Travel Documentation for Flying to Alicante Airport
Alicante is in Spain, which is part of the European Union and the Schengen agreement. The travel documentation needed for flying to Alicante Airport will depend on your nationality and the country you are travelling from, as well as your intended length of stay.
Travelling to Alicante Airport – Where are you Arriving From?
Arrivals from other Schengen countries
If you are travelling within the Schengen area, you are unlikely to be asked to show any identification on arrival at Alicante Airport, regardless of your nationality. If your usual residence is outside the Schengen area, you will have provided the necessary documentation upon entry to the first Schengen country you visited. The following countries belong to the Schengen area:
| Germany Austria Belgium Croatia Denmark Slovakia Slovenia | Estonia Finland France Greece Hungary Iceland | Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta | Norway Netherlands Poland Portugal Czech Republic Sweden Switzerland |
Please note
Romania and Bulgaria are moving towards full Schengen membership. Since the end of March 2024, both countries have been part of Europe’s Schengen border-free zone for air travel.
Arrivals from outside the Schengen area
If your flight has arrived from a country outside the Schengen area, you will need to go through passport control. The documentation you will be required to show depends on your nationality, your intended length of stay and the purpose of your visit.
Documentation Needed – What is Your Nationality?
Nationals from non-Schengen EU countries
- You will need to show a valid National ID card or passport.
- You do not require a visa and there is no limitation on the length of time you will be permitted to stay.
Non-EU / non-Schengen nationals (Third Country Nationals)
Passport
You are required to show your passport, which will need to meet the following requirements:
- Valid for 3 months or more after the day you leave Alicante /Spain. Please check the expiry date of your passport.
AND - Less than 10 years old when you travel to Alicante /Spain. This is calculated from the date of issue.
Visa
Whether you require a visa depends on your nationality and your intended length of stay.
Visa exemptions
Nationals of over 60 countries do not require a visa for short trips and holidays, including
- The United Kingdom
- The United States
- Canada
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Israel
- Japan
- and many others
Please see the European Union website for a full list of countries whose nationals are exempt from the visa requirement.
What is classed as a “short trip”?
As a national of one of the above countires, you do not require a visa for travelling to Alicante/Spain if you are travelling as a tourist and your stay is a maximum of 90 days or less in any 180-day period.
However, if you are also visiting other EU countries, you will need to check that you do not spend more than 90 days in total across all the countries you visit, in any given 180-day period.
Additional documentation
If you are visiting Alicante as one of the above visa-exempt nationals on a short trip as a tourist, you may be asked to provide the following additional documentation:
- Return ticket or ticket for onward travel
- Proof of address for your stay in Alicante / Spain
- Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay in Alicante/Spain. Currently, this equals an amount of € 100 per day.
In practical terms, these requirements may not be routinely checked at the border control when you arrive in Alicante but you may be asked questions regarding your stay and the date of your return journey.
Longer stays or nationals from non-visa exempt countries
You will need a visa to travel to Alicante/Spain if
- You are planning to stay longer than the time period detailed above.
- You are a national of a third country that is not listed in the above link.
If you do require a visa, you will need to apply for this at the Spanish embassy in your country of residence prior to travelling to Alicante.
New procedures ahead
There are changes ahead, with new procedures being introduced for nationals from non-EU/non-Schengen countries. Please note, that these are not yet operational.
ETIAS – Visa Waiver
Nationals from visa-exempt non-Schengen / non-EU countries will soon be required to apply for travel authorisation ahead of their journey to Alicante.
This new scheme is a visa waiver rather than an actual visa. It is called ETIAS, which stands for European Travel Information and Authorization System. A valid ETIAS authorisation will enable the person to visit Spain (and/or other European countries) as a tourist for short stays (please see above for the definition of a short stay).
Once operational, an ETIAS travel authorisation can be obtained via the official website for a fee of € 7 and will be valid for 3 years. When applying for an ETIAS visa-waiver, you will need to provide some personal information, e.g. your name, address, passport details and current occupation. You will also be asked questions about criminal convictions, past travel to conflict zones, and you will need to outline your travel plans during your stay in Europe.
EES – Entry/Exit System
The EES or Entry/Exit System is an IT system that will be used at passport control for passengers from non-EU, non-Schengen (third) countries. Its purpose is to speed up the process and increase the accuracy of the checks being carried out. The new system will automate procedures at border control and replace passport stamping. It will record the time and place of each person’s entry into the country and store their facial image and fingerprints.
When will these changes become operational?
The initial start date for both ETIAS and EES was intended for 2023 but this has already been postponed several times. According to the European Union website, the EES will become operational first and ETIAS will follow a few months later. The most recent EES start date for November 2024 has been postponed once again and a new schedule for the launch has yet to be announced. ETIAS is due to start in mid-2025.