A pan-European briefing by Travel and Tour World highlights a raft of regulatory changes that will reshape travel in 2026—many with direct implications for Spain’s visitor economy and the multinational firms that move staff in and out of the country.
Key measures include the final roll-out of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) by April 2026, replacing passport stamps with biometric registration for all non-EU travellers entering the Schengen Area. Spain has already installed more than 240 kiosks at its three busiest airports and will add units in Palma, Alicante and Bilbao before summer.
Amid this evolving rulebook, VisaHQ can help travellers and mobility managers stay compliant. Its dedicated Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) tracks EES, ETIAS and visa updates in real time, offers streamlined digital applications and provides corporate dashboards for monitoring employee status—saving time and avoiding costly surprises.
![EU Travel Shake-Up for 2026: New Border Tech and Higher Tourist Taxes Hit Spain Too]()
The report also confirms that the separate ETIAS travel authorisation—originally slated for 2025—has slipped to late 2026. While that delay spares Spanish travel managers from juggling two extra digital permits this year, they must still prepare for higher costs: Barcelona’s tourist tax rises to €3.25 per night on 1 March, and San Sebastián’s new smoke-free-beach policy carries €200 fines for violators.
Other Spain-specific actions include Palma’s ban on party boats within three nautical miles of the coast and Valencia’s expansion of its overnight stay levy. Combined, these moves reinforce Spain’s shift toward “quality tourism” and aim to balance record visitor numbers with local-resident concerns about housing and behaviour.
For corporates, the upshot is a more controlled—but more expensive—European travel landscape. Budget forecasts should factor in tourist-tax reimbursements for extended business stays, possible EES processing delays for third-country assignees, and stricter conduct rules at client events in coastal cities.
Key measures include the final roll-out of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) by April 2026, replacing passport stamps with biometric registration for all non-EU travellers entering the Schengen Area. Spain has already installed more than 240 kiosks at its three busiest airports and will add units in Palma, Alicante and Bilbao before summer.
Amid this evolving rulebook, VisaHQ can help travellers and mobility managers stay compliant. Its dedicated Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) tracks EES, ETIAS and visa updates in real time, offers streamlined digital applications and provides corporate dashboards for monitoring employee status—saving time and avoiding costly surprises.
The report also confirms that the separate ETIAS travel authorisation—originally slated for 2025—has slipped to late 2026. While that delay spares Spanish travel managers from juggling two extra digital permits this year, they must still prepare for higher costs: Barcelona’s tourist tax rises to €3.25 per night on 1 March, and San Sebastián’s new smoke-free-beach policy carries €200 fines for violators.
Other Spain-specific actions include Palma’s ban on party boats within three nautical miles of the coast and Valencia’s expansion of its overnight stay levy. Combined, these moves reinforce Spain’s shift toward “quality tourism” and aim to balance record visitor numbers with local-resident concerns about housing and behaviour.
For corporates, the upshot is a more controlled—but more expensive—European travel landscape. Budget forecasts should factor in tourist-tax reimbursements for extended business stays, possible EES processing delays for third-country assignees, and stricter conduct rules at client events in coastal cities.
