or the hard shoulder.
- Warning triangles must be deployed if the vehicle has stopped on the road or hard shoulder.
- Established speed limits must be obeyed.
- Alcohol levels must not exceed 0.5 g/l in the bloodstream (0.25 mg/l in exhaled air).
- Helmets must be worn on motorbikes, mopeds and bicycles.
- Children under 3 years must be strapped into a suitable seat for their weight and height.
- Seatbelts must be worn by driver and all passengers, in front and back seats.
- Talking on a mobile phone is prohibited while driving, unless you use a hands-free system.
