Living in Spain

Sheet 44 - Temporary Travel of Foreign Minors for Holiday Purposes

* The content of this page is for guidance only. Only the provisions of the regulations in force at the time of submission of the application are applicable.

Last Updated: August 2025

Index of contents

  • Type of Application
  • Basic regulations
  • Requirements
  • Exigible documentation
  • Procedure

TYPE OF APPLICATION

It is the temporary movement of foreign minors to Spain from the age of 8 for non-renewable periods of ninety calendar days for temporary stays for holiday purposes.

Exceptionally, the movement of foreign persons over the age of six will be permitted when they are accompanied by their brothers/sisters over the age of eight.

In advance it will be necessary to obtain a favourable prior report from the Subdelegate or Delegate of the Government for this displacement of foreign minors to Spain for periods not exceeding ninety days.

BASIC REGULATIONS

  • Organic Law 4/2000, of 11 January, on the Rights and Freedoms of Foreigners in Spain and their Social Integration (articles 25 bis and 30).
  • Royal Decree 1155/2024, of 19 November, approving the Regulations of Organic Law 4/2000, of 11 January, on the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain and their social integration (articles 161 and 163).

REQUIREMENTS

    • The temporary displacement of foreign minors needs to be part of a humanitarian programme.
    • It is considered a humanitarian program when there are at least some of the following circumstances:
      • when the country of origin has been in a situation of war or in social difficulty because of it,
      • where the country of origin is affected by natural or man-made disasters or disasters,
      • when the minor is in refugee camps,
      • when in the country of origin specialized medical treatment or surgical intervention cannot be developed.
    • The entity or person promoting and financing the programme shall be deemed to be interested in the procedure and may be one of the following:
      • Public Administrations.
      • Non-profit associations or foundations registered in public registers.
    • The request for the previous report on temporary displacement shall be made at a minimum of three months and a maximum of four months in advance of the scheduled date.
  • The entity promoting the program must present before the Government Delegation or Subdelegation:
      • Report issued by the competent regional body in the field of protection of minors indicating that it is a humanitarian programme and that the certificate of criminal record has been verified as the certificate of crimes of a sexual nature issued by the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts, referring to all persons over 14 years of age who are going to live with the minor.
      • The commitment on the part of the Spanish authorities (autonomous, provincial or local body in the field of child protection) to ensure the adequate care of the minor foreign person, and the Spanish authorities may apply monitoring and control mechanisms to protect them from any situation of deprotection that may affect them.
  • Prior express authorization of persons holding parental authority, guardianship or guardianship and custody.
      • Written commitment of the promoter to facilitate the return to the country of origin of minors and that the said return does not imply a cost to the public purse, unless said cost has been expressly and previously assumed by the competent body.
  • The program must be recorded of the requirements and authorizations required in Spain, provided for the end of stay and its duration, both in health matter and legal protection of the minor in relation to the stated purpose and of that duration, in order to guarantee the absence of risk of deprotection of the latter.
  • If foreign minors are to remain with families or individuals, they must express in writing their knowledge that the displacement of the minor is not intended for adoption and their commitment to encourage the return to their country of origin or provenance.
    • The non-profit associations or foundations or the natural person or family with whom the foreign minor is going to stay must not have failed in any of the editions of the program their commitment to favor the return of the minor to his place of origin, except in cases of permanence derived from the need to receive specialized health care in Spain duly communicated to the Delegation or Subdelegation of the competent Government and authorized by them.
    • For the issuance of the corresponding visas, the Consular Office in the country of origin of the foreign minor must verify that there is a favourable prior report from the Delegate or the Subdelegate of the Government, the express authorization of the person exercising parental authority or guardianship, as well as everything related to the requirements of individual or collective passports, safe-conduct or other travel documentation of minors and their companions.
    • The temporary travel of foreign minors for holiday purposes also requires:
  • Exceptionally the displacement of foreign persons over six years old will be allowed when they are accompanied by their siblings over eight years old, provided that the siblings remain united in the displacement and stay in Spanish territory.
  • For each group of fifteen children or corresponding minor fraction, a monitor or monitor of the same origin may come within the same program for an unrenewable period of ninety calendar days.
  • Once in the national territory, authorized minors will be handed over to the respective host families communicating by the entities promoting this circumstance to the Aliens Office where the applications have been processed, as well as any incident that may have occurred in this regard.
    • At the end of the Program, the entities that initiated the procedure for the arrival of minors must inform the Provincial Brigades of Foreigners and Borders of the Provincial Police Station of the province in which they are domiciled of the terms of the return or exceptional stay of each minor and/or monitor or monitor and the reasons that cause it, within a maximum period of fifteen days; as well as inform all those persons who have not made their departure within the scheduled time. Failure to comply with this obligation will be taken into account for the assessment of their participation in subsequent programmes.
  • Pay the fee for the processing of the procedure.

EXIGIBLE DOCUMENTATION

Note: in general, copies of the documents must be provided and the originals must be displayed at the time of filing the application.

  • Prior report request form, in official model (EX-25) duly completed and signed by the entity promoting the programme.
  • Accreditation through the Report issued by the autonomous body competent in matters of protection of minors indicating that it is a humanitarian program and that the certificate of criminal record has been verified as the certificate of crimes of a sexual nature issued by the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts referring to all persons over 14 years of age who are going to live with the minor.
  • Documentary accreditation of the commitment by the Spanish authorities (autonomous, provincial or local body for the protection of minors) to ensure the adequate care of the minor foreign person, and the Spanish authorities may apply monitoring and control mechanisms to protect them from any situation of deprotection that may affect them.
  • Documentary accreditation of the express prior authorization of persons who hold parental authority, guardianship or custody and custody of minors who will move.
  • Documentary proof of the written commitment of the promoter to facilitate the return to the country of origin of minors and that the said return does not imply a cost to the public purse, unless said cost has been expressly and previously assumed by the competent body.
  • Documentary proof that the program meets the requirements and authorizations required in Spain, provided for the end of the stay and its duration, both in health matter and legal protection of the minor in relation to the stated purpose and of that duration, in order to guarantee the absence of risk of deprotection of the latter (health coverage must also cover travel not only the stay).
  • Documentary proof that, if foreign minors are to remain with families or individuals, they must have expressed in writing their knowledge that the displacement of the minor is not intended for adoption and their commitment to facilitate the return to their country of origin or provenance.
  • Copy of the NIF of the Entity, as well as the document that proves that the signer of the application has the legal representation or if applicable, as well as his ID or NIE, or consent to check the identity data through the Identity and Residence Data Verification System.
  • Copy of the complete passport of minors or travel title valid for more than the period for which the stay is requested.
  • Copy of the complete passport of the accompanying monitor or monitor or travel title valid longer than the period for which the stay is requested.
  • It will be established that the non-profit associations or foundations or the natural person or family with whom the minor is going to stay have not in any of the editions of the program breached their commitment to favor the return of the minor to his place of origin, except in cases of permanence derived from the need to receive specialized health care in Spain duly communicated to the Delegation or Subdelegation of the competent Government and authorized by them.

Important note: when documents are provided from other countries, they must be translated into Spanish or co-official language of the territory where the application is submitted by a sworn translator.

List of sworn translators.

On the other hand, any foreign public document must be previously legalized by the Consular Office of Spain with jurisdiction in the country in which the document has been issued or, as the case may be, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, except in the case where the document has been apostilled by the competent authority of the issuing country in accordance with the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 and unless the document is exempt from legalization under the International Convention.

Information on the translation and legalization of documents.

PROCEDURE

  • Subject entitled to submit the request for a preliminary report: the representative of the entity promoting the program, personally:
    • Prior report request form, in official model (EX-25) duly completed and signed by the entity promoting the programme.
  • Place of presentation:
  • In person, in the Aliens Office and the province in which the minor or disabled foreign person has fixed the domicile

Information of the address, telephones and hours of attention to the public.

  • Electrónicamente, a través de la sede electrónica del Ministerio de Política Territorial. Personally by one of the parents or guardians, if you have an electronic certificate, or through a professional (administrative managers, social graduates and lawyers)
  • Corresponding fee: it will accrue at the time of the application, and must be paid within ten working days:
  • Modelo 790 código 052, epígrafe 5.13 “certificados o informes emitidos a instancia del interesado”.

The form for the subscription can be downloaded from this page. 

  • Temporary travel for holiday purposes shall take place at least three months in advance and a maximum of four months in advance of the scheduled date.
  • The previous report on the temporary displacement of foreign minors as their companions will be resolved jointly.
  • The expiration of the maximum of one month without having notified a resolution expressly, legitimises to understand it rejected by administrative silence.
  • For the issuance of the corresponding visas, the Consular Office in the country of origin of minors must verify that there is a favourable prior report from the Delegate or the Subdelegate of the Government, the express authorization of the person exercising parental authority or guardianship, as well as everything related to the requirements of individual or collective passports, safe-conduct or other travel documentation of minors and their companions.
  • Once in the national territory, authorized minors will be handed over to the respective host families communicating by the entities promoting this circumstance to the Aliens Office where the applications have been processed, as well as any incident that may have occurred in this regard.
  • At the end of the Program, the entities that initiated the procedure for the arrival of minors must inform the Provincial Brigades of Foreigners and Borders of the Provincial Police Station of the province in which they are domiciled of the terms of the return or exceptional stay of each minor and/or monitor or monitor and the reasons that cause it, within a maximum period of fifteen days; as well as inform all those persons who have not made their departure within the scheduled time. Failure to comply with this obligation will be taken into account for the assessment of their participation in subsequent programmes.