Entering Spain has changed for visitors from outside the EU. There are no more passport stamps — an electronic system called EES has taken their place. And there is a lot of confusion online about ETIAS, the travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers. Here is the explanation based on official European Commission information.
EES: what it is and who it applies to
EES (Entry/Exit System) is a shared entry and exit system for the whole Schengen area. It was rolled out gradually from 12 October 2025, and since 10 April 2026 it has been fully operational. From that day passports are no longer stamped.
- Who is registered: all non-EU citizens entering for a short stay — with or without a visa.
- What is collected: passport data, a facial image and four fingerprints, plus the date and place of entry and exit. Children under 12 are not fingerprinted.
- How long it is kept: 3 years, or 5 years for people who overstay.
- The 90/180-day rule is now calculated by the system itself; nobody counts stamps by hand any more.
Who EES does not apply to
- EU citizens.
- Holders of residence permits and long-stay visas — for example, people with a Spanish TIE residence card.
- Some family members of EU citizens.
If you live in Spain with a residence permit, nothing changes for you at the border — just show your passport together with your card.
What it means in practice
Registration takes longer on your first entry: you need to have your photo taken and give fingerprints, sometimes at a self-service kiosk. This spring, queues of up to 500 people built up at passport control at Alicante airport at peak times, with waits of 45–75 minutes. Aena plans to install around 60 EES kiosks. The advice is simple: allow extra time at the border the first time, especially if you have a connection.
ETIAS: not running yet
ETIAS is an electronic travel authorisation for people who do not need a Schengen visa. Here is what is known today:
- The system has not launched and no applications are accepted. The European Commission promises to announce the date a few months before the start. The wording “last quarter of 2026” has been removed from the official website, and many now expect the launch in 2027.
- The fee will be €20. Free for under-18s and people over 70.
- The authorisation will be valid for 3 years or until the passport expires.
- Applications will only be possible on the official website travel-europe.europa.eu or in the official app.
Important: any website that is already charging for ETIAS is a scam. Do not pay.
A couple of other useful things
- There is no tourist tax in the Valencian Community, which includes Torrevieja, Alicante and Valencia. In Catalonia, however, the tax roughly doubled from 1 April 2026.
- When you check in to a hotel or apartment you will be asked for your passport: since December 2024 guest details must be sent to Spain’s Ministry of the Interior.
Welcome to Spain! And once you are through the border, come and explore the Costa Blanca with us.
Sources: European Commission — EES, European Commission — ETIAS, El Español, SchengenVisaInfo. Information as of 13 November 2026. This article is for general information — check entry rules on official websites.
