Question
I just arrived in Valencia, Spain through Munich from the US. My lawyer said I need to update my passport and do the declaración de entrada within 72 hours. He said I can do this at any police station.
Well, after going to three stations and also being told the office wasn’t open, I finally got to someone that said they could do it. They then refused, saying it was only for EU citizens and that my plane tickets were good enough. What should I do? I only have a couple of hours left today before the office closes, and tomorrow it’ll be over the 72-hour period.
Update: I had to go to the police station in the airport with copies of my passport and boarding passes for all my flights.
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Spain Digital Nomad Visa group members:
“Also, one more thing, the boarding passes are probably enough, but if you plan on spending years here, it’s worth trying the airport police, in case there’s something you need to prove years from now. So keep everything.”
“I went through a similar thing. I had mine done at a different airport than I arrived at almost three days later, after trying four times at other stations. If they tell you no, just explain a lot. You could even say you tried at the main police station but the person was out for a few days or whatever. Anything so they actually do it.”
“I just met a guy from Ohio on the train the other day who was just coming from the airport getting that done. He said they wanted a photocopy of every page of his passport for some reason, so he was headed back into the city to get that done and then heading back to the airport.”
“We did it for me at the Policía Nacional in Madrid Barajas airport. We had to have the form printed and completed. I showed where my passport was stamped in France (came via Chunnel from the UK). Aside from waiting for hours, it was no issue to get it done. Per my lawyer, the airport national police are the only ones who can complete this, not any police station. Good luck!”
Schengen area 2025
“Get to the Policía Nacional at the airport. Show your boarding pass. It’s the declaración de entrada they will stamp, not your passport.”
“Go to the police at the airport and explain that you need it for the visa. They will give it to you.”
“If all else fails, get yourself to a Notary. I’ve just this second had mine stamped by a Notary after missing the 72-hour deadline, having come in via France.”
“I went to the airport in Barcelona as I drove from the UK into Spain. They wouldn’t do it but told me to go to the Policía Nacional in the city. I just lined up when they opened, and they gave me the form to fill out, then stamped the form.”
“Spanish police departments only do specific admin things. Get to the airport. We did it in Málaga, so I don’t know where the police are at this airport.”
“I’ve recently got a DNV in the Comunidad Valenciana. I had driven from the UK, so I had no entry stamp into Spain. I was advised to show proof of the journey, which I did with copies of receipts for charging my car. It was acceptable.”
Conclusion
Many people experience confusion when trying to complete the declaración de entrada after arriving in Spain. While some police stations may claim they handle it, most will refuse, as this process is typically completed by the Policía Nacional at the airport.
The safest approach is to head directly to the airport with copies of your boarding passes and passport.
If the deadline has passed, a Notary may be able to provide an alternative solution.
Keeping all travel documents and insisting at the airport police station is the best way to ensure compliance with visa requirements.
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