Spain customs
Apply for visa
Free import
• From another EU country: goods for personal use on which VAT and excise duty were paid in that country can be brought in without customs formalities. For tobacco and alcohol, amounts above the EU guide levels may be treated as commercial: 800 cigarettes, 400 cigarillos, 200 cigars, 1 kg of smoking tobacco, 10 L of spirits, 20 L of fortified wine (such as sherry or port), 90 L of wine (of which no more than 60 L of sparkling wine) and 110 L of beer.
• From a non-EU country, for travelers aged 17 or older: 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos (up to 3 g each) or 50 cigars or 250 g of smoking tobacco (or a proportional mix). Travelers under 17 get no tobacco or alcohol allowance.
• From a non-EU country, for travelers aged 17 or older: 1 L of spirits over 22% alcohol (or ethyl alcohol of 80% or more) or 2 L of drinks under 22% alcohol, fortified or sparkling wine (or a proportional mix), plus 4 L of still wine and 16 L of beer.
• From a non-EU country: other goods for personal use or gifts, with no commercial purpose, up to EUR 430 per traveler arriving by air or sea and EUR 300 per traveler arriving by land. Travelers under 15 have an allowance of EUR 150, whatever the means of transport. Medicines for your personal use do not count toward these amounts.
• Fuel in the standard tank of a vehicle plus up to 10 L in a portable can.
• The Canary Islands are part of the EU customs territory but outside the EU VAT and excise area (they have their own IGIC tax); Ceuta and Melilla are outside the EU customs territory. Travelers arriving in mainland Spain or the Balearic Islands from the Canary Islands, Ceuta or Melilla get the same allowances as from a non-EU country: goods up to EUR 430 by air or sea (EUR 150 for travelers under 15) and the tobacco and alcohol amounts above.
• From Andorra: goods up to EUR 900 (EUR 450 for travelers under 15); 300 cigarettes or 150 cigarillos or 75 cigars or 400 g of smoking tobacco; 1.5 L of drinks over 22% alcohol or 3 L of drinks under 22%, plus 5 L of still wine and 16 L of beer; 75 g of perfume and 37.5 cl of eau de cologne; 1 kg of coffee and 200 g of tea; and some foods (such as up to 4 kg of cheese and 5 kg of meat) worth up to EUR 300 (EUR 150 for travelers under 15).
Currency
• Spain's currency is the euro (EUR).
• Travelers entering Spain with EUR 10,000 or more in cash (or the equivalent in other currencies) must declare it to customs before crossing the border, whether arriving from a non-EU country (form E1) or from another EU country (form S1). Cash includes banknotes and coins, bearer instruments such as cheques and traveler's cheques, non-nominative prepaid cards, gold coins (at least 90% gold) and gold bars or nuggets (at least 99.5% gold). Cash carried by a minor is the responsibility of the accompanying parent or guardian. Bank transfers do not need to be declared.
• Moving EUR 100,000 or more in cash within Spain must also be declared in advance (form S1), to customs or to a bank.
• Failure to declare is a serious offence: fines start at EUR 600 and can reach 50% of the amount, and the cash can be seized.
Prohibited
• Meat, milk and products made from them from non-EU countries (small amounts are allowed from the Faroe Islands and Greenland; the rules do not apply to travel from Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland)
• Plants and plant products banned by EU plant health rules (Annex VI of Regulation (EU) 2019/2072)
• Dogs, cats and ferrets under 15 weeks of age (too young to have a valid rabies vaccination)
• Illegal drugs
Restricted
• Other food of animal origin from non-EU countries: up to 2 kg in total of powdered infant milk, infant food, special medical food and special pet food (branded, in intact packaging unless in use, not needing refrigeration before opening), up to 20 kg of fishery products (fresh fish must be gutted; or one fish, whichever weighs more) and up to 2 kg of other animal products such as honey. From the Faroe Islands and Greenland the limit is 10 kg.
• Plants, fruit, vegetables, flowers and seeds from non-EU countries need a phytosanitary (plant health) certificate from the country of origin, with a few exceptions.
• Endangered species of plants and animals and products made from them (CITES), such as ivory, tortoiseshell, some hunting trophies and live parrots, need CITES import permits or notifications. Small amounts of some items for personal use are exempt, for example up to 125 g of sturgeon caviar per person.
• Medicines: only quantities for your own treatment, with a prescription or medical report.
• Pets (up to 5 dogs, cats or ferrets) from non-EU countries need a microchip (or a legible tattoo made before 3 July 2011), a rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks of age or older and at least 21 days before travel, and an EU pet passport or an official animal health certificate (at least in Spanish) with the owner's declaration. From countries not on the EU list (Annex II of Regulation (EU) 577/2013), a rabies antibody (titer) test of at least 0.5 IU/ml is also needed, taken at least 30 days after vaccination and 3 months before entry.
• Pets from non-EU countries must enter through a designated Travelers' Point of Entry and be declared to the Guardia Civil at customs. Pets arriving elsewhere are sent back; pets that do not meet the rules can be quarantined or returned at the owner's expense.
• Firearms: travelers resident in another EU country may carry a firearm in Spain only with an authorization from the Guardia Civil and from their home country, recorded in their European Firearms Pass. Other travelers should contact the Guardia Civil (Intervención de Armas) before travel.
• Certain cultural goods (such as archaeological objects) brought in from outside the EU need an import licence or an importer statement under EU rules (Regulation (EU) 2019/880).
• Goods above the allowances, goods for commercial use and restricted goods must be declared in the red channel (goods to declare). The green channel is only for travelers with nothing to declare, and customs can still check luggage there.
• From another EU country: goods for personal use on which VAT and excise duty were paid in that country can be brought in without customs formalities. For tobacco and alcohol, amounts above the EU guide levels may be treated as commercial: 800 cigarettes, 400 cigarillos, 200 cigars, 1 kg of smoking tobacco, 10 L of spirits, 20 L of fortified wine (such as sherry or port), 90 L of wine (of which no more than 60 L of sparkling wine) and 110 L of beer.
• From a non-EU country, for travelers aged 17 or older: 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos (up to 3 g each) or 50 cigars or 250 g of smoking tobacco (or a proportional mix). Travelers under 17 get no tobacco or alcohol allowance.
• From a non-EU country, for travelers aged 17 or older: 1 L of spirits over 22% alcohol (or ethyl alcohol of 80% or more) or 2 L of drinks under 22% alcohol, fortified or sparkling wine (or a proportional mix), plus 4 L of still wine and 16 L of beer.
• From a non-EU country: other goods for personal use or gifts, with no commercial purpose, up to EUR 430 per traveler arriving by air or sea and EUR 300 per traveler arriving by land. Travelers under 15 have an allowance of EUR 150, whatever the means of transport. Medicines for your personal use do not count toward these amounts.
• Fuel in the standard tank of a vehicle plus up to 10 L in a portable can.
• The Canary Islands are part of the EU customs territory but outside the EU VAT and excise area (they have their own IGIC tax); Ceuta and Melilla are outside the EU customs territory. Travelers arriving in mainland Spain or the Balearic Islands from the Canary Islands, Ceuta or Melilla get the same allowances as from a non-EU country: goods up to EUR 430 by air or sea (EUR 150 for travelers under 15) and the tobacco and alcohol amounts above.
• From Andorra: goods up to EUR 900 (EUR 450 for travelers under 15); 300 cigarettes or 150 cigarillos or 75 cigars or 400 g of smoking tobacco; 1.5 L of drinks over 22% alcohol or 3 L of drinks under 22%, plus 5 L of still wine and 16 L of beer; 75 g of perfume and 37.5 cl of eau de cologne; 1 kg of coffee and 200 g of tea; and some foods (such as up to 4 kg of cheese and 5 kg of meat) worth up to EUR 300 (EUR 150 for travelers under 15).
Currency
• Spain's currency is the euro (EUR).
• Travelers entering Spain with EUR 10,000 or more in cash (or the equivalent in other currencies) must declare it to customs before crossing the border, whether arriving from a non-EU country (form E1) or from another EU country (form S1). Cash includes banknotes and coins, bearer instruments such as cheques and traveler's cheques, non-nominative prepaid cards, gold coins (at least 90% gold) and gold bars or nuggets (at least 99.5% gold). Cash carried by a minor is the responsibility of the accompanying parent or guardian. Bank transfers do not need to be declared.
• Moving EUR 100,000 or more in cash within Spain must also be declared in advance (form S1), to customs or to a bank.
• Failure to declare is a serious offence: fines start at EUR 600 and can reach 50% of the amount, and the cash can be seized.
Prohibited
• Meat, milk and products made from them from non-EU countries (small amounts are allowed from the Faroe Islands and Greenland; the rules do not apply to travel from Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland)
• Plants and plant products banned by EU plant health rules (Annex VI of Regulation (EU) 2019/2072)
• Dogs, cats and ferrets under 15 weeks of age (too young to have a valid rabies vaccination)
• Illegal drugs
Restricted
• Other food of animal origin from non-EU countries: up to 2 kg in total of powdered infant milk, infant food, special medical food and special pet food (branded, in intact packaging unless in use, not needing refrigeration before opening), up to 20 kg of fishery products (fresh fish must be gutted; or one fish, whichever weighs more) and up to 2 kg of other animal products such as honey. From the Faroe Islands and Greenland the limit is 10 kg.
• Plants, fruit, vegetables, flowers and seeds from non-EU countries need a phytosanitary (plant health) certificate from the country of origin, with a few exceptions.
• Endangered species of plants and animals and products made from them (CITES), such as ivory, tortoiseshell, some hunting trophies and live parrots, need CITES import permits or notifications. Small amounts of some items for personal use are exempt, for example up to 125 g of sturgeon caviar per person.
• Medicines: only quantities for your own treatment, with a prescription or medical report.
• Pets (up to 5 dogs, cats or ferrets) from non-EU countries need a microchip (or a legible tattoo made before 3 July 2011), a rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks of age or older and at least 21 days before travel, and an EU pet passport or an official animal health certificate (at least in Spanish) with the owner's declaration. From countries not on the EU list (Annex II of Regulation (EU) 577/2013), a rabies antibody (titer) test of at least 0.5 IU/ml is also needed, taken at least 30 days after vaccination and 3 months before entry.
• Pets from non-EU countries must enter through a designated Travelers' Point of Entry and be declared to the Guardia Civil at customs. Pets arriving elsewhere are sent back; pets that do not meet the rules can be quarantined or returned at the owner's expense.
• Firearms: travelers resident in another EU country may carry a firearm in Spain only with an authorization from the Guardia Civil and from their home country, recorded in their European Firearms Pass. Other travelers should contact the Guardia Civil (Intervención de Armas) before travel.
• Certain cultural goods (such as archaeological objects) brought in from outside the EU need an import licence or an importer statement under EU rules (Regulation (EU) 2019/880).
• Goods above the allowances, goods for commercial use and restricted goods must be declared in the red channel (goods to declare). The green channel is only for travelers with nothing to declare, and customs can still check luggage there.