Requirements for International Visitors entering Spain

Passport and visas (visiting Spain for less than 90 days).

All visitors, except EU countries, are required to have a valid passport for three months beyond the length of stay and issued within the past 10 years. EU nationals only require a valid national ID card for the duration of the stay.

Visas are mandatory by nationals who belong to countries NOT REFERRED in the list bellow:

ALBANIA, ANDORRA, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, ARGENTINA, AUSTRALIA, AUSTRIA, AZERBAIJAN, BAHAMAS, BARBADOS, BELGIUM, BOLIVIA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, BRAZIL, BRUNEI, BULGARIA, CANADA, CHILE, CHINA, CYPRUS, COLOMBIA, KOREA SOUTH COSTA RICA, CROATIA, DENMARK, ECUADOR, EGYPT, EL SALVADOR, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, SLOVENIA, USA, ESTONIA, FINLAND, FRANCE, GEORGIA, GREECE, GUATEMALA, NETHERLANDS, HONDURAS, HUNGARY, ICELAND, IRELAND, MARINA ISLANDS, ISRAEL, ITALY, JAPAN, JORDAN, KAZAKHSTAN, KUWAIT, LATVIA, LIECHTENSTEIN, LITHUANIA, LUXEMBOURG, MACEDONIA, MALTA, MOROCCO, MAURITANIA, MEXICO, MOLDOVA, MONACO, MONTENEGRO, NICARAGUA, NORWAY, NEW ZEALAND, PANAMA PARAGUAY, PERU, POLAND, PORTUGAL, UNITED KINGDOM, CZECH REPUBLIC, SLOVAKIA, ROMANIA, RUSSIA, ST KITTS AND NEVIS, ST. MARINO, THE VATICAN, SENEGAL, SERBIA, SEYCHELLES, SINGAPORE, SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND, THAILAND, TAIWAN , TUNISIA, TURKEY, UKRAINE, URUGUAY, VENEZUELA AND VIETNAM


Temporary residence (visiting Spain for more than 90 days)

If you are a non-EU citizen planning on staying longer than 90 days, you need to apply for a residence visa in the Spanish Embassy of your country.
Letters of Invitation

If you require a letter of invitation in order to secure a visitor visa, you must first register for ISATT. Once all fees have been paid, an email requesting a letter of invitation should be sent to the conference organiser at Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo. . The committee for ISATT Conference, the organisers of this event, and the University of Salamanca do not bear any legal responsibility for any visiting conference delegate.


More information

For further information regarding visa applications, please contact Immigration Spain by clicking on this link or contact the neares Spanish embassy.


Electricity, plug and voltage

Electrical sockets in Spain are one of the two European standard electrical socket types: The "Type C" Europlug and the "Type E" and "Type F" Schuko. If your appliance's plug doesn't match the shape of these sockets, you will need a travel plug adapter in order to plug in. Travel plug adapters simply change the shape of your appliance's plug to match whatever type of socket you need to plug into. If it's crucial to be able to plug in no matter what, bring an adapter for all three types.

  • Adapter for "Type C" European CEE 7/16 Europlug
  • Adapter for "Type E/F" European CEE 7/4 or CEE 7/5 Schuko

Electrical sockets in Spain usually supply electricity at between 220 and 240 volts AC. If you're plugging in an appliance that was built for 220-240volt electrical input, or an appliance that is compatible with multiple voltages, then an adapter is all you need.

But travel plug adapters do not change the voltage, so the electricity coming through the adapter will still be the same 220-240 volts the socket is supplying. North American sockets supply electricity at between 110 and 120 volts, far lower than in most of the rest of the world. Consequently, North American appliances are generally built for 110-120 volts.


Car rental, driver license and road laws

Car rental

To drive in Spain you must be aged 18 or over. To rent a vehicle you must be 21 or over. Many companies also require you to have held your driver’s license for a minimum of one or two years. Remember that you will also require a credit card to rent a vehicle.

In Spain there are rental agencies such as Hertz, Avis, Europcar or Álamo among others. Please click here to find more.

Driver License

Many foreign driving licences are recognised in Spain under reciprocal agreements, including all EU licences and some US state licences, in which case you can drive on the licence of your home country and are not required to obtain a Spanish driving licence. There’s also a maximum age of 65 for obtaining your first licence, although this does not apply to foreigners aged over 65, who can exchange a valid foreign licence for a Spanish licence. A foreign driving licence does not entitle the holder to drive a motor vehicle in Spain until the age of 18yrs old.

Road laws

Seatbelt Requirements

The wearing of front and rear seatbelts is compulsory when fitted.

Children Passengers

Children under 12yrs cannot travel in the front seat unless using an appropriate restraint. It is against the law to carry a child of less than three years in a motor vehicle without an EU approved child's seat correctly fitted in the rear of the vehicle

Speed Limits

Urban kph (mph) Open Road kph (mph) Motorway kph (mph)
Car 50 (31) 90-100 (56-62) 120 (75)
Towing 50 (31) 70-80 (43-50) 80 (50)

Tolls

Spain's motorways (autopistas) are mostly toll roads and are identified by the letter A.

Parking

No parking in spaces painted yellow. A blue and white curb indicates that you can wait briefly with the driver in the vehicle. Parking spaces with meters are marked in blue where a ticket can be purchased from an attendant or machine. The machine may be some distance away; don’t assume that because there is no meter near the car that parking is free. These spaces are usually for a maximum of two hours. Fines vary between areas.

Further information

Emergency Numbers

Dial 112 anywhere in the EU to reach the emergency services.

Other links

Please, have a look of this article: “20 new rules to remember for Spanish road users”.

Click here to go to the Spanish General Traffic Office.