ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND PAPERWORK:

When planning your trip to Spain please take into account the following regarding entry permits or visas and other paperwork that may be required.

The documents you need vary depending on where you are from.

If you are a citizen of the European Union, Switzerland , Norway , Iceland , and Liechtenstein all you need is your Identification Card , or a valid passport.

Norwegian and Icelandic nationals need no visa, regardless of the length or purpose of their visit to Spain . However, if they stay beyond 90 days they are required to apply during their first month for a (tarjeta de residencia) residence card.

Spain is one of 25 member countries of the Schengen agreement whereby all EU (European Union) member countries ( except the UK and Ireland ) plus Iceland and Norway abolished checks at internal borders in 2000. The other EU countries are Austria, Belgium, Czech republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. Legal residents of one Schengen country (regardless of their nationality) do not require a visa for another Schengen country.

Nationals of many other countries, including Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the USA, do not need a visa for tourist visits of up to 90 days in Spain, although some of these nationalities (including Australians and Canadians) may be subject to restrictions in other Schengen countries and should check with consulates of all Schengen countries they plan to visit.

Those needing a visa must apply in person at the consulate in the country where they are resident. You may be required to provide proof of sufficient funds, hotel bookings, return tickets and a letter of recommendation from a host in Spain . Issue of the visa does not guarantee entry. You can apply for no more than two visas in any 12-month period and they are not renewable once in Spain.

WHEN TO VISIT SPAIN ?

Overall, spring, early summer and autumn are ideal times for a Spanish trip - though the weather varies enormously from region to region. The high central plains suffer from fierce extremes, stiflingly hot in summer, bitterly cold and swept by freezing winds in winter. The Atlantic coast, in contrast, has a tendency to damp and mist, and a relatively brief, humid summer. The Mediterranean south is warm virtually all year round, and in parts of Andalucía positively subtropical, warm enough to wear a T-shirt by day even in the winter months.

In high summer the other factor worth considering is tourism itself. Spain plays host to some thirty million tourists a year - almost one for every resident - and all the main beach and mountain resorts are packed in July and August, as are the major sights. August, Spain's holiday month, sees the coast as its most crowded and the cities, by contrast, pretty sleepy

Average Temperatures in Spain

Note that these are all average temperatures