The new European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS Visa Spain) will go live in 2025, changing the way that citizens of 60 visa-exempt countries, including Canada, travel to Schengen countries, including Spain.
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It will increase border security by pre-screening potential travelers to the Schengen Area to prevent potential threats from entering. Don’t worry, though, because gaining pre-approval to travel to Spain and other Schengen nations will be a quick online process, only requiring you to provide some standard personal information along with answers to a set of security questions. Border officials will receive your ETIAS Visa Spain application for
review, and the information you provide will be checked using European security databases. In most cases, nothing will raise any suspicion, and the applicant will receive an email notifying them of their application’s approval within 24 hours. This new paper-free system will make the travel process more efficient and convenient, as well as add another level of security for both travelers and residents in the Schengen Area.
For trips in 2025 or later, any citizen of Canada, or one of the other 59 visa-exempt countries, will need pre-authorization through ETIAS to enter Spain or any other Schengen country, regardless of the traveler’s age. Canadian citizens will be happy to learn that the new online application process is meant to be as simple and accessible as possible. After gaining ETIAS Visa Spain approval, a traveler will be able to use the same ETIAS for the 3 years following its date of issue, regardless of the number of trips they take or destinations they visit. That said, if you get a new passport within that 3-year period, you will have to apply for ETIAS Spain approval again. Your ETIAS can only ever be linked to one travel document and therefore can’t be linked to your new passport.
A new passport requires a new ETIAS that can be linked to it. It’s important to recognize that the Schengen Area is not the same as the European Union, and the new European Travel Information and Authorization System will only be required and accepted for entry into Schengen countries. Some EU countries, like Ireland, have chosen not to participate in Schengen, and they will neither require nor accept ETIAS for approval to enter. Instead, they will continue to implement their own security protocols and procedures. On the other hand, there are also countries in the Schengen Area that aren’t part of the EU, like Norway. If, for example, Canadian citizens plan to travel to Norway, they will not need to get a Nordic visitor visa because Norway will both require and accept ETIAS Visa Spain approval for entry into the nation. For a complete list of countries that will be required to gain ETIAS approval and a list of countries that will be requiring ETIAS for entry, check our homepage.
Currently, there are 60 different countries, including Canada, the U.S., the U.K, and Australia) who citizens enjoy visa-free travel throughout the European Union. So far, they have only needed to have a valid biometric passport to enter these countries, but starting in 2025, citizens of those countries will need to add a new step to their travel preparations: completing an ETIAS Spain application for approval. Please note that ETIAS Visa Spain will function as or replace a standard visa, which will still be necessary for non-tourist purposes. Obtaining ETIAS approval is a much simpler process, and it will only grant you permission for short-term trips and stays (lasting no more than 90 days within a 180-day period.) For long-term stays, or visits related to work and study, you will still need to apply for the designated visa.
Gaining ETIAS Visa Spain authorization will not allow you stay in Spain, or any other part of the Schengen Area, for longer than 90 days within a 180-day period. You will also not be permitted to work or study in Spain using ETIAS. If you want to stay longer, or if your trip is not tourist related, you will still need to acquire the appropriate visa to do so. If you attempt to work, study, or overstay while using ETIAS, your ETIAS may be cancelled, and you may face legal penalties.
Age doesn’t matter when it comes to ETIAS requirements. Border officials will expect every member of a party to have ETIAS authorization to enter a country, including children. If there is a minor traveling with your party, you must ensure that his or her parent or legal guardian has s completed an ETIAS application for the child and received authorization before your party’s departure. While minors will be required to gain ETIAS approval, ETIAS Visa Spain forms should only ever be filled out and submitted by legal adults. Minors should not complete an application on their own. Instead, their parent or legal guardian much complete and submit the form on the child’s behalf.
Travelers from Canada, as well as those from the 59 other visa-exempt countries, will be required to submit an ETIAS Visa Spain and gain pre-approval before attempting to enter any part of the Schengen Area, including Spain. Among the other 59 countries affected by this change are the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Here is a complete list of the 60 countries whose citizens will need to gain ETIAS Visa Waiver for Spain approval before departing for Spain or other Schengen countries:
Albania
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Australia
Bahamas
Barbados
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Brunei
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Georgia
Grenada
Guatemala
Honduras
Hong Kong
Israel
Japan
Kiribati
Macao
Northern Macedonia
Malaysia
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Montenegro
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Palau
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent
St. Vincent
Serbia
Seychelles
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Korea
Taiwan
Timor Leste
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Uruguay
Ukraine
UAE
Vanuatu
Venezuela
United Kingdom
United States
As long as you’re completing your own application, you shouldn’t run into any problems, and the process should take no more than 10 minutes. You will be asked to provide the following pieces of information:
For security purposes, you will also need to answer a set of screening questions covering more details personal information, including:
If anything on your application is suspicion or doesn’t seem to add up, the border official reviewing it may request additional information or, in rare cases, an in-person interview. However, in the majority of cases, the application process will require little time and effort, and you should receive an email notification of your approval within 24 hours.
Please note that gaining ETIAS approval cannot guarantee you automatic entry into Spain or any other Schengen country. Spanish border officials will have the final say in any case, and they may ask you to provide proof of the following:
This will help prevent terrorism and illegal immigration by making sure that people are being honest about their intentions when entering Spain.
In addition to ETIAS requirements, each country will also have COVID-19 policies that are not covered by ETIAS. Make sure you know the most recent COVID-19 regulations for Spain or any other country you plan to enter or travel through. It is important that you keep up with any potential policy changes and stay prepared to provide any required documents.
In most cases, the only document that will be necessary during the ETIAS application process is a valid biometric passport. Canada started issuing biometric passports in July of 2013, and you should renew your passport every 10 years. This means that by the time ETIAS Visa Spain goes live, most applicants with Canadian passports should meet the criteria for completing an application.
To be considered valid, your passport or travel document should have:
If your travel document doesn’t meet the necessary criteria, the border officials reviewing your application may ask you to provide additional documents before they finish processing and approving your form.
Please keep in mind that your ETIAS will be linked to the passport you complete the application with and can only ever be linked to one travel document. If your passport expires, your ETIAS will expire as well. This is why you should make sure your passport will be good for at least 3 months from your date of departure.
Disclaimer: This website is owned and operated by a private agency. We provide information, application requirements, updates, and news about ETIAS (the European Travel and Information Authorization System). We are not affiliated with the European Union or any other government agency.
