The Spanish tourist board Turespaña has tried to ease concerns over British tourists having to prove they have enough money to fund their holiday in the Balearics and across Spain.
Spanish officials have responded to reports of the British and other European media regarding the rule of British nationals having to present proof of sufficient means of subsistence for their planned stay in the country when showing up at any of Spain’s ports of entry.
According to the director of the Spanish Tourist Office for the United Kingdom, Manuel Butler, the requirement is not new and is not systematic, as not every traveller is asked to present such proof.
“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,” Butler said.
He further noted that a similar requirement is also in place for travellers coming to the UK from Spain and other European countries, based on which these travellers may be asked to present proof that they have the financial means to support themselves during their planned stay in the UK.
The issue has also been commented on by the chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, Julia Lo Bue-Said, who pointed out that British nationals have been subject to the requirement since January 1.
“Spain £85 news hits headlines, but this has been an entry requirement into Spain since January 1 for all nationals from outside the Schengen area. If required to do so, anyone entering must prove they have the economic means to support themselves,” Bue-Said tweeted in this regard.
SchengenVisaInfo.com had reminded travellers of Spain’s €100 per day travel requirement (£85) in early April this year, after Spain started gradually reopening its borders for travellers from third countries and abolishing additional COVID-19 entry requirements like testing and vaccination.
“… foreigners who intend to enter the national territory must continue to prove that they have a minimum amount of €100 per person per day, those they intend to stay in Spain with a minimum of €900 or its legal equivalent in foreign currency,” reads a statement published at the time by the official EULaw database & home of the EU Official Journal, shortly known as EUR-Lex.
The same points out that travellers will need to present such proof only in case they are required by the officials in charge of carrying out the control of those entering into Spanish territory and under the terms established in the aforementioned Order.
The other Schengen Area countries also have such a requirement in place though the amount changes from one country to another. In France, the minimum required daily amount of money for entry is €120 if the traveller holds no proof of accommodation paid in advance, whereas in cases when the accommodation has been previously paid, the required amount drops to €65 per day.
If travellers fail to prove it, they may be rejected entry into the territory of the country they intend to enter.
Data show that over 135,000 third-country nationals were refused entry at EU external borders in 2020, whereas in 2019, the EU Member States refused entry to 670,795 non-EU nationals.