Entry Requirements & Customs

Entry Requirements

A valid passport is all that an American, British, Canadian, or New Zealand citizen needs to enter Spain. (Australians, however, need a visa -- see below.)

The websites listed below provide downloadable passport applications as well as the current fees for processing passport applications. For an up-to-date, country-by-country listing of passport requirements around the world, go to the "Foreign Entry Requirement" Web page of the U.S. State Department at http://travel.state.gov.

Passports

In the United States -- You can apply for passports in person at one of 13 regional offices or by mail. To apply, you'll need a passport application form, available at U.S. post offices and federal court offices, and proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or naturalization papers; an expired passport is also accepted. First-time applicants for passports pay $60 ($40 if under 18). Persons 18 or older who have an expired passport that's not more than 12 years old can reapply by mail. The old passport must be submitted along with new photographs and a pink renewal form (DSP-82). If your expired passport is more than 12 years old, or if it was granted to you before your 16th birthday, you must apply in person. The fee is $40. Call tel. 202/647-0518 at any time for information. You can also write to Passport Service, Office of Correspondence, Department of State, 1111 19th St. NW, Suite 510, Washington, DC 20522-1075. To find your regional passport office, either check the U.S. State Department website (http://travel.state.gov) or call the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) number (tel. 877/487-2778) for automated information. The cost is 35¢ per minute for 24-hour automated service, or $1.05 per minute 9am to 3pm for live operator service.

In Canada -- Citizens may go to one of 28 regional offices located in major cities. Alternatively, you can mail your application to the Passport Office, External Affairs and International Trade Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3. Post offices have application forms. Passports cost C$60, and proof of Canadian citizenship is required, along with two signed identical passport-size photographs. Passports are valid for 5 years. For more information, call tel. 800/567-6868 or go to www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/passport/menu.asp.

In Great Britain -- British subjects may visit or apply to one of the regional offices in Liverpool, Newport, Glasgow, Peterborough, Belfast, or London for a standard 10-year passport (5-yr. passport for children under 16). The fee is £28, You can also apply in person at a main post office or travel agency. Two photos must accompany the application. For more information regarding fees, documentation requirements, and to ask for an emergency passport, contact the London Passport office at tel. 0870/521-0410 or go to www.ukpa.gov.uk.

In Australia -- Citizens may apply at the nearest post office. Provincial capitals and other major cities have passport offices. Application fees are subject to review every 3 months. Call tel. 02/13-12-32 or visit www.passports.gov.au for the latest information. Australians must pay for a departure tax stamp costing A$20 at a post office or airport; children 11 and under are exempt. Australian citizens will also need a visa to enter Spain. Apply at a Spanish consulate well before departure time. Spanish consulates are located at 31 Market St., Sydney, NSW 2000 (tel. 02/9261-2433), and at 766 Elizabeth St., Melbourne, VIC 3000 (tel. 03/9347-1966).

In New Zealand -- Citizens may go to their nearest consulate or passport office to obtain an application, which may be filed in person or by mail. To obtain a 10-year passport, proof of citizenship is required, plus a fee of NZ$80. Passports are processed at the New Zealand Passport Office, Documents of National Identity Division, Department of Internal Affairs, 47 Boulcott House St., Wellington (tel. 0800/22-50-50; www.passports.govt.nz).

In Ireland -- Residents can apply for a 10-year passport at the Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth St., Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.irlgov.ie/iveagh or www.oasis.gov.ie). The charge is 58€. Those under age 18 and over 65 must apply for a 12€ 3-year passport. Applications are sent by mail. You can also apply at 1A South Mall, Cork (tel. 021/272-525) or at most main post offices. Irish citizens living in North America can contact the Irish Embassy, 2234 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202/462-3939; www.irelandemb.org). The embassy can issue a new passport or direct you to one of three North American consulates that have jurisdiction over a particular region; the charge is $80. Allow plenty of time before your trip to apply for a passport; processing normally takes 3 weeks but can take longer during busy periods (especially spring). And keep in mind that if you need a passport in a hurry, you'll pay a higher processing fee. For security reasons passport applications cannot be downloaded online.

Visas

No visas are required for U.S. visitors to Spain providing your stay does not exceed 90 days. Australian visitors, however, need a visa.

Customs

What You Can Bring into Spain -- You can bring most personal effects and the following items duty-free: two still cameras and 10 rolls of film per camera, tobacco for personal use, 1 liter each of liquor and wine, a portable radio, a tape recorder, a typewriter, a bicycle, sports equipment, fishing gear, and two hunting weapons with 100 cartridges each.

What You Can Take Home from Spain --
U.S. Citizens -- Returning U.S. citizens who have been away for 48 hours or more are allowed to bring back, once every 30 days, $400 worth of merchandise duty-free. You'll be charged a flat rate of 10% duty on the next $1,000 worth of purchases. Be sure to have your receipts handy. On gifts, the duty-free limit is $100.

For more specifics on what you can bring back and the corresponding fees, download the invaluable free pamphlet Know Before You Go online at www.cbp.gov. (Click on "Travel," and then click on "Know Before You Go! Online Brochure.") Or contact U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20229 (tel. 877/287-8667) and request the pamphlet.

Canadian Citizens -- Canada allows its citizens a C$750 exemption, and you are allowed to bring back duty-free 200 cigarettes, 2.2 pounds of tobacco, 40 imperial ounces (1.2 qt.) of liquor, and 50 cigars. In addition, you are allowed to mail gifts to Canada from abroad at the rate of C$60 a day, provided they are unsolicited and aren't alcohol or tobacco (write on the package: "Unsolicited gift, under $60 value"). All valuables should be declared on the Y-38 Form before departure from Canada, including serial numbers of, for example, expensive foreign cameras that you already own. Note: The C$750 exemption can be used only once a year and only after an absence of at least 7 days.

For a full summary of Canadian rules, write for the booklet I Declare, issued by the Canada Border Services Agency (tel. 800/461-9999 in Canada, or 204/983-3500; www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).

U.K. Citizens -- If you're a citizen of the United Kingdom, you can buy wine, spirits, or cigarettes in an ordinary shop in any other European Union country and bring home almost as much as you like. (U.K. Customs and Excise does set theoretical limits.) But if you buy your goods in a duty-free shop, then the old rules still apply -- you're allowed to bring home 200 cigarettes and 2 liters of table wine, plus 1 liter of spirits or 2 liters of fortified wine. If you're returning home from a non-E.U. country, the same allowances apply, and you must declare any goods in excess of these allowances. British customs tends to be strict and complicated in its requirements.

For further details, get in touch with HM Customs and Excise Office, Passenger Enquiry Point, Wayfarer House, Great South West Road, Feltham, Middlesex, TW14 8NP (tel. 0845/010-9000; from outside the U.K., 020/8929-0152), or consult its website at www.hmce.gov.uk.

Australian Citizens -- The duty-free allowance in Australia is A$400 or, for those under 18, A$200. Australian citizens are allowed to mail gifts to Australia from abroad duty-free to a limit of A$200 per parcel. There are no other restrictions on unsolicited gifts; however, you could be subject to a customs investigation if you send multiple parcels of the same gift to the same address. Upon returning to Australia, citizens can bring in 250 cigarettes or 250 grams of loose tobacco, and 1.125 liters of alcohol. If you're returning with valuable goods you already own, such as foreign-made cameras, you should file form B263. A helpful brochure, available from Australian consulates or customs offices, is Know Before You Go. For more information, contact Australian Customs Services, GPO Box 8, Sydney NSW 2001 (tel. 02/9213-2000 or 1300/363-263; www.customs.gov.au).

New Zealand Citizens -- The duty-free allowance for New Zealand is NZ$700. New Zealanders are allowed to mail gifts to New Zealand from abroad duty-free to a limit of NZ$70 per parcel. Beware of sending multiple parcels of the same gift to the same address; a customs investigation could await your return home. Citizens over 17 years of age can bring in 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco (or a mixture of all three if their combined weight doesn't exceed 250g); plus 4.5 liters of wine and beer, or 1.125 liters of liquor. New Zealand currency does not carry import or export restrictions. Fill out a certificate of export, listing the valuables you are taking out of the country; that way, you can bring them back without paying duty. Most questions are answered in a free pamphlet available at New Zealand consulates and Customs offices: New Zealand Customs Guide for Travellers, Notice no. 4. For more information, contact New Zealand Customs, The Customhouse, 17-21 Whitmore St., Box 2218, Wellington (tel. 04/473-6099 or 0800/428-786; www.customs.govt.nz).