Are you planning to travel to Spain from the United States and don’t know if there are travel restrictions?
Well, the good news is that as of October 21, 2022, travelers from the U.S. to Spain no longer need to present quarantine certificates. Also, COVID-19 Test is not required to enter Spain from the US.
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However, US passport holders who plan to enter Spain for tourism or business must obey the visa and immigration policy of the Spanish authority.
Why Spain matters to the American tourists
For American fun lovers, Spain isn’t just a country, but a destination point that houses beautiful art galleries and irresistible architectural designs to behold.
No wonder, Spain welcomed from around the world over 19 million tourists in 2020, 31 million tourists in 2021.
At Actionable Info (infomediang.com), we narrowed down the tourism data only to US-Spain travel using data from the National Travel and Tourism Office (an agency of the Department of Commerce), it shows that out of the 83.5 million tourists that entered Spain in 2019, 2.2million of them are from the United States.
Even as the number dropped drastically in 2021 to less than 800,000 visits from the US (according to data on statista), Spain still remains one of the most visited countries for US tourists.
What are COVID-19 requirements by Spain?
Spain is one of the most hit by the pandemic recording 13.6 million cases and 116,658 deaths, according to data available on Our World In Data at the time of this publication.
And in early 2022, the Omicron coronavirus variant cause a new spread of panic among residents when everyone thought the season of covid-19 was over,
So, Spain’s pandemic restrictions are justifiable. But cases have dropped. The question and answer below provide more details about Spain’s pandemic restriction regarding US citizens who might want to enter Spain.
Are there still travel restrictions in Spain?
During the pandemic peak, travelers from outside the EU and Schengen zone were mandated to provide either a certificate proving full vaccination, a negative test (PCR or rapid antigen) or a certificate of recovery. But as of October 21, 2022, Spain has removed the travel restrictions.
What are the tourist visa requirements for US traveling to Spain?
Better put, this section covers the documents you need to enter Spain from the US. To put it straight, U.S citizens can enter Spain without a tourist visa for up to 90 days the same way Spain citizen can enter the United States without a visa under the ESTA programme..
However, other requirements are:
1) Valid passport for at least three months beyond the period of stay.
2) Sufficient funds to take care of your needs during your stay
3) You have a return airline ticket
4) If you exhausted the first 90-day stay period, you must wait an additional 90 days before applying to re-enter Spain and the Schengen area.
5) You must be able to justify the purpose of your travel either for business or tourism
Note: Make sure that sure immigration officials stamp your passport upon entering and exiting the Schengen area.
Spain Work visa requirements for US Citizens
US citizens can apply for Residence and Employment Visa if they plan to take up employment in Spain.
The requirements are:
1) Fill and sign the national visa application form
2) A recent passport-sized and colour photograph
3) Original and photocopy page of your valid passport
4) The passport must have at least 4 month validity period (for a temporary job)
5) A copy of the work contract and must be stamped by the Foreign Nationals’ Office.
6) Show proof of the representative’s identity and capacity
7) Copy of the Residence And Work Authorization For Employees (Autorización De Residencia Y Trabajo Por Cuenta Ajena)
8) The visa application must be submitted within one month from the notification to the employer of the authorisation grant.
9) Original and a photocopy of the criminal record check certificate(s). You can get a criminal record check certificate at your local police department in the US.
10) Criminal record check certificate must not be older than three months
11) Original and a photocopy of your medical report certifying that you are medically fit to work and that you will not pose a public threat to public health.
12) Payment of work visa fee of $200. More information is available on the site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.
Is it safe to travel from the US to Spain?
According to the US-Spain travel advisory, it is safe to travel to Spain from the United States. Spain is on level 2, meaning that travelers should exercise increased caution.
Is wearing of mask compulsory in Spain?
Except for public transport like health centers, social sanitary centers, public transport systems, and on ships or boats, face marks are not compulsory indoors or outdoors. You can find more details on travel safe.
What’s the best time to visit Spain?
The best time to visit Spain is between March to May (Spring) or between September to November (Fall).
What is the cost of traveling from the US to Spain?
You can get flight deals and the cost of flying from the United States to Spain.
Takeaways:
US tourist travelers can enter Spain for 90 days without a visa
A traveler from the United States can now enter Spain without covid-19 testing and quarantine requirements, regardless of their vaccination status.
US citizen who wishes to take a job in Spain needs to apply for and get a work visa in the US before coming to Spain.
References:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. “Employee Visa”. exteriores.gob.es
- US Department of State. “Criminal Record Checks”. state.gov
- Edouard Mathieu, Hannah Ritchie, Lucas Rodés-Guirao, Cameron Appel, Charlie Giattino, Joe Hasell, Bobbie Macdonald, Saloni Dattani, Diana Beltekian, Esteban Ortiz-Ospina and Max Roser (2020) – “Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19)”. Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: ‘https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus’ [Online Resource]
- Bureau of Consulates Affairs. “Spain Travel Advisory”. state.gov