Driving to Spain via Irún? How to Get Your Declaration of Entry
If you're moving to Spain and driving through France, there's one important piece of paperwork you'll need to think about: your Declaración de Entrada (DDE), or Declaration of Entry.
When you cross from France into Spain, there are normally no routine passport checks at the border, which means you won't automatically receive a Spanish entry stamp or have your passport scanned.
For people arriving on a Spanish residence visa, this can create a problem when it comes to proving the date they entered Spain, particularly when applying for their first TIE residency card.
Fortunately, our Upsticks clients have shared some excellent first-hand experiences of obtaining their Declaration of Entry at the Policía Nacional in Irún, just across the French-Spanish border.
And thanks to their feedback, we can share some practical tips to make your visit a little easier.
Irún is situated on the Spanish side of the border, close to Hendaye in France, making it a convenient stopping point for anyone travelling into Spain via the western Pyrenees.
Several of our clients have successfully obtained their DDE at the National Police station here and have reported very positive experiences with the officers and administrative staff.
In fact, Terry and Jane recommended using Irún even if it meant adding a few extra kilometres to their journey.
They had originally considered travelling via the Somport Tunnel and obtaining their DDE at Jaca or Zaragoza. However, when they contacted those police stations, they were advised that appointments were required, with limited availability and advance notice.
Their experience at Irún was considerably more straightforward.
Although procedures can change, Irún is certainly worth considering when planning your journey into Spain.
The police station is located in central Irún, a short distance from the French border.
Find the National Police station in Irún on Google Maps
One particularly useful tip from our clients Steve and Pauline is to look for the arched gates when you arrive. This is the entrance they used to access the police station.
It's worth checking the location before travelling, rather than relying on your sat-nav to take you directly to the correct entrance.
Irún can be extremely busy, and finding somewhere to park near the police station isn't always easy.
Fortunately, two sets of clients have recommended using a nearby shopping-centre car park.
Clients used Parking Mendibil, a pay-as-you-stay car park approximately seven minutes’ walk from the police station. Check the Telpark app for advance booking availability.
View the recommended parking location on Google Maps
Our advice? Allow extra time for traffic and parking, particularly if you're travelling with a fully loaded car or have a long onward journey ahead.
A few minutes planning your parking arrangements could save a lot of frustration when you arrive.
Before visiting the police station, make sure you have the following documents ready:
Useful supporting evidence might include ferry or Eurotunnel bookings, hotel reservations, toll receipts and petrol station receipts.
If you're travelling as a couple or family, make sure you have the relevant documentation for each person.
If you're an Upsticks client, we'll prepare your Declaration of Entry documentation and provide a letter in Spanish explaining what you need, so you can present everything to the police when you arrive.
One of our couples kindly provided a detailed account of their visit, which gives a very useful picture of what to expect.
On arrival, they reported to reception and explained that they needed to complete their Declaración de Entrada.
As their Spanish was limited, they had prepared a short explanation in both English and Spanish, which they could show to the staff.
They found this particularly helpful, and the officers appreciated their efforts to explain what they needed.
They were directed to a waiting area, where an administrator checked their completed forms and passports before referring them to the officer responsible for processing declarations.
The officer spoke excellent English, took their documents and entered their arrival details into the Spanish police system.
After approximately 20 minutes, he returned with their passports and completed Declaration of Entry documents.
The entire visit took around an hour, and the couple described the police officers and administrative staff as friendly, helpful and efficient.
Of course, every visit will be different. Depending on how busy the station is, you may have to wait longer or speak to several members of staff.
We recommend allowing at least 1–1½ hours for your visit, rather than planning a tight schedule around it.
This is a particularly important point from our clients' experience.
The officer explained that the police station did not stamp their passports when processing the Declaration of Entry.
Instead, they received a stamped and signed Declaration of Entry form.
Their completed document also included a unique QR code and reference number.
According to the officer, these details linked to the information recorded in the Spanish police system and could be accessed by the relevant authorities, including when the couple subsequently applied for their TIE cards.
The officer advised them to keep a copy of their Declaration of Entry with their passports until they had received their physical residency cards.
This is useful information for anyone expecting to receive a Spanish passport stamp.
Your officially processed Declaration of Entry is the important document, so keep it safe!
We also recommend keeping a digital copy, together with your other residency paperwork.
If you need to declare your entry after driving into Spain from France, arrange it as soon as possible.
The rules are set out in Article 13 of Real Decreto 1155/2024. It requires most non-EU nationals who enter from a country with no routine border controls with Spain to declare their entry in person if they do not hold Spanish residence authorisation. The article expressly exempts nationals of Andorra, Monaco and San Marino.
Where a Declaration of Entry is required and wasn't made at the time of arrival, the regulation provides a period of three days after entering Spain to make the declaration at a National Police station.
For anyone arriving on a residence visa, there is another important reason to ensure their entry date is properly documented.
When applying for your initial TIE, the police may require evidence of when you entered Spain. If your passport doesn't contain a Spanish entry stamp or wasn’t scanned on entry, your Declaration of Entry provides official evidence of your arrival.
Our advice is simple: don't leave this until you reach your final destination if you can arrange it earlier in your journey.
Based on our clients' experiences, here are a few things worth remembering:
Irún isn't the only option for obtaining a Declaration of Entry.
If your journey takes you through Aragón towards Valencia, Alicante or Murcia, our clients have also successfully obtained their DDE at the National Police station in Teruel.
You can read more in our separate guide:
Driving to Spain via Teruel? How to Get Your Declaration of Entry (DDE)
And for a more detailed explanation of the Declaration of Entry itself, including how to complete the form, take a look at our main guide:
Declaration of Entry to Spain – Upsticks Guide
We'd like to say a special thank you to all our clients who have taken the time to share their experiences of obtaining their Declaration of Entry at Irún.
In particular, thank you to Steve and Pauline for providing photographs and map locations and to Terry and Jane for their detailed overview of the process.
It's exactly this sort of first-hand information that helps us make the move to Spain a little easier for the next people following in your footsteps.
If you're planning to drive to Spain, a little preparation can make all the difference.
Safe travels, and welcome to Spain!
The information in this article was current at the date of publication. Spanish immigration rules and procedures at individual police stations can change, so we recommend checking arrangements before travelling.
Spain loves a public holiday, or festivo, and knowing when they fall can save you…
Need passport-style photographs for your Spanish TIE card, driving licence or another official document? Finding…
In order to exchange your UK driving licence for a Spanish one, you’ll need to…
Halloween in Spain: More Than Just Ghosts and Pumpkins! 🎃 Halloween is becoming increasingly popular…
Tracking migratory movements: a free tool for Spanish residents If you hold non-lucrative residency in…
Clients travelling south through eastern Spain have successfully obtained their Declaration of Entry at the…