Do US citizens need a visa?

[Ben]

Do Americans need a visa in their passport before arrival in Spain, or do they just stamp you in on arrival?

And do you need an International Driving License?

[Brian]

Unless you plan to stay more than an short time, US citizens are not required to obtain a visa.

Yes, an international driving license is also required.

It's amazing all the kinds of visas that are available- by my count, there are 9 types for which one can apply.

[Alan]

It's amazing what we take for granted as European citizens . . .

[Brian]

It's amazing what we take for granted as European citizens . . .

And we Americans are equally guilty of taking lots of things for granted. :)

I'm just glad that both of my sons have dual-citizenship so that they don't have to deal with this visa nonsense no matter which side of the Atlantic they decide to live on.

[Ben]

Thanks Brian!

[ValenciaSon]

My father retained his spanish citizenship and in doing so, has to make an annual trip to the consulate to literally prove to the spanish government he is not dead. The pension is not bad given the strength of the euro against the dollar.

[cubix]

The pension is not bad given the strength of the euro against the dollar.

He gets a pension(like social security?) Does he get to collect both?

Greg

[ValenciaSon]

Yes he does.

[dave]

And do you need an International Driving License?
I began to respond to this and to describe the harrowing experience of being pulled over by the Spanish police after midnight in the middle of nowhere. However, it's long enough that I decided to simply post it to my blog and direct anyone that may want to read it there:

http://www.rodrig.com/2006/06/12/spanish-under-pressure/

my short answer: Yes, an IDP is required, although I'm not sure anyone will ever ask for it.

[Brian]

I began to respond to this and to describe the harrowing experience of being pulled over by the Spanish police after midnight in the middle of nowhere. However, it's long enough that I decided to simply post it to my blog and direct anyone that may want to read it there:

http://www.rodrig.com/2006/06/12/spanish-under-pressure/

my short answer: Yes, an IDP is required, although I'm not sure anyone will ever ask for it.

Wow, what a story! It definitely helps to have your vocab down.

[Greg]

That does sound like a scary story, Dave...I'm glad it turned out all right in the end. :)

I agree on the IDP...for the first couple of years that I was in Spain, I drove using my US license and my IDP, but no one ever asked to see the IDP, even when I rented a car. I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry, but I doubt that the majority of tourists who drive in Spain have one. The real purpose of it is to have a translated version of your driver's license, and most of the police in Spain recognize enough English that it's not really necessary.

Speaking of things Europeans can take for granted, though, my biggest pet peeve is the fact that I can't exchange my US driver's license for a Spanish one. Even drivers from Chad, which has roughly 450km of paved roads, can trade their license for a Spanish one and head out onto the streets of Madrid. But thanks to the lack of a treaty between the US and Spain (the US canceled theirs first, from what I understand), it's back to driving school for me after 20 years of having a license. A more conspiracy-minded person might suspect that it's all part of a plan by the driving schools to raise more money. :)

[Ben]

When I traded my ordinary UK car driving licence for the Spanish one (necessary for insurance purposes), my new Spanish licence suddenly included authorisation to drive articulated lorries and taxis! Very strange, seems to happen to a lot of Brits who make the change.

I had a similar experience to Dave in France, pulled over by the police for stupidly not having a seat-belt on (I was driving slowly down icy moutain roads in a borrowed jeep with no breaks and honestly thought I might need to jump to safety in a hurry!) I hadn't spoken French well for years but it's incredible how fast a language returns to you when faced with a couple of suspicious policemen!

[gary]

it's incredible how fast a language returns to you when faced with a couple of suspicious policemen!
... or any situation where needs must.

My daughter was about 14 when the family returned to a little known carpark at the back of town in the narrow streets surrounded by terraced houses. Jammed in, having taken out half of the fences was an 18 wheeler articulated lorry and its French driver who was delivering to Church Street but couldnt find the right building. I went to help and he didnt have a word of englsh (which is also virtually true of a large percentage of the English in this area, the accent and dialect can be very strong). I looked at the documents and explained that he had the wrong Church Street, in fact the wrong town. The real address was about 5 miles away but he was jammed in and to get out he would have to go the wrong way down a one way street. I said I'd meet him at the far end of the street but he didnt want to let me go incase I just abandoned him. So my wife drove our car and I navigated him to where he needed to be. When we arrived we all stood around for a bit to make sure he was in the right place and he and I chatted and exchanged pleasantries about our families - my kids were there he showed photos of his. He offered money but, of course we declined. He asked if we smoked, we said we didn't but grandma did so he insisted on giving us 200 cigarettes - she tried one and they went in the bin Galloise are, I understand, an acquired taste. We all shook hands and said goodbye. When we got home daughter's friend arrived and they sat in the garden where the tale was retold.

The best bit was where my daughter said how I had spoken fluent French (yeah) and how cool it was to have a dad that could speak two foreign languages. Result...!