When preparing a trip you have to think about what kind of visa you will need. There are good news for citizens of the US: they don´t have to obtain a visa for Spain, a valid passport will do. With your passport you are allowed to stay in Spain for up to 90 days. The immigration officer may ask for your return ticket though, it serves as proof that you don´t plan to stay for good.
Spain is a member of the Schengen Area (that includes the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden). When entering an of these countries you will get a Schengen visa that allows you to enter and leave the member countries freely.
And everybody else? Members of the following countries don´t need a visa for Spain, regardless of the length of their stay: all countries of the European Union, plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
Members of the following countries are allowed to stay in Spain for up to ninety days without a visa: Andorra, Anguilla, Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Brazil, British National Overseas, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong SAR, Israel, Japan, Korean Republic, Liechtenstein, Macao SAR, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Montserrat, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, St. Helena, The Caiman Islands, The Falklands Islands, The Virgin Islands, Turks & Caicos Islands, Uruguay, USA, Vatican City, Venezuela
If you are holder of a travel document issued under the Geneva Convention of July 1951, you also can stay in Spain up to ninety days if you are from Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland or the United Kingdom.
If you are not of any of the nationalities mentioned above, you will need a visa to visit Spain. You will have to visit the Spanish embassy or consulate in your country, allow plenty of time, as it takes quite a while for your application to be processed.
On this page you can find the nearest Spanish embassy. The staff of the embassy will inform you of the documents required for an application for a visa to Spain. Here you can print out an application form for a visa to Spain.
