There is lots of admin you have to do before jetting off on holiday. You have to make sure your flights and accommodation are booked, as well as any luggage, onward travel or travel insurance you need.
But there’s another important check you should be doing before going on holiday, as failing to do so could prevent you from flying at all – and it’s something that catches many people out.
Kylie, who shares all about budget conscious travel on her @englandandeverywhere TikTok account, recently shared important advice for anyone travelling to Spain this summer, as they have specific entry requirements which you must make sure you adhere to before travelling. Kylie, who has travelled to over 51 countries so far, explained that as Spain is part of the EU, they have something called the ’10-year-rule’ in place.
According to Kylie, the below is advice “for travel to Mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca etc) and the Canary Islands (Tenerife, Gran Canaria etc)”.
She added: “The 10 year rule is what catches most travellers our as it has to be less than 10yrs old on entry. But if you renewed your passport before Oct 2018, it may have been issued for longer than 10yrs (up to 10 years 9 months).”
The travel expert referred to the Gov.uk website, which stated you need to:
- Have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrived – if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it may have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago
- Have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (the expiry date does not need to be within the 10 years of the date of issue)
Kylie shared an example from a passport which had an issue date of September 2015, but an expiry date of June 2026.
“Even though the expiry date is in June 2026, for this particular passport you would not be able to enter Spain after September 2025.”
For the latest, up-to-date travel information, it’s always important to check the Gov.uk website. There you can see the latest entry requirements to Spain from the United Kingdom.
According to the government website, you will be “denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen”. However, you don’t need a via to travel to Spain, or other countries in the Schengen area, from the UK. As long as you travel:
- As a tourist
- To visit family or friends
- To attend business meetings, cultural or sports events
- For short-term studies or training
- And as long as you stay up to 90 days in any 18-day period
