Question
Having just received our Spain Non Lucrative Visa, we are driving into Spain from France next week, so we won’t get our passports stamped with an entry date into Spain and we may need an entry proof.
I gather from people in this group that we can take some evidence, such as petrol receipts, accommodation receipts, etc., in Spain, to a Spanish Police station, and they will confirm our date of entry.
Will any Police Station do this, or does it have to be one of the larger Regional offices? Do they put a stamp in the passport, or is there a form?
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“We did this last year. Saved petrol and hotel receipts, etc. We were worried about this, but when we attended the police station in Alicante for our TIE, they didn’t want anything. They issued it from the date of that appointment. There were no questions or issues of any sort. You’ll be fine”
“In Murcia, at the TIE appointment, they took petrol receipts and hotel bookings in Spain on the way down as proof of when we arrived.”
“We followed the advice not only to keep the receipts but to go to the police station within 72 hours of arrival. I think 72 hours is critical!
We originally had a stamp in the passport at the end of May in France. We had been to Corsica, Sardinia in June and July, but we couldn’t get a stamp for exit/check-out, even though we tried… Entered Spain 2/8/2024, went to the only police station close to us that was open on Sunday.
They advised that (1) they didn’t have an entry stamp and (2) no other police station would stamp our passports because we didn’t check out of the EU. But they produced a two-pager entry document, signed and stamped. It was accepted at the TIE appointment—no questions asked.”
“It may be different depending on where you end up. I drove to Tenerife 2 months ago and stopped on the day of entry into Spain at a National Police station, got an entry document, which was required for my TIE. Better safe than sorry, perhaps.”
“We arrived in Spain from Portugal, so we have just kept our boarding cards, receipts, etc., as there was no stamp in our passports.”
“The rules say: ‘… declaración de entrada que deberá haber efectuado personalmente en cualquier Comisaría de Policía u Oficina de Extranjeros en el plazo máximo de 72 horas a partir del momento de la entrada en España…’ (‘… declaration of entry that must have been made in person at any Police Station or Foreigners’ Office within a maximum period of 72 hours from the moment of entry into Spain…’)”
Conclusion
If you’re entering Spain without getting a passport stamp, such as when driving from France, it’s essential to document your entry for the Spain non lucrative visa process.
Members of the Spainguru’s community recommend collecting receipts, such as petrol or hotel receipts, and presenting them at a police station within 72 hours of arrival.
While some stations may not require these documents, it’s better to be prepared. Depending on the location, you might be issued an entry document called declaración de entrada, which should suffice for the TIE appointment. It’s crucial to follow the 72-hour window for reporting your entry to avoid complications.
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