Spain travel warning: UK visitors planning to stay with family and friends risk facing hefty £8k fine - how to avoid

Brits who are visiting friends or family in Spain could cost their loved ones thousands, handing them a hefty fine, if they don’t have a special letter of invitation.  Since the UK left the European Union, UK holidaymakers now need to show proof of accommodation for their entire stay when visiting as a tourist for 90 days or less.

This is easy to do if you have a bed in a hotel or hostel as most will be happy to provide you with such proof with little hassle but it can be trickier to arrange if you're staying at a friend's house as you might need a 'letter of invitation' or 'carta de invitacion'. It is an official statement that has to be issued by the local police. 

Your host has to get this letter and they need to be either a Spanish national, an EU citizen living in Spain or a non-EU citizen with legal residence. Without this letter, travellers from outside the EU could be fined if they try to enter Spain. This includes people from countries like the UK, US and most Latin American states, which don't need a visa to enter Spain. You won't need the letter until you reach customs in Spain.

If you can't show where you're staying when you arrive, you might have to pay a fine - and your guests might be handed one too. According to the Express, those fines can hit £8,000. 

To find out which rules apply to you, you can visit the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website before you travel. Another little-known rule requires tourists to cough up £93 each day they are in Spain or the nation's surrounding islands.

Spanish officials have been carrying out spot checks where you will be asked to prove you have sufficient financial means for the duration of your trip. This only happens occasionally. Spain defines ‘sufficient financial means’ as access to €109 (£93) per person per day - so for a family of five they need to show they have €545 per day or €7,630 for a two-week holiday in Spain.