Travellers to Spain have been urged to follow rules issued by the Spanish government
Sophie Buchan Money and Lifestyle Writer
12:26, 03 Jul 2025
Tourists heading to Spain have been issued new guidance(Image: Eduardo R via Getty Images)
Travellers to Spain have been warned to stick to four rules when on holiday. Officials say doing so will make your holiday more stress-free, and will help keep you and your money safe.
The fresh warning comes from the Ministry of the Interior, Government of Spain. They are advisiing people to consider these four things before and during your holiday.
Taking to X, they wrote: “Are you travelling? May your vacation be top-notch and not a scare”. They ask people to:
- Watch your luggage
- Lock your suitcases
- Separate money and cards
- Be careful with bags and pockets in crowds
In a separate warning on the GOV.UK website, the UK Foreign Office said: “You must provide photo ID if asked by a police officer. This includes the Guardia Civil and national, regional and local police forces. The police have the right to hold you at a police station until they have confirmed your identity.
“Ignoring direct requests of a police officer can be considered as ‘disobedience’, which is a criminal offence. Hotels, tourist accommodation and car rental companies have a legal duty to register passport and other details of tourists who check in or collect a vehicle.”
They add that when checking into your accommodation, wait until hotel staff have recorded your passport details or made a copy. Do not leave your passport at reception to pick up later.
You may also be asked to show identification when making purchases with a credit or debit card. While some shops may accept a driver’s licence or a copy of your passport, others may require the original passport.
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Holidaymakers or those on business should also note that Spain follows Schengen area rules. This means your passport must:
- have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive – 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 day you plan to leave the Schengen area (the expiry date does not need to be within 10 years of the date of issue)
Confirm with your travel provider that your passport and any other travel documents meet the necessary requirements. Renew your passport if needed. The Foreign Office concludes that you may be refused entry if your travel documents are not valid or if you attempt to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.