Date Published: 01/03/2024

Do I really need an invitation to visit Spain after Brexit?

British tourists visiting Spain could be fined £8,000 if they don’t have proof of where they are staying

Spain is one of the top tourist destinations for Brits, but post-Brexit travel restrictions from outside the European Union to within the Schengen Zone are becoming stricter.

For instance, in 2025 a new visa waiver system called ETIAS will come into force that means Brits and other non-EU residents visiting Spain will need to pay 7 euros for a special travel permit to enter the Eurozone.

There is also a little-known rule that states that Brits and other non-EU citizens who are not resident in Spain may need to provide proof of where they are going to stay for the duration of their time in Spain and other European countries, known as the ‘carta de invitación’ or ‘invitation letter’.

This is because, without a visa or residency status, non-EU citizens may only spend 90 days out of every 180-day period in the EU. As such, border forces are looking for ways to control the movement of people to ensure that Brits and other tourists do not break the rules and overstay their welcome.

That is why the ETIAS system is being introduced, and why there is another tool in the border authorities’ possession, which is asking people who enter the Eurozone for proof that they have the financial means to support themselves with at least 100 euros a day for the duration of their planned stay in Europe.

In the same vein, border guards may, in theory, ask you for a letter of invitation from a hotel, your accommodation or from the police to show that you are allowed to stay in Europe and have somewhere to stay for the time you are planning to be in the Schengen Area.

This could include:

Booking confirmation from a hotel, hostel, or Airbnb
Proof of address if you are visiting your own property in Spain
An invitation or proof of address if you are staying with family, friends, or a third party

If you do not have such proof of stay, it is possible that you could face a fine of up to £8,000.

But for those British visitors to Spain who are staying with friends rather than in official accommodation such as a hotel, it is harder to be able to provide proof of stay. That’s because the person providing the invitation has to be either a Spanish or EU citizen living in Spain or a non-EU citizen who is legally allowed to reside in Spain.

One idea some people recommend is to book just one night in a Spanish hotel, even if you don’t plan to sleep there, in order to obtain an invitation letter. In reality, though, this is not enough to prove you have somewhere to stay for up to 90 days in Spain, and may not be sufficient to appease border staff.

The truth is that the rule about needing a letter of invitation, like the 100-euro-a-day rule, is not actually a new development and is less a legal requirement than a suggestion. In practice, it is rarely enforced and most of the time you won’t be asked for an invitation letter to enter Spain.

To reiterate: Spanish border police are not actively asking all Brits for new documentation to be able to enter the country, and Spain has not decided to make it much harder than before for UK holidaymakers to visit.

As long as your passport is valid and has at least 3 months left on it by the date you plan to leave Spain, you should be okay to travel to Spain for your holidays.

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