Spain FCDO Advice: Why It’s Important to Stay Updated

Following a statement on behalf of the Spanish Tourist Office this week, the FCDO advice page has drawn more awareness to the necessity of consumers and travel businesses staying up to date on all entry requirements for their chosen destinations, Covid-related or otherwise. 

In the statement released this week, the Spanish Tourist Office “set the record straight” about their entry requirements for UK travellers and the need to show proof of finances on arrival. This comes after many national and regional media sources reported that their current financial entry requirements are newly introduced, which is incorrect, as evidenced by the FCDO advice detailing these requirements dating back to the 1st of January this year. 

This entry requirement is a Schengen area requirement for all travellers from outside both the Schengen area and the EU. It states on the FCDO advice page that all travellers from outside the Schengen area and the EU, including the UK, must carry additional documents when travelling to Spain, including enough money for their stay. This rule is to be satisfied in a few ways: 

•  A return or onward ticket 
• Enough money for the duration of your stay  
• Proof of accommodation  

The Spanish Tourist Office director, Manuel Butler, said, “The requirement for UK travellers to be able to illustrate sufficient means for the duration of their stay and the return is established in the Schengen Borders Code and is not a Spain-specific requirement. 

“This is not a new requirement and has been in place for some time for visitors from outside of the European Union or Schengen area. When entering Spain, these checks are not systematically carried out for every traveller. 

“Likewise, travellers coming to the UK are also required to show that they have specific means to support themselves and any dependents for the duration of the trip and the ability to pay for the return or onward journey.” 

Travellers can keep up to date with the current entry requirements for their chosen destination in a few different ways. The simplest way is to keep up to date via the FCDO advice page which is a government page updated live as new entry requirements are confirmed. If you book with a good travel agent, they will also be up to date in this news and are just a phone call away if you’re ever uncertain about the entry rules for your destination.  

So, if you’re looking forward to your next holiday, don’t wait, book now with a travel business registered with PTS for 100% financial protection through trust. Or, if you’d like assistance choosing one of the lovely PTS members to book with, you can contact PTS directly at 0207 190 9988.  

And if you’d like to learn more about your financial protection with PTS or how the Package Travel Regulations protect your holiday booking, check out our pages and Travel Advice.