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Free movement — just bring your passport or national ID card

German citizens can enter Spain with a valid passport or national ID card; no visa, ETIAS or EES registration applies.

Your circumstances

Passport:
🇩🇪 German
Lives in:
Not specified (general rule)
Going to:
🇪🇸 Spain
Purpose:
Holiday

EU / EEA / Swiss free movement

German citizens can enter Spain with a valid passport or national ID card; no visa, ETIAS or EES registration applies.

  • Carry a valid passport or national identity card.
  • EES and ETIAS do not apply to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens.
  • For stays longer than 3 months, register with the local authorities if required.

Official source: eur-lex.europa.eu · home-affairs.ec.europa.eu · travel-europe.europa.eu · Last checked 4 Oct 2026

Business, work or just passing through?

The rules above are for a holiday: tourism and visiting family and friends. Business visits, paid work and transit are covered separately below.

Business visits to Spain

Not verified yet (not yet covered). We haven't verified the business rules for German passport holders, and we don't publish rules we haven't checked against an official source. A rule that is awaiting verification or not yet covered is not a negative visa decision: it only means we haven't confirmed it on an official source yet. Until then, see exteriores.gob.es.

Working in Spain

Free movement

EU free movement: no work permit needed

As an EU citizen (or Swiss national under the EU–Switzerland agreement) you can generally work here without a work permit. Registration rules for longer stays still apply.

Source: Your Europe (European Union) – Work permits (europa.eu).

What the source says

"As an EU national you generally don't need a work permit to work anywhere in the EU ." … "Under the EU-Switzerland agreement on the free movement of persons, Swiss nationals are free to live and work in the EU." … "Although these countries are not members of the EU, their nationals can work in the EU on the same footing as EU nationals, since they belong to the European Economic Area." (https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/moving-working-europe/working-another-eu-country/non-eu-nationals_en)

Other work routes in Spain (not needed if the right above applies to you)

These are the main routes and what they require. Whether you qualify depends on your circumstances; the official page decides.

Highly qualified professional authorisation (Large Companies Unit, UGE)

For: Foreign professionals with a job offer in Spain for a management post or a job requiring higher-education qualifications

  • Job offer in Spain
  • Management post, or job requiring a higher-education qualification (exceptionally, at least three years of comparable professional experience)

Source: Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones – Profesionales altamente cualificados (Spanish) (inclusion.gob.es).

What the source says

"Profesionales extranjeros con una oferta de trabajo en España para el desarrollo de una relación laboral o profesional en un puesto directivo o actividad para la que se requiera contar con cualificación de enseñanza superior o, excepcionalmente, se acredite un mínimo de tres años de experiencia profesional"

Initial temporary residence and work authorisation – employed (cuenta ajena)

For: Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals hired by an employer in Spain

  • The national employment situation must allow the hire: the job is on the quarterly hard-to-fill occupations list, or the employer shows the vacancy could not be filled locally (job offer published on Empléate and the public employment services)
  • No criminal record in Spain or in countries of residence in the last five years
  • Not irregularly present in Spain
Fees
Fees payable by the worker (form 790 code 052) and by the employer (form 790 code 062)
Processing
Decision within three months (no answer = refusal by administrative silence)

Source: Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones – Hoja 12 (inclusion.gob.es).

What the source says

"Que la situación nacional de empleo permita la contratación." … "La ocupación que va a desempeñar el trabajador en la empresa está incluida en el catálogo de ocupaciones de difícil cobertura que el Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal publica trimestralmente." … "Para ello se deberá presentar una oferta de empleo en el portal Empléate y los Servicios Públicos de Empleo." … "Carecer de antecedentes penales en España y en los países donde haya residido los últimos cinco años" … "No encontrarse irregularmente en territorio español." … "Modelo 790 código 052" … "Modelo 790 código 062" … "Plazo de resolución de la solicitud : tres meses" … "se podrá entender que la solicitud ha sido desestimada por silencio administrativo"

EU Blue Card

For: Highly qualified non-EU employees

  • Work contract or binding job offer for highly qualified employment of at least 6 months
  • Salary at or above the national EU Blue Card threshold (see the official page)
  • Higher professional qualifications (or national requirements for regulated professions)
  • Spain does not apply a labour market test for third-country nationals applying for an EU Blue Card.
Processing
Up to 20 days (maximum in national law)

Source: European Commission – EU Immigration Portal: EU Blue Card in Spain (page dated 1 April 2025) (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu).

What the source says

"meet the minimum salary threshold in the Member State concerned" … "present documents proving that the relevant higher professional qualifications are met" … "with a duration of at least 6 months" … "Spain does not apply a labour market test for third-country nationals applying for an EU Blue Card." … "maximum processing time for issuing an EU Blue Card in Spain is 20 days ."

Checked 16 Oct 2026. Overview: Ministerio de Inclusión – Unidad de Grandes Empresas. Requirements, fees and thresholds change; confirm on the official page before applying.

Transit through Spain

Option 1
Visa-freeAirport transit (changing flights in Spain)

Airside transit: no airport transit visa needed; leaving the transit area needs normal Schengen entry

Unless your nationality is on the EU common airport-transit-visa list or Spain's national list (those passports have their own rule here), you don't need an airport transit visa to change planes in the international transit area of an airport in Spain. If you have to pass through border control (e.g. to collect bags, change airport or terminal outside the transit area, or your onward flight is to another Schengen country), you are entering the Schengen area and the normal entry rules for your passport apply - see the holiday section.

Conditions

  • Stay in the airport's international transit area (do not pass border control).
  • Flights to or from another Schengen country count as entering the Schengen area: normal entry rules for your passport apply.
  • Hold the documents required for your final destination; your airline may check them.
Government fee
Fee not officially published
Processing
Not verified yet
Validity
Not verified yet
Max stay
Not verified yet
Steps, documents & where to apply

How to apply

Steps not verified yet — follow the official source below.

Documents checklist

Document list not verified yet — check the official source.

✓ Checked on the live official page

Official wording

“Visa Code (Reg. 810/2009) Art. 3: an airport transit visa is required for nationals on the common list (Annex IV; Handbook Annex 7A) and, where a member state has notified one, its national list (Handbook Annex 7B, 1 July 2026). Nationals not on these lists need no airport transit visa.”

Before you go to Spain

Cash you can bring in and take out

Bringing cash in
Declare cash of EUR 10,000 or more (or equivalent) when arriving from outside the EU.
Taking cash out
Declare cash of EUR 10,000 or more (or equivalent) when leaving to a country outside the EU.

Official source: taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu · Last checked 4 Oct 2026 · Details

Common tourist traps

  1. Distraction thefts at airports and car hire

    How it works: Teams distract you while you collect or check in bags or sort out a hire car, and take passports or wallets.

    How to avoid it: Keep a hand on your bag at counters and do not carry all your valuables together.

  2. "Highway pirates"

    How it works: Someone flags down a foreign-plated or hire car claiming a fault or damage, then robs it while you check.

    How to avoid it: If you must stop, do it in a lit public place like a service station and be wary of "helpers".

  3. Fake police asking for your wallet

    How it works: People posing as plain-clothes police ask to inspect your wallet or bag, on the street or after stopping your car.

    How to avoid it: Real police may ask for ID or vehicle papers but never your wallet; unmarked police cars show a lit "Policía"/"Guardia Civil" sign.

All 8 traps for Spain →

Emergency numbers in Spain

Other traps paraphrased from official travel advice: gov.uk · FCDO page updated 12 Aug 2026 · Last checked 4 Oct 2026.