The EES border check system is the responsibility of the Spanish National Police, the body in charge of border control.

The European Commission has determined that EES will be operational on Sunday, 12^th October 2025 and has set a 180‑day implementation period. The use of EES in Spain will be rolled out progressively from this date.

Spain´s inaugural EES check will take place with the arrival of a flight landing at Madrid-Barajas-Adolfo Suárez airport early in the morning.

Manuel Butler, Director of the Spanish Tourist Office in London commented:

"As the leading destination for UK travellers, we understand that the introduction of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) on 12th October 2025 may raise questions and concerns.

This phased implementation, set to be fully operational by 10th April 2026, is designed to modernise border management through biometric registration, enhancing both security and efficiency.

We are committed to keeping our valued UK visitors informed and ensuring a smooth transition. Spain’s tourism sector is in close collaboration with the Spanish government and AENA, and we will provide timely updates as new information becomes available.”

For further information, please contact Jessica Harvey Taylor, head of press at the Spanish Tourist Office: Jessica.harvey@tourspain.es

Published on 07 October 2025

Since 2016, visitors to the islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera have been paying a Sustainable Tourism Tax, contributing towards ongoing vital projects which aim to protect the environment, preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the islands, and promote sustainable tourism. In 2023, a total of €133,342,900 was collected.

The tourism board stated that the next standout projects to be started will be:

A new railway link between Manacor and Artà, Mallorca

• This construction project will provide long-awaited modern rail infrastructure in eastern Mallorca, offering an alternative form of travel along the popular route between Manacor and Artà.

New walking and cycling routes in Ibiza and Mallorca

• Combining the restoration of Balearic heritage with the promotion of sustainable forms of transportation, this project seeks to transform old train tracks into new ‘greenway paths’ for cyclists and walkers.

A new pedestrianised path between Santa Maria and Inca, Mallorca

• A 2.7km pedestrianised stretch of road will be created along the MA-13A road from Santa Maria to Inca, passing through Consell and Binissalem, with improvements also being made to the road itself.

Learn more here

On Wednesday 29 November, in the presence of Spanish President, Pedro Sánchez, and King Felipe VI, a new high-speed line between Madrid and Oviedo will open in the northern region of Asturias, after 19 years’ work and an investment of €4,000 million. This will be a milestone in the region’s history, allowing for faster connection between Asturias and Madrid for both locals and visitors to Spain. 

The high-speed line has been made possible by the new 50-kilometre Pajares Bypass in the Cantabrian Mountains: access through this route, 80% of which runs in tunnels, will cut travel time between Asturias and the Spanish capital by over an hour. Initially the journey time between Madrid and Oviedo will take 3 hours 58 minutes. However, when Renfe begins operating new Talgo AVRIL trains, the journey will be cut down to 2 hours 43 minutes, with at least three trains per day operating on the new route. In comparison, the current journey between Madrid and Oviedo takes travellers around 4 hours 30 minutes. 

The high-speed train will run from Madrid to Pola de Lena, stopping at Segovia, Valladolid, Palencia and León. It will then run to Mieres, Ovideo and terminate at Gijón (although the last leg between Ovideo and Gijón will no longer be high-speed, sharing its track with the local Cercanías trains). Nevertheless, the new line is a landmark for the northern Spanish region and is already being warmly received by the local community: in advance of the first commercial trains on Thursday 30 November, Renfe has already sold more than 60,000 tickets. 

For more information on transport investments in Asturias, visit here

For more information on Asturias as a tourist destination, visit here

The offer which the Tourist Trains division will make by 2023 represents an increase of 30% compared to that produced in 2022, the year in which Renfe launched 170 trains with tourist content, in which 23,597 customers travelled and this means one more step in the evolution and consolidation of this classic product operated by the company.

The supply of luxury tourism will increase by 57 percent. The greatest increase in trips will occur in the luxury segment Transcantábrico, Al Andalus, Costa Verde Express and Expreso de la Robla. In 2023, these trains are expected to make 87 round trips, which represents an increase of 52 percent compared to 2022. Thematic tourism trains carry out day trips with cultural and gastronomic content.

The #SlowTravelSpain campaign, will highlight sustainable forms of travel in Spain and its islands, recognising the importance of forming a connection with local people and cultures when travelling whilst also lessening harmful impact on communities and the environment. The campaign will focus on geographical diversification and aim to showcase low-impact activities and journeys that fit within the slow travel theme. 

Taking part in low impact activities, exploring quieter routes and travelling with seasonality in mind will provide visitors to Spain with a more authentic experience of the country. In the upcoming months Spain’s social channels will showcase different forms of slow travel through its regions, encouraging lovers of the country to explore its lesser-travelled paths.

Making the choice to slow travel through Spain could mean choosing to travel along the well-connected network of trains, a sustainable yet rewarding option, giving the opportunity to see the lush landscape pass by and discover parts of the country not reached by plane. Alternatively, it could mean participating in responsible activities; From cycling through the mountains of la Sierra Nevada and exploring the Pyrenees in the summer sunshine to hiking through one of the 16 National Parks and diving in the Biosphere Reserves along its coastline.

How you can get involved

In the upcoming months the Spanish Tourist Office will be monitoring the hashtag #SlowTravelSpain on its Facebook (Spain.info.gb) and Twitter (Spain_inUK) accounts to track the posts of people's slow travel experiences across Spain, and to award spot prizes to some of the most impressive entries. When posting photos and videos of low impact activities, quieter routes or other slow travel related topics in Spain, please use the hashtag #SlowTravelSpain to share your content.

How brands, bloggers and influencers can get involved

The Spanish Tourist Office is also looking for brands, bloggers and influencers who have recently visited or are planning a trip to Spain and would like to get involved with this campaign. The aim of the campaign is promote slow travel experiences in Spain and engage current followers with the sustainable and responsible travel options in Spain. The campaign would also seek to create new shareable content across multiple digital channels (blogs, YouTube) to be shared on Spain’s channels. To register your interest in receiving support from the Tourist Office for your content please complete the following registration form.

The Valencian firm, CarGreen, will expand its fleet of Mercedes Smart Fortwo vehicles to 100 in the coming weeks. The long-term plan is to reach 300 electric vehicles available throughout the Comunitat Valenciana (Region of Valencia).

Booking an electric vehicle is easily done on the CarGreen app, available for iPhone and Android users. Tourists will need to register on the app and the geolocation tool will show available vehicles in the area along with their current battery level. Vehicle hire is priced at 33 cents per minute, and there is a one-off registration fee of €19. The CarGreen app can be downloaded here for iOS users and here for Android users.