Spainby the numbers
A record 96.8 million visitors in 2025, US arrivals up double digits in 2026, new Canada routes and higher Catalan tourist taxes: Spain is busy and getting pricier.
The Spain numbers that matter
Arrivals from our five markets
How many travellers from Canada, the US, the UK, Australia and New Zealand visited Spain in the latest published period, and how fast each market is moving.
International tourists by country of residence, all ports of entry. US and UK from INE; Canada and Australia are Turespaña estimates from FRONTUR microdata; New Zealand is the latest Turespaña figure (2024) and is based on a small sample. Jan–Aug 2026: UK 13.9M (+5.4%), US 3.36M (+11.6%).
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United KingdomYour edition 19.1M +3.7%
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United StatesYour edition 4.45M +4.3%
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AustraliaYour edition 630K -5.9%
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CanadaYour edition 628K -2.4%
Crowds and climate, month by month
| Month | Visitors | High °C | Low °C | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5,065,094 | 13.6 | 4.7 | 37 |
| February | 5,397,279 | 14.3 | 5.4 | 35 |
| March | 6,593,604 | 16.1 | 7.4 | 36 |
| April | 8,568,142 | 18 | 9.4 | 40 |
| May | 9,395,612 | 21.1 | 12.8 | 47 |
| June | 9,476,248 | 24.9 | 16.8 | 30 |
| July | 11,023,252 | 28 | 19.8 | 21 |
| August | 11,251,632 | 28.5 | 20.2 | 62 |
| September | 9,681,517 | 26 | 17.4 | 81 |
| October | 9,244,934 | 22.1 | 13.5 | 91 |
| November | 5,786,804 | 17.3 | 8.6 | 59 |
| December | 5,286,397 | 14.3 | 5.7 | 40 |
The short answer
For Barcelona and the mainland, May, June and September give warm, settled weather without the July and August peak, when Spain receives more than 11 million international tourists a month and the Balearics are at their busiest. October is pleasant but is Barcelona's wettest month on average. November to March is quiet and mild on the coast, and the Canary Islands are a year-round winter sun option.
Dates that move demand
- Suma Flamenca festival2026-10-13 to 2026-11-01 · Madrid
- Seville European Film Festival2026-11-06 to 2026-11-14 · Seville
- Region of Valencia Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP)2026-11-20 to 2026-11-22 · Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Cheste (Valencia)
- Steve McQueen exhibition2026-10-09 to 2027-02-21 · Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
- Granada International Jazz Festival2026-10-29 to 2026-11-07 · Granada
Passports, rules and the flight over
Entry rules as checked on 17 Oct 2026. Rules change: always confirm with the official source before travel.
Canadians can visit the Schengen area, including Spain, visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with a passport valid at least 3 months beyond departure. Biometrics are now collected at the border under the EU Entry/Exit System (EES); ETIAS applications are not yet open.
Official sourceUS citizens need no visa for stays under 90 days, and passports must have at least 3 months' validity beyond departure (6 months recommended). The EU Entry/Exit System now records fingerprints and a photo on arrival; ETIAS has no confirmed launch date.
Official sourceBritish nationals can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa; passports must be under 10 years old on arrival and valid 3 months after leaving. EES biometric registration applies at the border, and officers may ask for a return ticket, accommodation proof and funds.
Official sourceAustralians can stay visa-free in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. EES registration of fingerprints and a photo has started, and Smartraveller says ETIAS is due at the end of 2026.
Official sourceNew Zealanders can visit the Schengen area visa-free for up to 90 days in 180, and a bilateral agreement can allow up to 90 days in Spain, at border authorities' discretion. EES biometric registration applies; ETIAS is not yet operating.
Official source- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Time zone
- UTC+1, UTC+2 in summer (Canary Islands UTC+0, UTC+1 in summer)
- Language
- Spanish (Castilian); Catalan, Galician and Basque are co-official in their regions
- Plugs
- Types C and F, 230 V
- Driving
- Drive on the right
- Tipping
- Service is not normally added to bills and tipping is discretionary; small amounts for good service are appreciated rather than expected.
Nonstop from our markets
| From | To | Airlines | Time / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto (YYZ) | Madrid (MAD) | Air Canada; Iberia (5 weekly from 13 June 2026, summer) | |
| Toronto (YYZ) | Barcelona (BCN) | Air Canada | |
| Toronto (YYZ) | Tenerife (TFS) | Air Canada (new, winter 2026–27) | |
| Montréal (YUL) | Madrid (MAD) | Air Canada, Air Transat | |
| Montréal (YUL) | Barcelona (BCN) | Air Canada, Air Transat | |
| Montréal (YUL) | Málaga (AGP) | Air Transat | |
| Montréal (YUL) | Valencia (VLC) | Air Transat | |
| Montréal (YUL) | Palma de Mallorca (PMI) | Air Canada | |
| New York (JFK/EWR) | Madrid (MAD) | Iberia (JFK and EWR), Delta (JFK) | |
| New York (JFK) | Barcelona (BCN) | Delta | |
| New York (EWR) | Palma de Mallorca (PMI) | United (seasonal) | |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | Madrid (MAD) | Iberia (June–August) |
Selling Spain: the trade file
- Barcelona's tourist tax doubled on 1 April 2026: a five-star stay now costs €7 per person per night plus a €5 city surcharge, €12 in total; the rest of Catalonia rises again on 1 April 2027.
- In the Balearics, five-star and 4-star superior hotels charge €4 per person per night, cut by 75% from November to April; under-16s are exempt, and the government has ruled out an increase in its next budget.
- Hotels must collect each guest's ID, address, phone, email and payment details, plus relationships for minors, and file them with the Interior Ministry within 24 hours (Royal Decree 933/2021, applied from 2 December 2024).
- Turespaña reports Canadians book Spain about six months ahead on average, with more use of traditional agents in 2025; 43.8% of UK visitors bought package holidays in 2025.
- Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS)4–7 Oct 2027
Opening in Spain
More figures we've reported
Lie-flat seats on Air Canada's Montréal–Seville A321XLR
With 168 in Economy. Three flights a week from 8 September 2027, rising to four from 1 October.
Height of the Sagrada Família's Tower of Jesus Christ
Inaugurated 10 June 2026, the centenary of Gaudí's death; it makes the basilica Barcelona's tallest building.
MSC World Asia maximum guest capacity
Up to 6,764 guests in 2,614 cabins on MSC's third World Class ship, 216,638 GT; first guests board in Barcelona on 4 December 2026.
Halifax–Europe routes leaving for summer 2027
WestJet's Halifax–Copenhagen and Halifax–Madrid, plus Icelandair's Halifax–Reykjavík service, which ends 18 October 2026.
New easyJet routes to Spain for summer 2027
They include Girona from Liverpool and London Gatwick, the airline's first flights to the Costa Brava's closest airport.
What changes next
ETIAS (€20, valid three years) was due in late 2026, but after Entry/Exit System problems there is no official launch date, so travellers do not need it yet.
Travel Weekly; EU Delegation to the USCatalonia's higher tourist tax steps up again outside Barcelona on 1 April 2027 (five-star €6), and towns may add their own surcharges of up to €4 from 1 October 2026.
Associació Catalana de Municipis summary of Llei 2/2026Canada–Spain capacity is growing: Iberia's Toronto–Madrid launched in summer 2026, with year-round service planned from 2027, and new winter flights to Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
Turespaña, Canada market report 2026US demand is the standout: 3.36M US arrivals in Jan–Aug 2026 (+11.6%), and August arrivals up 31.9% year on year.
INE, FRONTURLuxury hotel rates keep rising: national ADR reached €166.9 in August 2026 (+7.3%), and five-star properties averaged €357.8.
INE, Coyuntura Turística Hotelera
Latest on Spain
Quick answers on Spain
Do Canadians need a visa for Spain?
No. Canadians can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area without a visa, with a passport valid at least 3 months beyond departure; ETIAS is not yet required.
How many tourists visit Spain?
Spain received a record 96.8 million international tourists in 2025 (+3.2%), and 70.4 million in January to August 2026 (+5.4%), according to INE.
Is Spain safe to visit?
Canada advises a high degree of caution because of terrorism, the US rates Spain Level 2 (exercise increased caution), New Zealand advises increased caution and Australia advises normal safety precautions.
How much is the tourist tax in Barcelona?
Since 1 April 2026 a five-star hotel stay in Barcelona costs €12 per person per night: €7 Catalan tax plus a €5 city surcharge.
What is the best time to visit Barcelona?
May, June and September offer warm weather with fewer crowds than July and August; October is mild but is the city's wettest month on average.
Are there direct flights from Canada to Spain?
Yes. Air Canada, Air Transat, WestJet and Iberia fly nonstop from Toronto, Montréal, Calgary and Halifax to Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Valencia, Palma and, from winter 2026–27, the Canary Islands.
Every figure on this page comes from the organisation that publishes it, linked where it appears and listed here. We checked them on 17 October 2026 and update the file when new figures come out. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
- INE, FRONTUR
- INE, FRONTUR
- INE, EGATUR
- INE, EGATUR
- INE, Coyuntura Turística Hotelera
- Turespaña, air capacity note
- Turespaña (estimate from INE FRONTUR microdata)
- Turespaña (estimate from INE FRONTUR microdata)
- AEMET, Barcelona Aeropuerto station (1981–2010 normals, the reference period AEMET publishes for this station)
- Travel Weekly; EU Delegation to the US
- Associació Catalana de Municipis summary of Llei 2/2026
- travel.gc.ca
- travel.state.gov
- www.gov.uk
- www.smartraveller.gov.au
- mfat.govt.nz
- www.3cat.cat
- www.hacienda.gob.es
- www.majorcadailybulletin.com
- www.boe.es
- www.bolsamania.com
- conocimiento.tourspain.es