Spain travel advice 2024: Foreign Office updates guidance for holidaymakers - full list of updated passport, Covid and local rules

The UK Foreign Office has recently updated its advice for people travelling to Spain after the country has reintroduced rules. It comes as many people will be thinking of booking a holiday to the country - one of the most popular holiday locations.

The Spanish government has reintroduced the mandatory wearing of face masks in hospitals and healthcare centres across the country. The update says: "Due to an increase in respiratory infections such as flu and Covid, you may be required to wear a face mask when using healthcare facilities such as doctors surgeries, hospitals or pharmacies. 

“Specific rules on the use of face masks may vary by region. You should refer to the advice of local authorities in your destination and ensure you are aware of the specific measures in place on how best to protect yourself and others."

Other rules are also in place that travellers should be aware of. The rules apply to all international visitors. Listed below are all the rules you need to know before heading to Spain this year.

Passport rules

If you're booking a holiday to Spain this year, you'll need to make sure your passport is valid before you fly. Particular attention needs to be paid to two dates on the photo page. 

The entry rules have changed since Brexit and British travellers now need to hold a passport that is valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. As well as checking the expiry date, holidaymakers must ensure their passport was issued no more than ten years before the date they will enter the country. Anyone with a passport older than ten years may find they're denied boarding at the airport.

For visas, UK residents can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel as a tourist, plan to visit family or friends, attend business meetings, cultural or sports events, or are making a trip for short-term studies or training.

If you enter or exit the Schengen area through Spain as a visitor make sure your passport is stamped, as border guards will check this to ensure travellers are complying with the 90-day rule. You will need to renew your passport if you have run out of blank pages because it should be stamped when you enter and exit the area.

Covid rules

Spain has now reintroduced face mask rules in certain settings but there has been no suggestion that this will be rolled out to other areas such as hotels or shops and restaurants. Covid-19 travel restrictions brought into effect during the pandemic have now been lifted and there are no Covid testing or vaccination requirements for travellers entering the country.

Local laws 

There are a number of local laws in Spain that holidaymakers are expected to follow, including rules relating to drinking alcohol in public, the wearing of swimwear in certain areas and smoking. Beaches in Spain are maintained by their individual municipalities, meaning that there can be local bylaws that differ depending on the area you visit. 

In some parts of Spain including Benidorm it is against the rules to be in the street wearing only a bikini or swimming shorts/trunks. Several regions have also created smoke-free beaches and zones including Galicia and Murcia. If you're caught smoking on any of the beaches in Barcelona, you might be fined 30 euros. 

Some local councils only allow smoking, vaping and drinking alcohol in designated areas. Drinking alcohol on the beach in Benidorm could result in a fine of 750 euros.