With effect from yesterday, Wednesday 22nd April 2026, British-resident pet owners can no longer travel with their animals under the EU Pet Passport scheme and must instead obtain a new Animal Health Certificate (AHC) each time they enter Spain or any other EU country.

Many regular visitors and holiday home owners in Orihuela Costa obtain a Pet Passport for their cat or dog locally in Spain to ensure economical, hassle-free travel for their animals and to avoid the expense of an AHC.

The UK left the EU Pet Passport scheme on January 1st 2021, following the end of the Brexit transition period, but the UK continues to accept EU-issued Pet Passports for inbound travel to Great Britain.

However, UK residents can no longer use any EU Pet Passport (including those issued by veterinary practices in Spain) to enter any EU country from Great Britain.

Mandatory Animal Health Certificates replace EU Pet Passports

Guidance on the GOV.UK website states “If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, you should not use a Pet Passport (even if it was issued in the EU). If you use a Pet Passport, your pet may be refused entry into the EU.”

The new rules do not apply to residents in Northern Ireland, with residents maintaining their rights under the EU Pet Passport scheme. But the rules do apply to British residents planning to travel to Northern Ireland.

A statement on Your Europe, the official website of the European Union, reads “EU Pet Passports issued to a pet owner resident in Great Britain are no longer valid for travel with pets from Great Britain to an EU country or Northern Ireland.”

Instead, UK resident pet owners must travel with an Animal Health Certificate. An AHC costs around £100 to £150, is valid for 10 days once issued, and can only be used to enter an EU country once.

Looking for holiday ideas and travel inspiration? Find out more about our favourite recommended things to do on the Orihuela Costa, or join the La Zenia community Facebook group and find out what's going on in the local area.

Photo credit: Real Federación Española de Voleibol

The rules for the movement of goods changed when the UK left the European Union in January 2021 and changed again on 1st January 2022 post-Brexit.

Some post from the UK and Spain might be subject to import duty or other taxes. It's important to understand the rules so that your family and friends don't get a surprise bill along with their gifts.

This article provides a simplified guide for people wishing to send personal parcels and gifts to people in Spain or the UK. The rules differ depending on the value and nature of what is being sent.

There are different rules for products purchased online or ordered on the internet, posted either from the UK to Spain or vice-versa, and other rules apply to the commercial movement of goods between the EU and the UK.

Sending goods and gifts from the UK to Spain

As a general rule, if your parcel has a value of less than 45 € and is sent from a private individual (rather than a business), there should be no IVA, import duties or service charges.

To send a parcel or a gift from the UK to Spain, the sender must complete a CN22 or CN23 customs declaration as fully as possible. You can get this declaration from the Post Office.

Receiving gifts in Spain with a value of more than 45 € may incur import duty and other charges. Some specific items, including food, drink, and cosmetics, may also incur charges, tax, or IVA. There should be no customs charge or duty to pay in Spain to receive greetings cards from the UK.

Sending parcels and goods from Spain to the UK

As a general rule, gifts worth £39 or less sent from Spain by a private individual (rather than a business), should not attract VAT, import duty or service charges in the UK.

To send items and goods to the UK you should follow the instructions provided by Correos or your chosen courier company in Spain.

Gifts and other goods worth more than £39 may be charged VAT before delivery. Parcels worth more than £135 may attract import duty and other charges. Excise goods such as alcohol may incur additional taxes, and HM Revenue and Customs may prohibit the delivery of regulated goods such as cigarettes and tobacco products.

Sending gifts and packages from Northern Ireland to Spain

For the purposes of the free movement of goods, Northern Ireland remains a part of the European Union. This means that parcels, gifts, and all other items are not subject to customs controls and there are no limits on value.

In accordance with the Northern Ireland Protocol, there are no customs declaration requirements for goods and packages sent from Northern Ireland to Spain, or to any other country in the Europan Union.

Items and parcels sent from Spain (or any other member state of the EU) to Northern Ireland will not be subject to customs processes. You won't need to pay import tax, duties, or any other charge – regardless of the value of your parcel.

Looking for holiday ideas and travel inspiration? Find out more about our favourite recommended things to do on the Orihuela Costa or join the La Zenia community Facebook group and find out what's going on in the local area.

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The latest in a string of extensions expires at midnight tonight. If that deadline remains, British residents who failed to swap their UK driving licence for a Spanish one before the original deadline set by the Spanish government will have to take a Spanish driving test.

Currently, British residents living in Spain before 1st January 2021 can continue to drive in Spain with their valid UK driving licence until midnight tonight.

British nationals living in Spain who registered their intention to exchange their licences with the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico) before 30th December 2020, but have not yet done so, have until today to request an appointment.

Last month the British Ambassador reported that negotiations were ongoing, and confirmed that he remained committed to reaching a long-term agreement with Spain to enable UK driving licence holders to exchange their licences without taking a test.

Earlier this month, the British Embassy in Madrid asked the Spanish government for another extension for UK drivers resident in Spain.

However, the most recent update on the UK government website last night reads “From 1st May 2022, if you have been resident for more than six months and have not exchanged your UK licence for a Spanish one, you will no longer be able to drive using your UK licence.”

An update on the UK Embassy Facebook page from HMA High Elliott at 20:11 yesterday states “The UK and Spanish Governments are still negotiating. UK and Spanish Ministers spoke today and agreed to rapidly accelerating talks next week in the hope of reaching an agreement soon.”

“But we're not there just yet, and we will not have reached an agreement in time for the end of the current grace period (30th April 2022).”

“What does this mean for you? If you have been resident in Spain for longer than six months, your UK driving licence will no longer be valid to drive in Spain from 1st May 2022.”

“Driving a vehicle without a valid licence is illegal in Spain. If you are affected by this change and need to drive, you should not wait for the outcome of the negotiations and should take immediate steps to apply for a Spanish licence – as we have been advising for some time now.”

The passing of the deadline does not affect UK licence holders who have recently moved to Spain, who have six months from the date of residency to take a Spanish driving test.

UK driving licences for visitors and tourists visiting Spain remain valid, and UK nationals on holiday, visiting friends and family, or hiring a car can still drive during their visit using a full UK driving licence, without the need for an International Driving Permit.

Looking for holiday ideas and travel inspiration? Find out more about our favourite recommended things to do on the Orihuela Costa or join the La Zenia community Facebook group and find out what´s going on in the local area.

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The Spanish Government suspended all flights from the UK on 22nd December last year to contain the public health threat posed by the newly discovered COVID-19 variant of concern emerging in the United Kingdom.

The rules prohibited entry to Spain by air and sea for all UK nationals (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), permitting entry only by Spanish nationals and legally documented international Spanish residents.

With the Christmas season well underway, many British citizens that live permanently in Spain had travelled back to the UK to visit friends and family over the festive period. The travel restrictions effectively stranded some expatriates who had left Spain without their residency documentation.

But last night the official UK Government website announced that Spanish authorities had confirmed acceptance of additional documentation to prove entitlement to residency, for those who had left the country without their TIE or official residency document.

Travel restrictions, accepted documents for UK nationals resident in Spain

A statement on the GOV.UK site reads “The Spanish government has formally confirmed to the UK Government that UK nationals who were legally residing in Spain before 1st January 2021, and as such are beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement, can use any of the following documents to prove their residence status when entering Spain”.

• Residency card issued under Article 18.4 of the Withdrawal Agreement (the TIE – Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero).
• Temporary or permanent EU residency certificate (Certificado de Registro de Ciudadanos de la Unión).
• Receipt of application for the TIE (Resgaurdo de presentación de la solicitud de la tarjeta de residencia).
• Confirmation of the positive outcome of your residence application (Resolución favorable por la que se concede la tarjeta de residencia).
• In the absence of any of the above documents, other documents that credibly evidence your legal residence in Spain before 1st January 2021, such as a padrón certificate (issued by your town hall), a work contract, a rental contract, or proof of a property purchase in Spain.
• In the case of students, documentation that demonstrates enrolment in an on-site or in-person course and proof of accommodation

You must also show a valid passport when you travel and comply with the other documentation and travel restrictions, such as the presentation of a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of arrival.

Hope for British citizens with residency in Spain

The new list of accepted documentation has also been communicated to airlines and other travel operators, to enable Spanish and UK nationals with residency in Spain to board flights to the peninsular.

The change in the documentation required for entry into Spain does not represent a change to the existing temporary prohibition of travel from the UK originally introduced on 22nd December 2020, and It is our understanding that Spanish authorities will accept the types of documentation specified above for travel originating in the UK from:

• Spanish citizens.
• Legally documented Spanish residents.
• Persons who have submitted but not yet completed an application for residency in Spain (applications in process).
• Persons who were residing in Spain legally before 1st January 2021, and who have not yet acquired permanent residence rights or are protected beneficiaries of the EU/UK Withdrawal Agreement.

Returning residents are reminded that there is no quarantine requirement on entering Spain, but all travellers are urged to install and activate the Radar COVID health protection app on their mobile device.

The official Spanish Government app is available for Android and Apple devices. It´s a contact tracing app designed to help the fight against Coronavirus by identifying potential outbreaks and breaking the chain of contagion.

Radar COVID uses anonymous identifier codes and automated contact tracing, requires no registration or login, doesn´t ask for any personal information, and does not use geolocation to track app users.

Looking for holiday ideas and travel inspiration? Find out more about our favourite recommended things to do on the Orihuela Costa or join the La Zenia community Facebook group and find out what's going on in the local area.

Photo credit: LaZenia.com