The beautiful architecture, impressive resorts, colorful cuisine, friendly people, incredible beaches, diverse landscapes, and vibrant nightlife make Spain a top tourist destination. But before heading to Spain, you must have a valid passport with at least three months of validity, two blank pages, and be in good condition. This document allows you to enter and leave the country as it serves as your identification. So, do you have to carry your passport in Spain while embarking on tourist or other activities?
Do You Have to Carry Your Passport in Spain?
The passport is an internationally recognized travel document. But besides allowing you to enter and leave the country, it also allows you to identify yourself to authorities. For example, you will need your passport to access government services. But must you always carry it with you, even when you are not accessing services that necessitate passports?
Per Spanish laws, everyone (citizen or foreigner) in Spain must have identification documents when moving around the region. Thus, you should have your passport when leaving the hotel or rental to prove your identity. Since this is a legal requirement, law officers can detain you if they request your identification and you come up short.
But what about other documents like a driver’s license? In the U.S., carrying a driver’s license is acceptable as this document has been issued by entities that the law officers recognize. However, outside the U.S., state-issued identification documents do not work. Thus, you must use a passport as it is the only document with international recognition.
Below are two circ*mstances where carrying your actual passport may not be necessary:
- When you are not seeking official services: While you should always have a valid passport, carrying the actual passport is not always necessary. Instead, you can get a color copy of the passport and present it to law officers. In most cases, this should suffice. You can even use a digital picture; the officers will accept it when doing routine checks.
- When you are renewing your passport: If your passport expires while in Spain and needs to be renewed, you must hand in your most recent passport. Since you will not have a valid passport, you can use the proof of the renewal process to law officers when requested to prove your identification.
When is having a passport necessary? Usually, law officers will not ask you to identify yourself. However, they will request identification paperwork if you have been involved in a crime or raise suspicion. So, even when you don’t want to carry your passport, ensure you carry a copy or proof of passport renewal to comply with the legal requirements. If the officers request the original passport, you can call the hotel to bring the physical passport.
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Do You Have to Carry an ID in Spain?
Spanish citizens always carry their national identity cards for official purposes and to identify themselves to the police. The law (Article 4 of Organic Law 4/2000) requires foreigners to comply with this identification process by carrying a valid ID. The keyword here is carry; they expect you always to have a valid ID when you are out and about. And since Spanish authorities do not recognize foreign documents besides the passport, your passport is your best bet.
Do you have to carry an ID in Spain? Yes; the Spanish law officers are well within their rights to detain and fine you for contravening the law. They can detain you for as long as it takes to ascertain your identity and are not required to allow you time to prove your identity. Luckily, unless you have been involved in a crime, most officers will let you go with a warning. But to avoid such instances, you should carry your passport, a digital or hard copy, or proof of the passport renewal.
Tips for Carrying Your Passport While Traveling in Spain
Passport theft is common worldwide, and the situation is not different in Spain. So, should you carry your passport with you in Spain? Yes! But while doing so, ensure you have a color copy in your phone and a hard copy, leave the passport in your safe when going swimming or hiking, carry another form of ID, be wary of your surroundings,
May the Spanish Police Perform a Search on My Body or My Belongings?
Spanish law officers can stop and search you in public if they have a reason to suspect criminal activity. Moreover, they can search vehicles and personal belongings to ensure that people have not carried any dangerous items. And they can conduct searches on your person for the same reason, but only an officer of your gender can do this unless the circ*mstances necessitate otherwise. Compliance is necessary, and resistance can result in detention and penalties.
