Spain passport requirements: how long do you need on passport to travel to Spain from UK - and how to renew it

UK holidaymakers heading to Spain this summer are being warned to check the validity of their passport before travelling to avoid being caught out by new rules. Changes introduced following the UK’s departure from the European Union mean that your passport’s issue and expiry date will be checked at border control, and it must have months left on it to be allowed entry.

How long do I need on my passport to enter Spain?

Under Schengen area rules, it is a requirement for UK passports to be no more than 10 years old from the point of issue when entering an EU country. Passports must also be valid for at least three months after the day you are due to travel home.

The Foreign Office has now updated its travel advice for 33 countries to help clarify the changes, with destinations including Spain, Greece and Italy. The updated advice now addresses the changes for Spain and explains: "If you are planning to travel to an EU country (except Ireland), or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City, you must follow the Schengen area passport requirements.

"Your passport must be:

• issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
• valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

"You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Contact the embassy of the country you are visiting if you think that your passport does not meet both these requirements. Renew your passport if you need to."

UK Travellers no longer have Covid restrictions to abide by, as of 3 January 2023. However, anyone arriving from China will need to have a Covid-19 vaccination, and undergo testing requirements. Travellers will be required to have visual and temperature checks on arrival, and may be subjected to a diagnostic test for active infection at the point of entry. Children under the age of twelve are exempt from this requirement, as are passengers who are transiting airside for 24 hours or less.

UK tourists can travel in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. In 2024, the introduction of the European Travel Information and Authorisation Scheme means anyone coming from the UK to the Schengen Area will need to apply for a visa waiver. These will cost around £6 and last for around three years or until the passport expires.

How do I renew my passport?

If you need to get your passport renewed, you can apply online via the government website. You will need a digital photo, credit or debit card and your current passport, and will need to pay £82.50 for the renewal, for standard 34-page passport, or £93.50 for a 50-page frequent traveller passport.

You can renew your passport via a paper application from your local Post Office, or by using the Post Office Check and Send service, although this process takes longer.This will cost £93 for standard 34-page passport, or £104 for a 50-page frequent traveller passport.

If you need a passport urgently, it is possible to fast track your passport application. You will need to book an appointment at the passport office appointment and pay online. Appointments can be made up to three weeks in advance.

If you use the Online Premium service, you will get your new passport at your appointment, which lasts up to 30 minutes. It costs £193.50 (or £204.50 for a 50 page frequent traveller passport) for this option, and it can only be used to renew an adult passport that was issued after 31 December 2001.

The 1 week Fast Track service will deliver your passport to your home within one week of our appointment. This service can be used to renew an adult or child passport, change a name on a passport, make changes to personal details, replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport, or to apply for a first child passport.

This service costs £155 for an adult passport (or £166 for a 50 page frequent traveller passport), or £126 for a child passport (or £137 for a 50 page frequent traveller passport).

If you cannot use the online services you can book an appointment and pay over the phone by calling the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000.