Travel documents

It is your responsibility as a passenger to ensure that you are travelling with all the correct documents to be allowed to travel and are aware of local travel advice.

A safe, hassle-free journey begins with you knowing your responsibilities as a traveller.

So that everything starts on the right foot, we recommend you to check you have all the required documents and have consulted any relevant medical advice regarding vaccinations or precautions to be taken in your destination before you travel.

Travel with the right information and the right documents

It is very important, –and your responsibility as a passenger,– that you carry the correct documents and are fully aware of the minimum requirements for the country you intend to visit. The best way to start a safe, hassle-free trip is to know what you, as the traveller, are required to do. This includes finding out what documents are required and what vaccines and/or precautions, if any, you should take before starting your journey.

Security measures to identify passengers flying from Spain

As part of the National Security Programme for Identifying Passengers, as defined by the Spanish National Security Committee, passengers flying from Spain must provide the following documents to prove they are the passenger named on their boarding pass. This inspection will be carried out at the check-in desk and/or the boarding gate.

[1] Spanish citizens travelling to Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland may travel with an expired passport, up to five years after the expiry date.

CLARIFICATION REGARDING VERIFICATION OF DOCUMENTS

For the purpose of travel document verification and security measures, the following definitions will apply:

• Travel document: Validly issued, currently in force and stating the expiry date and any limits on use thereof
• Refugee travel document: Issued in accordance with the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees
• Stateless persons travel document: Issued in accordance with the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons
• Other valid travel documents: In addition to the three types of travel documents indicated above, the Spanish Ministry of the Interior allows individuals to travel with other travel documents, such as a seaman's card, although use of such documents is less frequent.

A current, valid visa may be required to travel to certain countries, depending on the nationality of the passenger. If the passenger does not have such a visa, the airline may refuse to allow the passenger to board the plane.

In order to travel to certain countries, unaccompanied minors under the age of 18 on non- domestic flights will require a passport or a national identity document (DNI). If travelling with a DNI, the minor must also present an authorisation form signed by his or her father, mother or legal guardian. Such forms may be obtained at police stations, Guardia Civil stations, courts, notary offices or city halls.

A police report claiming a travel document has been lost or stolen will not be sufficient to provide evidence of a passenger's identity. The police department in question may officially attest to the identity of the passenger. This attestation, however, will only be valid for checking the passenger’s identity at the boarding gate for a domestic flight. It is not sufficient to allow the passenger entry into the destination country.

Children under the age of 14 travelling on domestic flights with their parents are not required to prove their identity with a national identity document. Their parents must carry proper identification for themselves as well as for their children.

A national identity document (DNI) will be required for flights within the European community (Schengen area). A passport (and visa, if required by the destination country) is needed for international flights and flights to European countries that are not part of the Schengen Agreement.

Children older than 14 years of age must show the same travel documents as adult passengers.

Children between 5 and 14 years of age travelling alone must show the travel documents outlined above. In addition, their parents or guardians must provide written authorisation and complete the unaccompanied minor documentation required by the airline.

Given that airlines are not required to accept unaccompanied minors, we recommend that you consult the conditions for this service.

Consult the official site of the Spanish Foreign Office
Travel recommendations for Spanish citizens, as well as other matters of interest.
In Spanish.

IATA Travel Centre
The official IATA website providing information on documents and vaccines required, by nationality and destination country.
*In English.

The obligation to declare cash movements serves to prevent money laundering and other serious crimes such as the funding of terrorism.

Obligation to declare

Any individual (Spanish or foreign) leaving or entering Spain is required to declare all cash of an amount equal to or over TEN THOUSAND EUROS (€10,000)*.

Likewise, individuals are required to declare any cash movement within Spain of an amount equal to or over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND EUROS (€100,000)**.

Entering and leaving Spain means any transit to or from a third country, including European Union Member States, via ground, sea or air transport.

*Or the equivalent in foreign currency. The obligation to declare is also applicable to all movements of banker's cheques payable to the bearer or other non-order payment methods in an amount equal to or over €10,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency (see Order EHA/1439/2006, of 3 May).

** Or the equivalent in foreign currency. The obligation to declare is also applicable to all movements of banker's cheques payable to the bearer or other non-order payment methods in an amount equal to or over €100,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency (see Order EHA/1439/2006, of 3 May).

You can make a declaration by submitting an S1 form to Customs. The declaration is completely free of charge.

The declaration must be submitted of one’s own accord and made prior to any tax supervision activities by customs officials or police officers.

A copy of the submitted declaration form must be carried along with the cash during the movement of funds and must be reproduced, if requested, by customs officials or the police officers on duty.

The S1 Form can be obtained from Customs or from the following websites:

http://www.sepblac.es

http://www.aeat.es

http://www.tesoro.es