As a US citizen do I need to be holding a return ticket in order to travel to Spain?

Question

I am planning on traveling on to Barcelona at the end of April. I will be living with my friend there and hopefully working some (teaching English?). I have no idea how long I want to stay. I currently have a one-way ticket to Barcelona, will they not let me out of the country without a return ticket?

Thanks!

Answer 1

One of the FEW privileges US citizens have is that. NO YOU DO NOT NEED A RETURN TICKET!  Have a blast!

Answer 2

As a US citizen you do not need a return ticket, and it is highly unlikely that you will be asked that question.  You could quite easily be spending time in Spain, going on to the UK for three months, then other countries.  It's not an issue.

What is an issue however, and others have mentioned it, is that you are only allowed to stay in Spain for a maximum of 90 days as a tourist.  If you want a work visa, you need to apply for and be granted this before leaving the US.  Without a EU passport you are highly unlikely to find any sort of legal work in Spain.  And as there are so many qualified EU people looking for work legally, an employer is not going to give work 'under the table'.

So, if you overstay the 90 days, you may well have problems leaving the country and may also be banned from returning to the Schengen Zone for some years.

Answer 3

You may use the site below to answer your question.  Just enter your nationality and destination and click for the info.  you will see that you can vist for up to 90 days without a visa...for longer than that, you must apply for an extension after you arrive in Spain.  It also says you must hold an onward or return ticket.  Also, if you plan to work in Spain,  you will need a work visa.  The website of the Spanish embassy has NO visa information on it, so you will need to contact them to ask about a work visa.  I serioulsy dout that you would be able to get one as ALL other europeans are ahead of Americans for work visas in any European country...and  since Spain is full of British citizens...I doubt there is a need.

Answer 4

As a general rule a US citizen does need to show proof of return.   Unless (because you say you might be teaching) you have some type of residency status in Spain, then by showing that residency status, you would not need proof of return.

Answer 5

I see no reason why you can't come here on a one way ticket, but you say you are coming here to possibly work. You would need a work permit to do any work here.

Answer 6

the other responses were pretty good without my input..

Answer 7

Most all visitor / tourist visas require that you have a round trip ticket. Other wise they will think that you have no plans to return where you came from....