London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 28, 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
Transport for Wales and Network Rail Complete Electrification of South Wales Metro
Defra Expands Incentives for Sustainable Farming and Biodiversity in England
Northern Ireland Executive Approves Funding Package to Resolve Public Sector Pay Disputes
Universities UK Warns of Financial Insolvency Risks for Higher Education Institutions
UK Prisons Activate Emergency Protocols to Manage Capacity Pressures
UK Government Establishes New Safety Standards for Frontier AI Models
Home Office Tightens Skilled Worker Visa Requirements and Dependent Rules
Ministry of Defence Restructures Royal Navy Frigate Procurement to Prevent Overruns
UK Government Mandates New Housing Targets to Address National Shortage
UK and Scottish Governments Reach Agreement on North Sea Energy Transition
NHS Launches Digital Overhaul to Reduce Surgical Backlogs in England
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates as Service Sector Inflation Persists
UK Chancellor Announces Fiscal Consolidation Measures to Stabilize National Debt
RNLI Chief Executive Condemns Misinformation and Abuse Targeting Volunteer Crews
Metropolitan Police Charge Swindon Man with Assisting Foreign Intelligence Services
British Intelligence Report Warns Environmental Collapse Threatens Global Defense Infrastructure
Conservative Party Rejects New Taxes to Fund UK Social Care Reforms
Labour Government Signals Intent to Ease Residency Restrictions for Foreign Care Workers
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Støre Meet to Strengthen North Atlantic Defense
UK Government Plans to Revive Equity Loan Scheme to Assist First-Time Home Buyers
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Radical Reform for UK Utilities and Social Care
UK Treasury Prepares Difficult Autumn Budget Amid High Debt and Energy Volatility
Civil Aviation Authority Launches Review of Air Traffic Systems Following Digital Failure
X Reports First Increase in UK Revenues Following Advertiser Boycott
Shetland Islands Council Approves £400 Million Inter-Island Tunnel Project
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Warns Iran Against Hostile Activities on British Soil
UK Ministers Concede Chagos Islands Sovereignty Agreement Terminated After US Opposition
More in Common Poll Projects Hung Parliament with Labour Leading and Reform UK Gains
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Defends Economic Strategy as Public Finances Face Headwinds
Tony Blair Urges Government to Set Long-Term Goal of Rejoining the European Union
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Universal Free Social Care Funded Through General Taxation
UK Diesel and Petrol Prices Surge Near All-Time Highs Amid Middle East Energy Volatility
Analysis of Reform UK conference highlights deep political divisions over welfare and immigration
Bangladesh garment exports to the United Kingdom reach $915 million in early fiscal year
Royal Navy begins sea trials for new HMS Agamemnon hunter-killer submarine
New report suggests UK data centre expansion will create far fewer jobs than predicted
Major weekend closures announced for London Underground Piccadilly and Central lines
NHS leaders call for emergency winter funding to combat staffing shortages and rising illness
Far-right activist Daniel Thomas charged following alleged slashing of migrant dinghy
Home Secretary orders urgent review of border security following rise in small boat crossings
Prime Minister Andy Burnham to address Labour Party conference amid calls for long-term infrastructure plan
UK Treasury and Bank of England warn of rising inflation risks amid Middle East tensions
Royal Navy Diving Squadron Honoured for Global Bomb Disposal Efforts
UK State Pension Set to Approach £13,000 Per Year Under Triple-Lock
Rolls-Royce Wins Multi-Million-Pound Engine Contract with Philippine Airlines
TfL Questions Future of Heathrow Express Amid Proposed £33 Billion Expansion
Ed Miliband Warns Iran Against Hostile Operations on British Soil
S&P Global Manufacturing Index Signals Stabilization Amid Rising Fuel Costs
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Launches National Centre for Information Defence
UK Food and Drink Trade Deficit Surges to £21.1 Billion
×