The short answer
To enter Spain, a British citizen passport must meet two date rules, and both are checked at the border:
- Issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive. Look at the date of issue, not the expiry date.
- Valid for at least 3 months after the day you leave the Schengen area.
You can then stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and days in other Schengen countries such as France, Portugal or Italy count too. Enter your dates below to check both.
Check your passport
Enter the dates from the photo page of your passport and your travel dates.
How long can I stay? (90/180 days)
Add any time you spent in Schengen countries (Spain, France, Portugal, Italy…) in the last 180 days, then the day you arrive.
The checker follows the rules published by GOV.UK in its Spain entry requirements. It is a planning aid, not official advice: for anything unusual, check GOV.UK or contact the Spanish consulate before you book.
The 10-year rule: why the date of issue matters
The EU does not count any validity beyond ten years from the date of issue. Some older British passports, renewed before September 2018, had up to nine extra months added from the old passport, so the printed expiry date is more than ten years after the date of issue. For Spain, those extra months do not count: the passport stops being usable for entry ten years after it was issued.
Example: a passport issued on 1 July 2016 with an expiry date of 1 April 2027 can be used to arrive in Spain until 30 June 2026. From 1 July 2026 it cannot, even though it has not expired.
The 3-month rule: count from the day you leave
The expiry date must be at least three months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area, not the day you arrive. If you are touring Spain and Portugal, or flying home from another Schengen country, use the last day you are anywhere in the Schengen area.
Example: with an expiry date of 15 January 2027, you can leave on 15 October 2026 at the latest.
Airlines check these rules at the airport too, and can refuse to let you board if your passport does not meet them.
The 90/180-day rule
British citizens can visit Spain and the rest of the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. It is a rolling window: on any day of your trip, look back 180 days and add up every day you spent in Schengen countries, including the day you arrived and the day you left. The total must never go over 90.
- Two weeks in Portugal in May and a week in France in July both count towards a trip to Spain in September.
- Days drop out of the count 180 days after they happened, so you regain days over time.
- Longer stays need a visa, applied for before you travel.
Since 10 April 2026, the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is fully in place at Spanish airports, ports and land borders. On your first entry you register your fingerprints and a photo, and the system records every entry and exit. Your 90 days are now counted automatically, not from stamps.
What if your passport fails a rule?
Renew it before you book, or at least before you travel. Apply on GOV.UK and allow up to three weeks for a standard renewal, longer in spring and summer. If you are short of time, GOV.UK also offers faster paid services with an appointment. Your new passport will be valid for ten years from its date of issue, with no extra months.
ETIAS: not needed yet
ETIAS, the online travel authorisation for visitors to Europe, is not in operation. The EU no longer expects it to start in 2026, and it will be announced several months before it launches. When it does, it is expected to cost €20 for travellers aged 18 to 70 and to last three years. Until then, you do not need to apply for anything: be wary of websites charging for “ETIAS applications” now.
Who these rules are for
This checker is for British citizen passports. Visitors from other visa-free countries outside the EU, such as the United States, Canada or Australia, face the same Schengen passport and 90/180-day rules, but should check their own government’s travel advice. Citizens of EU countries do not need to meet these rules.
Planning your trip
Once your passport is sorted:
- Getting in: Seville airport transfers and getting to Seville.
- Driving: car hire at Málaga airport and car hire in Andalusia.
- When to go: the best time to visit Andalusia.
FAQ
Does my passport need 6 months left for Spain?
No. For Spain, the passport must have been issued less than ten years before you arrive and expire at least three months after you leave. Some other countries ask for six months, which is where the confusion comes from.
Is my passport valid for Spain if it expires in 4 months?
It depends on how long you stay: the expiry date must be at least three months after the day you leave. A passport that expires in four months works for a trip of up to about a month, as long as it was also issued less than ten years before you arrive.
Do days in Portugal or France count towards my 90 days in Spain?
Yes. All Schengen countries share the same 90 days in any 180. Days in the UK, Ireland and other non-Schengen countries do not count.
Do the day I arrive and the day I leave count?
Yes. Both count as full days in the Schengen area.
Do I need ETIAS to travel to Spain?
Not yet. ETIAS has not started and is not expected before 2027. You do not need to apply for anything before a holiday in Spain today.
What happens at the border now that EES has started?
On your first trip after the system started, you give your fingerprints and a photo at a kiosk or desk. On later trips, the border check uses that record, and your entries and exits are logged automatically instead of being stamped in your passport.