Entry Requirements & Passport Rules

For a normal holiday, British visitors need a valid passport (issued less than 10 years ago and valid for at least 3 months beyond the day you leave) and can stay up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa — while Irish citizens, as EU nationals, have no such limits at all. The Canary Islands are part of Spain and the Schengen area, so the same entry rules apply here as on the mainland. This page sets out exactly what UK and Irish travellers need in 2026, including the post-Brexit passport small print and the new border checks that are on the way.

Are the Canaries in the EU and Schengen?

Yes. Although the islands sit off the coast of north-west Africa, they are fully part of Spain, the European Union and the Schengen area — a geographical quirk we explain in our piece on whether the Canary Islands are in Spain or Africa. For entry purposes, treat a trip here exactly like a trip to mainland Spain. (There is one exception worth knowing: the islands sit outside the EU VAT and customs area, which is why they are a genuine duty-free destination — but that affects shopping, not your right to enter.)

British passports: the two rules that catch people out

Since Brexit, UK passports must meet two separate conditions to enter Spain and the rest of the Schengen area. Both are checked at the border, and failing either can mean being turned away at the airport, so it is worth checking your passport the moment you book.

• The "less than 10 years old" rule. Your passport must have been issued within the 10 years before the date you arrive. In the past, up to nine extra months could be carried over onto a renewed passport, and those extra months no longer count for travel to the EU. Check the "date of issue" page, not just the expiry.
• The "3 months beyond departure" rule. Your passport must be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave the Canaries. In practice, give yourself a comfortable buffer rather than cutting it fine.

Do you need a visa?

For short holidays, no. British visitors travel visa-free for tourism, and Irish visitors have full freedom of movement as EU citizens. We cover the detail — including who does need a visa and what counts as a "short stay" — on our dedicated page, do you need a visa for the Canary Islands. In short, most holidaymakers from the British Isles simply turn up with a valid passport.

The 90/180-day rule explained

This is the rule most British travellers now need to understand. As a non-EU visitor, you may spend up to 90 days within any rolling 180-day period across the whole Schengen area for tourism — not per country, but combined. It is a moving window: on any given day, the authorities look back over the previous 180 days and count how many you have already spent in Schengen.

For a typical one- or two-week holiday this is a complete non-issue. It only starts to matter for people who winter in the Canaries for months at a time, own a second home here, or hop between several European trips in one year. If you are planning a long spell in the sun, our guide to winter sun in the Canary Islands is a good companion, and anyone staying to work remotely should read our digital nomads guide, which covers longer stays and residency routes.

New border checks: EES and ETIAS

Two new EU systems are changing how non-EU visitors cross the border, and both are relevant to UK travellers (Irish citizens are unaffected).

• EES (Entry/Exit System) is a biometric border system that records your fingerprints and a facial photo instead of stamping your passport. It went live in October 2025 and became fully operational across the Schengen area on 10 April 2026, so on arrival you will be asked to complete a short biometric registration at a kiosk or desk the first time you enter (your record then lasts three years). There is no fee and nothing to arrange in advance — just allow a little extra time at passport control, as the system has been causing longer queues at busy airports.
• ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) is a coming visa-waiver scheme: a paid online travel authorisation that visa-exempt visitors, including UK passport holders, will need to apply for before travelling. It is not yet live as of July 2026 — the European Commission expects it to start in the last months of 2026, followed by a transitional period of at least six months, and the date has shifted more than once, so treat it as "coming soon" rather than a current requirement. When it launches it will be a quick online application costing €20 for applicants aged 18 to 70 (under-18s and over-70s apply free of charge) and valid for up to three years or until your passport expires. Irish citizens will never need it. Apply once it is running and before you book if the rules have come into force by then.

Health cover and insurance at the border

Entry rules are only half the story — you also want to be covered if something goes wrong. A UK GHIC (or an in-date EHIC) gives you access to state healthcare in Spain on the same terms as a local, but it is not a substitute for travel insurance, which covers repatriation, cancellations and private treatment. We cover exactly what you need in our guide to travel insurance for the Canary Islands. Sort both before you fly.

Getting here

Most British and Irish visitors arrive by direct flight — there are frequent connections from airports across the UK and Ireland to Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. For the practicalities of routes, airports and onward transfers, see our guide to getting to the Canary Islands.

The bottom line

British holidaymakers need a passport that is under 10 years old and valid for 3 months beyond departure, and can stay up to 90 days in 180 without a visa. Watch for EES biometric checks at the border now, and a coming ETIAS authorisation you will need to buy online once it launches. Irish citizens simply travel as EU nationals with none of these limits. Check gov.uk's Spain entry requirements shortly before you fly, sort your travel insurance, and the rest is just packing.