Visiting: the 90/180-day rule
No visa needed for short stays: British passport holders can spend up to 90 days in any 180 in Spain and the Schengen area. Here's how the count works and what's changing at the border.
- Visa-free stay
- 90 days
- In any rolling 180 days
- Area covered
- Schengen
- All 29 countries count together
- Passport
- Under 10 yrs old
- And 3 months left after you leave
- Border checks
- EES
- Fingerprints and photo at first entry
Updated 24 Oct 2026 · Figures checked 12 Oct 2026
In short
As a British passport holder you can stay in Spain for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. The 90 days are shared across the whole Schengen area, so a week in France counts too. Since April 2026 the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records every entry and exit automatically, so overstays are spotted. If you want to stay longer, you need one of the residence routes on this site.
Is this route for you?
Who it suits
- People spending a few weeks or months in Spain to find the right town before moving
- Second-home owners who split the year between the UK and Spain
- Anyone travelling while a residence application is being prepared
Who it doesn't suit
- Anyone who wants to live in Spain for more than 90 days in 180: you need a residence visa
- Anyone who wants to work in Spain, even briefly: short stays don't allow it
- Snowbirds hoping to spend a whole winter (more than three months) without a visa
What you need
At the border you may be asked for:
- A passport issued less than 10 years before the date you enter, and valid for at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave
- A return or onward ticket
- Where you're staying: a hotel booking, a property you own or rent, or an invitation letter (carta de invitación) if you stay with friends or family
- Enough money for your stay
UK passports are no longer stamped as routine since the EES started; the system records your entry and exit instead.
Money: income and costs
Spain can ask visitors to show they can pay for their stay. The figure is set yearly as a share of the minimum wage per day of stay, with a minimum total. In practice checks are rare, but carry a bank card and be ready to show a recent statement if asked.
Documents
- Passport (under 10 years old, with at least 3 months left after your planned exit)
- Return or onward ticket
- Proof of accommodation
- Travel insurance (strongly advised; your UK GHIC covers state treatment for temporary stays)
How to apply, step by step
Count your days
On any day you're in the Schengen area, look back 180 days and add up every day you were inside. That total must never go above 90. The day you arrive and the day you leave both count.
Check your passport dates
It must have been issued less than 10 years ago on the day you enter and still be valid 3 months after you plan to leave.
Expect EES at the border
The Entry/Exit System has been fully running since 10 April 2026. On your first trip through it you give fingerprints and a photo; after that it records each entry and exit instead of a passport stamp.
Plan your exit
If you'd go over 90 days, leave in time or apply for a residence visa before your trip. Overstaying can bring a fine and an entry ban.
After you arrive, and renewing
Short stays don't involve registration with the town hall or police. If you own property you can still get an NIE (tax identification number) to pay bills and taxes, but an NIE is not a residence permit.
Tax
Owning a home in Spain without living there makes you liable for non-resident income tax (IRNR) every year, even if you don't rent it out. Staying more than 183 days a year in Spain can make you Spanish tax resident, but the 90/180 rule normally stops visitors reaching that.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting that days in other Schengen countries count towards the same 90
- Counting by calendar year instead of a rolling 180 days
- An old passport: it must be under 10 years old on the day you enter
- Thinking a Spanish property or an NIE lets you stay longer
When to get professional advice
- You've overstayed before, or been refused entry
- You hold another nationality and aren't sure which passport to travel on
- You need to stay longer for a medical or family emergency
Questions people ask
Do days in France or Portugal count towards my 90 days in Spain?
Yes. The 90 days cover the whole Schengen area, so days in any Schengen country add to the same total.
Can I stay six months in Spain over winter?
Not without a visa. Six months is beyond 90 days in 180. Some people use the non-lucrative visa, or split the winter with time outside the Schengen area.
Does owning a home in Spain let me stay longer?
No. Property ownership gives you no extra days. The golden visa that once linked property to residence closed in April 2025.
What is ETIAS and do I need it?
ETIAS is an online travel authorisation the EU will require from visa-free visitors, including British citizens. It isn't running yet and has no confirmed start date: the EU's target was late 2026 and reports suggest 2027. It will cost €20. Only ever apply through the EU's official ETIAS site.
Official sources
We check every figure on this page against these pages. Rules and amounts change, so check them again just before you apply.