WorldPath AIWORLDPATH•AI
Abstraction background for Achieve Tax Flexibility
Europe

Spain Passport

Ranked #4 Globally

In the April 2026 rankings, Spain's passport sits in fourth place worldwide, level with eleven other European countries at 185 visa-free destinations. Its holders can travel to those countries without a prior visa or with a quick visa-on-arrival. A Spanish passport also carries a benefit that pure travel rankings miss: the right to live, work, and retire in any of the 27 (European Union) member states with no separate permit. Spanish citizens can reach the United States, Japan, and mainland China without arranging a visa first, and cross every (the borderless travel zone covering most of Europe) border without a stamp. The National Police issue the passport only to Spanish nationals. Spain does not sell citizenship, and the standard path runs ten years of legal residence first, though Latin American applicants reach it in two.

4th
Global Ranking
185
Destinations
92.5
Mobility Score
Spain Passport - Passport Power 3rd | worldpath.ai WRI

Spain Passport Global Mobility Context

Spain belongs to the European Union, the , the (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), and (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a defence alliance of mostly Western states). That membership stack is the first thing a border officer reads behind the passport.

The country runs one of the larger diplomatic networks in Europe, with embassies and consulates across Latin America, North Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. Spanish is an official language in roughly twenty countries, so a Spanish passport is understood on sight across most of the Western Hemisphere.

Spain has issued biometric ePassports since August 2006. The contactless chip stores the holder's photo and personal details and is read directly by e-gates at Madrid-Barajas, the wider Schengen Area, and the 's (Entry/Exit System), the biometric border-record platform that records non-EU arrivals. Layered security printing keeps refusal rates low.

The real strength is not the travel count but the legal status behind it. A Spanish passport is an EU (European Union) passport, so the holder can move to any of the other 26 member states and start work the next day with no visa, quota, or sponsor. Few documents outside the bloc carry that right.

The passport is a public, personal, individual and non-transferable document that proves, outside Spain, the identity and nationality of Spanish citizens. All Spanish citizens have the right to obtain the ordinary passport.

On This Page

Spain Passport at a Glance

Global rank (2026)

#4 worldwide in the April 2026 update, tied with eleven other European states at 185 visa-free destinations, behind Singapore (192) and level with Germany, France, and Italy.

Visa-free destinations

185 destinations, including the full , the United States, Japan, mainland China through 31 December 2026, and every other (European Union) member state where Spaniards may also live and work.

Document type

Biometric ePassport with a contactless chip that meets the international (International Civil Aviation Organization) 9303 standard, the rulebook airport e-gates use to read passport chips. Spain has issued ePassports since August 2006.

Page count

32 pages in the standard ordinary passport, bound in the burgundy-red cover shared by (European Union) member states, with the words Unión Europea and España printed in gold above the national coat of arms.

Languages

Spanish on the data page, alongside the other official (European Union) languages and the standard (International Civil Aviation Organization) headings in English and French used on every member-state passport.

Adult validity

10 years for holders aged 30 and over. Applicants between 5 and 30 receive a 5-year passport, and children under 5 receive a 2-year passport, so younger families renew more often.

Child validity (under 16)

5 years for applicants aged 5 to 30, and 2 years for children under 5. The 10-year book is reserved for holders aged 30 and over, a band unusual among passports.

Dual citizenship

Allowed with Ibero-American countries, Andorra, Portugal, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and France under treaties. Applicants from elsewhere are asked to renounce their old nationality on paper, though Spain rarely checks afterward.

Issuing authority

The Dirección General de la Policía (Directorate-General of the Police), part of the Ministry of the Interior, issues every Spanish passport through police stations and consulates abroad.

History

Modern Spanish passport rules date to the 1990s; machine-readable booklets followed; biometric ePassports have been issued since August 2006; the current burgundy design with the contactless chip is the standard today.

Spain Passport Visa-Free Destinations by Region

Regional Mobility

Economic Mobility Score: 92.5%Country GDP: 1.89%
Visa Exceptions
Europe shows 100% — as an EU (European Union) citizen a Spanish holder may not only visit but live and work across all 27 member states, the EEA, and Switzerland. The Americas score high on Spain's deep Latin American ties. A few destinations require a short online pre-authorisation (ESTA, ETA, eVisitor, NZeTA, or an e-visa) before arrival, and Russia, North Korea, and a handful of conflict-zone states still need a full visa.

Popular Destinations at a Glance

The headline destinations a Spanish traveller reaches without arranging a visa first are the United States, entered after a paid (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) online pre-screening; Canada, entered with an online authorisation valid for short stays; the whole for unlimited movement as an (European Union) citizen; the United Kingdom for six months; Japan for 90 days; and mainland China for 30 days under a Beijing scheme that runs through 31 December 2026. Each is covered in the regional sections below from a Spanish holder's point of view.

Americas

The Americas are where the Spanish passport feels most at home, because Spanish is the working language across most of Latin America. The United States admits Spanish visitors under its Visa Waiver Program after they buy an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) approval online, valid for two years. Canada uses a separate eTA online form cleared in minutes for flights. Mexico waves Spaniards in for 180 days, Brazil and Argentina for 90 each, and every Central American republic plus Chile, Peru, Colombia, Uruguay, and Ecuador admit them without paperwork for short tourism stays. Most Caribbean islands grant three to six months on arrival.

Europe

As an EU (European Union) member, Spain gives its citizens more than visa-free tourism in Europe: they may settle, take a job, study, or open a business in any of the other 26 member states, registering locally only after three months. The same right covers the (European Economic Area), which adds Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, and extends to Switzerland by treaty. Inside the Schengen Area, Spaniards cross internal borders with no checks, and the national identity card alone is enough to travel between member states. The United Kingdom, now outside the bloc, grants six months for tourism but asks Spanish travellers to hold a UK ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation), a short online pre-screening rather than a visa. The non-Schengen Balkans, including Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, admit Spaniards for 90 days. Because Spain is an EU state, its own citizens are exempt from the new (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) pre-screening. They are likewise outside the (Entry/Exit System), the biometric border-record platform that logs only non-EU arrivals into Schengen.

Asia-Pacific

East and Southeast Asia are broadly open to Spanish passport holders. Mainland China dropped its visa for Spaniards under a unilateral Beijing pilot launched in late 2023; the window is 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, and transit, and Beijing extended it through 31 December 2026. Japan and South Korea each allow 90 days, Taiwan 90 days, Singapore 90 days, Thailand 60 days, and the Philippines 30 days, where a Spanish passport carries some historical familiarity. Australia issues Spaniards an eVisitor authorisation online, while New Zealand uses an (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) cleared before boarding. Spanish travellers also reach most Pacific island nations, such as Fiji and Samoa, without prior paperwork.

Middle East

The Gulf is a convenient region for Spaniards transiting toward Asia. The United Arab Emirates and Qatar each grant 90 days visa-free, a longer window than many passports receive, and Oman admits Spanish visitors for short tourism stays. Saudi Arabia issues a tourist e-visa online or on arrival, valid for 90 days. Israel asks Spanish travellers to obtain an (Electronic Travel Authorisation Israel) before they fly. Jordan and Bahrain offer visa-on-arrival or e-visas. A Spanish passport meets no special barrier across the region, and most stays are arranged in minutes online or at the airport counter.

Africa

Northwest Africa sits on Spain's doorstep, and Morocco admits Spanish visitors for three months without a visa, a frequent short hop from the southern ports. South Africa and Tunisia also grant 90 days, and the island nations of Mauritius and Seychelles waive visas for tourism. Kenya now asks Spaniards for an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) bought online before arrival. Egypt, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Uganda issue e-visas or visa-on-arrival for short stays. A handful of destinations, including Sudan, Libya, and several states in the Sahel, still require a full embassy visa and are largely places Spain's foreign ministry advises against for safety reasons.

Offshore Jurisdictions

The international finance centres that matter to globally mobile Spaniards are open without paperwork. The Cayman Islands and Bermuda each grant six months for tourism, useful windows for holders managing offshore structures. The British Virgin Islands admit Spanish visitors for 30 days and the Bahamas for three months, both easy to combine with a US connection. Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, and Gibraltar all admit Spaniards without a visa; Gibraltar in particular is a short drive from the Costa del Sol. Hong Kong and Macau, two Asian financial hubs, each give 90 days and also appear under Asia-Pacific above.

Where a Visa Is Still Required

  • Russia and Belarus: full visa required; Spain's foreign ministry advises against non-essential travel since 2022.
  • India: an e-visa applied for online before travel, not visa-free entry.
  • North Korea: full visa with extra screening; travel is strongly discouraged.
  • Turkmenistan: full visa requiring a letter of invitation.
  • Sudan, Libya, and several Sahel states: full embassy visa; non-essential travel discouraged on safety grounds.

How to Get a Spain Passport

1

Get a Spanish Residence Permit

Since the investor Golden Visa was abolished on 3 April 2025, there is no way to buy residence or citizenship in Spain. The path to a Spanish passport starts with an ordinary residence permit, granted for work, remote work, study, family, or passive income.

The common routes for non- (European Union) applicants are a work visa tied to a job offer, the for highly qualified professionals, the Non-Lucrative Visa for retirees or others living on savings, and the Digital Nomad Visa introduced under the 2023 Startup Act for remote workers employed by companies outside Spain. Each issues a residence permit, usually for one to three years and renewable. EU citizens skip this step entirely and simply register after three months.

On arrival, a non-EU resident applies for a (Número de Identidad de Extranjero, the Foreigner Identity Number used for every official transaction) and then a (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, the physical Foreigner Identity Card that serves as the residence permit). The TIE card carries the holder's photo, fingerprints, and residence category.

Many newcomers who take a Spanish salary also apply for the special expatriate tax regime, often called the Beckham Law. It taxes Spanish employment income at a flat 24 per cent up to 600,000 euros, with most foreign income exempt, for the year of arrival plus the following five years. The 2023 reforms opened it to Digital Nomad Visa holders.

2

Build the Required Residency History

Spanish citizenship by residence requires ten years of legal, continuous residence for most applicants. The clock counts only time held on a valid residence permit, so the years on the Non-Lucrative, work, or Digital Nomad permit all count toward the total.

Several groups reach citizenship far faster than ten years. Nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and Portugal, along with people of Sephardic Jewish descent, qualify after just two years of legal residence. This two-year route reflects Spain's historical ties and is the single largest shortcut in the system. A person married to a Spanish citizen, or the widow or widower of one, qualifies after one year.

After five years of continuous residence, any legal resident can apply for long-term residence, the permanent-residence status that removes renewal limits and broadens work rights. Long-term residence is a useful staging post, but it is not citizenship: only naturalisation grants a Spanish passport and EU free movement.

Absences matter. Long or frequent trips outside Spain can break the continuity the law requires and reset the count, so applicants planning to naturalise keep their time abroad short and document their physical presence carefully across the qualifying period.

3

Apply for Citizenship

Naturalisation applications are filed online with the Ministry of Justice, which runs the citizenship-by-residence process. The applicant uploads the file electronically, and a registry official later confirms the documents and records the grant.

Most applicants must pass two exams set by the Instituto Cervantes, the public body that promotes the Spanish language. The first is the (Conocimientos Constitucionales y Socioculturales de España), a 25-question multiple-choice test on the constitution, government, culture, and history, with a pass mark of 15 correct. The second is the (Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera at the basic level), a Spanish-language exam. Nationals of Spanish-speaking countries are exempt from the language test.

The file includes a valid residence permit covering the qualifying period, a birth certificate, a clean criminal record from Spain and from the home country with apostille and Spanish translation, proof of integration, and the two exam certificates where they apply. New citizens swear loyalty to the King and obedience to the constitution as the final step.

Processing has historically taken one to three years from filing to resolution, depending on backlog. The government fee for the application is modest, in the low tens of euros, though the exam fees and document translations add several hundred euros more. Once approved, the grant is registered and the person becomes a Spanish citizen.

4

Apply for the Passport

Once citizenship is registered, the new citizen first obtains a (Documento Nacional de Identidad, the national identity card every Spanish adult holds) and then applies for the passport. Both are issued by the National Police, and the passport application is booked online and completed in person at a police station.

The applicant brings the DNI and a recent photograph meeting the (International Civil Aviation Organization) standard, the worldwide rulebook for passport photos and chips. Fingerprints and a digital signature are captured at the counter for the biometric chip. There is no separate charge for the chip or the biometric capture.

The passport fee is a flat government charge of about 30 euros, the same nationwide. The standard book has 32 pages and the (European Union) burgundy cover, valid for ten years for holders aged 30 and over. Younger applicants receive a five-year or two-year book depending on age.

Processing is fast: most police stations issue the passport within days of the appointment, and some hand it over the same day. The finished document is the biometric ePassport with the contactless chip that e-gates across the and beyond read on arrival.

Alternative Route: Citizenship by Descent and the Closed Democratic Memory Window

Spain passes nationality mainly by blood, not by birthplace. Under the Civil Code, a child born to a Spanish parent is Spanish from birth, wherever the birth takes place. This is jus sanguinis (citizenship through a parent) rather than jus soli (citizenship by place of birth), so being born on Spanish soil does not by itself make a child Spanish.

For people one generation further removed, Spain ran a special descent programme called the Democratic Memory Law, widely known as the Grandchildren's Law. Passed in October 2022, it let the children and grandchildren of Spaniards who went into exile or lost their nationality reclaim it without first living in Spain. The window proved hugely popular, drawing more than 680,000 applications, many from Latin America.

That window has now closed. The application deadline ran out on 22 October 2025, and the government confirmed there would be no extension. Files submitted in time are still being processed in order, but no new Grandchildren's Law application can be filed after that date. Anyone who missed it must now use the ordinary routes.

Two ordinary descent paths remain open. A person with a Spanish parent is already Spanish and simply registers the birth at a consulate to obtain documents. A person with deeper Spanish roots, or a connection through an Ibero-American country, can still use the two-year fast-track residence route to citizenship, which remains the most reliable path for the wider Spanish diaspora now that the memory-law window has shut.

Comparison of Spain Passport With Other Top Passports

Passport

Rank

Visa-free

Key edge

Singapore Passport

#1

192

Top-ranked passport; pure mobility benchmark

Germany/France/Italy Passports

#4

185

EU peers — live and work in 27 states

United Kingdom Passport

#7

182

Common-law peer; English-speaking financial hub

Portugal Passport

#5

184

Iberian neighbour; comparable descent and residency tools

United States Passport

#10

179

Worldwide-tax contrast on a similar mobility tier

How the Spanish passport compares depends on which yardstick you use: raw travel reach, the right to settle across Europe, or the speed of getting in. The picks below frame each contrast through the eyes of a Spanish holder, who already enjoys both strong mobility and full (European Union) rights.

Spain vs the top-ranked passport. Singapore leads the 2026 index at 192 destinations against Spain's 185. But Singapore's strength is pure travel and gives no right to live or work abroad. A Spanish passport reaches slightly fewer countries yet unlocks residence and employment across an entire continent.

Spain vs its EU peers. Germany, France, and Italy share Spain's rank of fourth at 185 destinations, with identical EU (European Union) free-movement rights, so mobility is effectively a . Spain's edge is its two-year citizenship route for Latin American applicants, which none of the big three offers.

Spain vs its Iberian neighbour. Portugal ranks fifth at 184 destinations, one behind Spain, with comparable EU rights and its own descent and residence options. Spain's two-year track reaches a far wider pool through its Ibero-American treaties, while Portugal's fastest routes lean on separate language-community ties.

Spain vs the worldwide-tax contrast. The United States ranks tenth at 179 destinations, below Spain. The deeper contrast is tax: it taxes citizens on worldwide income for life through the (Internal Revenue Service). Spain taxes by residence, so a citizen who lives abroad as a non-resident pays no Spanish tax on foreign income.

Pros and Cons of the Spain Passport

Pros7 strengths
Cons7 frictions
  • 01Rights
    Settle and Work in 26 Other EU States
    A Spanish passport is a European Union (EU) passport, so the holder can move to any other member state and begin work the next day with no visa, quota, or sponsor. Few documents outside the bloc carry that legal status.
    EU access
  • 02Eligibility
    Two-Year Citizenship for Ibero-American Nationals
    Nationals of Latin American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and Portugal, plus people of Sephardic Jewish descent, can naturalise after just two years of legal residence. This historic shortcut is the largest in the system, and no other big European state offers it.
    2-yr track
  • 03Mobility
    Visa-Free Reach to 185 Destinations
    The passport admits the holder to 185 destinations, among them the full Schengen travel zone, the United States, Japan, and mainland China through the end of 2026. Spanish is also official in roughly twenty countries, so the document is understood on sight across the Americas.
    185 places
  • 04Tax
    A Flat-Rate Tax Regime for Newcomers
    New residents who take a Spanish salary can apply for a special expatriate regime that taxes employment income at a flat 24 percent up to 600,000 euros, with most foreign income exempt, for the arrival year plus five more. The 2023 reforms opened it to remote-work visa holders.
    Beckham tax
  • 05Tax
    Taxed Only Where You Live
    Spain taxes by residence, so a Spanish citizen living abroad as a non-resident owes no Spanish tax on foreign income. That differs sharply from the United States, which taxes its citizens worldwide for life.
    Residence tax
  • 06Eligibility
    Language Test Waived for Spanish Speakers
    Naturalisation normally requires a basic A2 Spanish exam, but nationals of Spanish-speaking countries are exempt from it. They still sit the short multiple-choice test on the constitution and culture.
    Spanish skip
  • 07Document
    Passport Often Issued Within Days
    Once citizenship is registered, most police stations issue the biometric passport within days of the appointment, and some hand it over the same day. The chip and biometric capture carry no separate charge.
    Fast book
  • 01Eligibility
    Investor Golden Visa Abolished in 2025
    On 3 April 2025 Spain scrapped its investor Golden Visa, so there is no longer any way to buy residence or a route to citizenship. Every applicant must now qualify through an ordinary work, study, family, or passive-income permit.
    No golden
  • 02Rights
    Dual Citizenship Limited to Treaty Countries
    Spain permits dual nationality only with Ibero-American countries, Andorra, Portugal, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and France. Applicants from anywhere else are asked to renounce their old nationality on paper when they naturalise.
    Treaty dual
  • 03Descent
    Democratic Memory Descent Window Has Closed
    The Democratic Memory Law, which let children and grandchildren of exiled Spaniards reclaim nationality without living in Spain, stopped accepting applications on 22 October 2025 with no extension. Anyone who missed that deadline must now use ordinary routes.
    Window shut
  • 04Eligibility
    Ten Years' Residence for Most Applicants
    Outside the treaty shortcuts, citizenship by residence requires ten years of legal, continuous residence. Long or frequent trips abroad can break that continuity and reset the count.
    10-yr wait
  • 05Eligibility
    Two Exams Stand Between You and Citizenship
    Most applicants must pass a 25-question test on the constitution and culture, scoring at least 15, plus a basic A2 Spanish-language exam. Exam fees and document translations add several hundred euros to the cost.
    Two exams
  • 06Eligibility
    Naturalisation Backlogs Run One to Three Years
    Processing a citizenship-by-residence file has historically taken one to three years from filing to resolution, depending on the backlog. Approval is only final once the grant is registered.
    1-3 years
  • 07Validity
    Short Validity for Younger Holders
    The 10-year passport is reserved for holders aged 30 and over. Applicants between 5 and 30 receive a 5-year book and children under 5 only a 2-year one, an age band unusual among European Union passports, so younger families renew far more often.
    Kids 2-5 yr

Dual Citizenship

Spain's dual-citizenship rules are split in two. For some nationalities Spain openly allows two passports; for everyone else the law asks for a renunciation that it then rarely enforces. Knowing which group you fall into matters before you apply.

Who keeps both passports automatically. Spain allows dual citizenship outright with the Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, and France. The France arrangement came from a bilateral treaty signed in 2021 and was the first time Spain extended full dual citizenship to a non-Spanish-speaking country. Nationals of any of these states keep their original passport when they naturalise as Spanish, with no renunciation required.

The renunciation rule for everyone else. An applicant from outside that treaty group, for example a German, American, or British national, is asked to renounce their previous nationality when they swear the oath. The declaration is made in front of a Spanish registrar. In practice Spain does not notify the other country and does not later check whether the person also kept the old passport, so many dual nationals quietly retain both, but the legal renunciation is still on the Spanish file.

The border rule. A Spanish citizen who also holds another passport must enter and leave Spain on the Spanish one. Spanish authorities treat the holder purely as Spanish at the border, so presenting the foreign passport can cause confusion. Abroad, the traveller simply shows whichever passport best fits the destination.

Children born abroad. A child born outside Spain to a Spanish parent is Spanish from birth and can hold the Spanish passport alongside the nationality of the country of birth. Where that country grants citizenship by birthplace, the child is a dual national from day one, and Spain does not force a choice at adulthood the way some countries do.

Bottom Line

The Spanish passport ranks fourth in the world for 2026 at 185 visa-free destinations, level with Germany, France, and Italy and behind only Singapore and a small group at the very top. But the travel count understates the document, because its real value is the (European Union) status behind it.

The structural advantages are concrete. A Spanish passport lets the holder live, work, study, or retire in any of the 27 EU member states with no permit, plus the (European Economic Area) and Switzerland. Mobility reaches the United States, Japan, and mainland China without arranging a visa first, and the Gulf states grant unusually long 90-day windows. Spain taxes by residence rather than citizenship, so a citizen who moves abroad and becomes non-resident owes no Spanish tax on foreign income.

The costs are equally concrete. For most applicants citizenship takes ten years of legal residence, one of the longer waits in the EU, and the investor Golden Visa that once offered a residence shortcut was abolished on 3 April 2025. New arrivals must qualify through work, remote work, family, or passive income instead. Outside the treaty group, Spain also asks naturalising citizens to renounce their old nationality on paper, even if it rarely enforces the rule.

For Latin American, Portuguese, Andorran, Filipino, and Equatorial-Guinean nationals, Spain is one of the most attractive passports on earth: full EU rights after only two years of residence, with the old nationality kept intact. For everyone else the document rewards patience, a decade of residence and integration traded for a passport that opens an entire continent to live in, not just to visit.

Spain Passport FAQ

How does the Spanish passport compare to other EU passports?

Spain ties Germany, France, and Italy at rank #4 with 185 visa-free destinations, sharing identical EU free-movement rights, so raw mobility is effectively a tie. Spain's distinguishing edge is its two-year naturalisation route for Latin American nationals, Andorrans, Filipinos, Equatorial Guineans, Portuguese, and Sephardic Jewish heritage applicants — a shortcut no other major European state offers. Portugal, at #5 with 184 destinations, is one place behind.

Do Spanish citizens need a visa for the United States?

No. Spain participates in the US Visa Waiver Program, so Spanish citizens travel to the United States after buying an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) online, valid for two years and multiple entries of up to 90 days each. The approval typically clears in minutes. Spanish citizens also enter Canada with an eTA under the same fast online-authorisation model — both stays cover tourism, business, and transit.

Can Spanish citizens travel to China without a visa?

Yes, through 31 December 2026. Mainland China granted Spaniards visa-free entry under a unilateral Beijing pilot launched in late 2023, covering 30-day stays for tourism, business, family visits, and transit. Beijing has extended the window twice. The pilot covers mainland China only; Hong Kong and Macau separately admit Spanish passport holders for 90 days each. Beyond December 2026, the policy depends on Beijing's renewal decision.

How long can Spanish citizens stay in the United Kingdom?

Spanish citizens enter the United Kingdom for up to six months for tourism, family visits, business meetings, or short courses. Since post-Brexit rules took effect, they must hold a UK ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) — a short online pre-screening cleared before boarding, not a visa. Work, study beyond short courses, and residency require separate UK visas. Spanish citizens lost EU free-movement rights to the UK after Brexit, but retain straightforward short-stay access.

How long is a Spanish passport valid?

Validity depends on age. The standard 10-year passport is issued to holders aged 30 and over. Applicants between 5 and 30 receive a 5-year book, and children under 5 receive a 2-year book, so younger families renew more often. This banded structure is unusual among EU passports, where 10 years is typical from adulthood. The 32-page burgundy book carries the EU contactless biometric chip across all age categories.

Can I get a Spanish passport through my grandparents?

Not anymore through the special route. The Democratic Memory Law (Grandchildren's Law), that let descendants of exiled Spaniards to reclaim nationality without living in Spain, closed on 22 October 2025, with no extension. Files submitted before that date are still being processed. Anyone who missed the deadline must now use ordinary routes — most commonly the two-year fast-track residence available to nationals of Ibero-American countries, where many diaspora Spaniards already hold citizenship.

Which passport should I show at the Spanish border if I have two?

A Spanish citizen who also holds another nationality must enter and leave Spain on the Spanish passport. Spanish authorities treat the holder purely as Spanish at the border, so presenting the foreign passport can cause confusion or delay. Abroad, the traveller shows whichever passport best fits the destination — the US passport for entering the US, the Spanish passport for the Schengen Area, and so on. This is standard EU practice.

How much does a Spanish passport cost and how fast is it issued?

The Spanish passport fee is a flat government charge of about 30 euros, the same nationwide, with no separate charge for the biometric chip or fingerprint capture. The application is booked online and completed in person at a police station, where the holder presents their DNI and a recent ICAO-standard photo. Processing is fast: most police stations issue the passport within days of the appointment, and some hand it over the same day.

Related Topics

Related Information

Verified by

Elena Kowalski
EU Policy Analyst
at WorldPath AI

Explore More Passports

View all
Greece Passport - Passport Power 7th | worldpath.ai WRI

Passport of Greece

184 destinations