London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 29, 2026

Brits travelling to Spain must prove they can spend £85 every day during holiday

Brits travelling to Spain must prove they can spend £85 every day during holiday

Under new restrictions announced by the Spanish government, tourists from the UK must also provide proof of accommodation and evidence of a return flight or onward ticket

Brits have reacted in fury over having to prove they can spend £85 per day when travelling to Spain over the summer.

The Spanish government has released new rules stating tourists from the UK need to show they have enough money to enjoy their stay.

Brits must also provide proof of accommodation and evidence of a return flight or onward ticket.

The move has been met with backlash from travel firms, with many arguing the UK contributes hugely to the Spanish tourism sector.

Social media users also hit out at the toughened policies, reports the Manchester Evening News, with some questioning whether they are even enforceable.

Brits must also provide proof of accommodation and evidence of a return flight or onward ticket


One person wrote: "Let’s see where they are going to get their tourism from now if people chose other countries.. good luck Spain!"

Another queried: "Is this even enforceable? To check if you have at least £600 to spend, they'd have to check your bank balance.

"Accommodation is no problem as we all had to fill in forms stating where we were staying. Return tickets, to check you're not going rogue when you get there. It sounds like a misunderstanding to me, delivered as a way to scare people."

And a third added: "Pretty obvious what the Spanish are trying to do, restrict people coming for a holiday who don’t have a lot of money.

"If people are on an all inclusive holiday they are not spending money in the local area, so not helping the local economy."

Meanwhile, one woman said the rules were creating an "unnecessary hype", adding: "It will be on a spot check basis.

A Ryanair employee talks to a passenger at the check-in counters at El Prat airport in Barcelona


"Yes they are stamping all passports again now this is having to be resourced because we left Brexit and so I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a surcharge for this further down the line.

"But once again this will slow passport control down for other non EU passengers and in order to avoid legal challenge the recharge would need to be payable by each non EU visitor."

While another claimed: "This is normal for every country. Visitors must be able to prove they can support themselves for the duration of their stay.

"It's not actually checked for most people, but it's one of the first checks made if officials suspect you're coming in to work illegally."

The new restrictions were announced after a U-turn on plans to ease tourist congestion at airports by giving UK passport-holders their own automatic e-gates to enter the country.

The move has been met with backlash from travel firms


But Brits are still required to have their stamps done by hand, whether they use the new gates or not.

The UK Foreign Office said: "At Spanish border control, you may need to show a return or onward ticket; show you have enough money for your stay; show proof of accommodation for your stay, for example, a hotel booking confirmation, proof of address if visiting your own property (eg second home), or an invitation from your host or proof of their address if staying with a third party, friends or family.

"The Spanish government has clarified that the ‘carta de invitation’ is one of the options available to prove that you have accommodation if staying with friends or family."

Tourists may be asked to prove they are able to spend at least €100 each day of their holiday, equating to roughly £85, alongside an additional minimum of €900 (£766.94), added the spokesperson.

The Spanish Ministry del Interior added: "Foreigners from third countries must prove if required to do so by the officials in charge of controlling the entry of people into Spanish territory, that they have economic resources for entering the country, through cash, travellers' cheques, payment letters, or credit cards, which must also be proven to have sufficient funds available on them."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
France Evacuates Atlantic Coast Resorts as Wildfire Risk Rises Again
Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Kumamoto as Rescuers Search Collapsed Buildings
OpenAI Faces Demands for Full Disclosure After Models Breach Hugging Face
Apple Briefly Crosses Five Trillion Dollar Valuation as Investors Retreat From AI Bets
Badenoch Offers Tory Votes to Keep Serious Offenders in Prison
Why Americans Queue for $15 Ice Cream and a $100 Caviar Pint
Another AI Genius Left the United States — and Silicon Valley Is Starting to Worry
Shein Reports $99mn Loss as Trade Barriers Test Low-Cost Model
CXMT Gains 466% in China’s Biggest IPO Since 2010
Amazon Seeks Approval for 5,105-Satellite Mobile Network
Burnham Puts School-to-Work Reform at Centre of Welfare Strategy
Johnson & Johnson Agrees to $5.5 Billion Talc Lawsuit Settlement
EU AI Act Shapes Global Corporate Standards, Study Finds
UK-Japan Relations Expected to Deepen Under Burnham Government
Burnham Signals Tough Decisions on Council Tax Reform
UK Inflation Slows to 2.6% in June
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75%
Prime Minister Burnham Opens Talks With Business Leaders on Economic Growth
Government Launches 'Number Ten North' to Drive UK Devolution
Labour Regains Poll Lead After Burnham's First Weeks in Office
Prime Minister Burnham Rules Out Early UK General Election Before 2029
Burnham Rules Out Replacing Council Tax and Stamp Duty
Fresh Heatwave Threatens to Rekindle France’s Historic Wildfire Crisis
The Burnham government is seeking to establish its credibility through ambitious social care reform while maintaining fiscal discipline and public confidence in the National Health Service. Labour's early improvement in opinion polls provides political momentum, but sustained support will depend on delivering tangible policy outcomes. Britain continues to reinforce its role in European security through long-term support for Ukraine, while climate-related risks, including increasingly severe wildfires across England and Scotland, are becoming a more prominent national resilience challenge alongside economic uncertainty.
United Kingdom Economy Remains Exposed to Global Energy Risks
Prime Minister Dismisses Calls for an Early General Election
Scottish Wildfires Continue to Stretch Emergency Services
United Kingdom Faces Rising Wildfire Risk as Heatwave Continues
Lower Oil Prices Ease Inflation Concerns and Support Financial Markets
Financial Conduct Authority Launches Consumer Campaign on Car Finance Compensation
Government Prioritises Employment Over Benefit Cuts in Welfare Reform Plans
Prime Minister Rules Out Sweeping Property Tax Changes Before Autumn Budget
AstraZeneca Beats Expectations as Cancer Medicines Drive Strong Profit Growth
Labour Regains Narrow Polling Lead After Burnham's First Week in Office
United Kingdom Reaffirms Long-Term Commitment to Ukraine Under Burnham Government
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Makes Social Care Reform the First Major Test of His Government
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
Autopsy Finds No Violence in Death of Epstein-Linked Model Scout
Indian Education Minister Resigns After Cockroach Youth Protests
California Desert Data-Centre Plan Stalls as Water and Power Disputes Mount
Northern Ireland Border Security Tightened After Military-Grade Explosive Interception
British Hospitality Sector Targets Summer Visitors Through Regional Promotions
England River Access Debate Intensifies After New Data Shows Limited Public Access
Royal Navy Strengthens Maritime Vigilance Amid Rising Security Concerns
UK Education Department Expands Mental Health Support for Young People Entering Work
UK Tourism Industry Launches Summer Campaigns to Boost Domestic Travel
North England Transport Plans Advance to Support Industrial Growth
Financial Markets Watch New Government’s Economic Strategy as Investors Assess Fiscal Risks
Royal Navy Continues Monitoring Russian Naval Activity Near UK Waters
×