Gibraltar travel guide

Travel Advice

Before you travel

No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to: 

• see general advice for women travellers
• read our guide on disability and travel abroad
• see general advice for LGBT+ travellers
• read about safety for solo and independent travel
• see advice on volunteering and adventure travel abroad

Travel insurance

If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.

About FCDO travel advice

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.

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This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of the current rules for the most common types of travel.

The authorities in Gibraltar are responsible for immigration and entry into Gibraltar. From 15 July 2026, the UK-EU Agreement in respect of Gibraltar will provisionally apply, and Gibraltar’s entry conditions for short-stay visitors will formally align with Schengen requirements.

If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the Gibraltar Borders and Coastguard Agency.

Passport validity requirements

To enter Gibraltar, your passport must have been issued within the previous 10 years and its validity must extend for at least 3 months after the day you intend to leave Gibraltar or the Schengen Area.

Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.    

You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.

Visa requirements  

British nationals do not need a visa to enter Gibraltar for up to 90 days, whether for tourism, business or study. This 90-day limit applies in any 180-day period. Any time you spend in Gibraltar will count alongside time spent in the Schengen Area towards this limit.

For further information on visas and entry, see the Gibraltar Borders and Coastguard Agency.

Checks at Joshua Hassan Gibraltar International Airport

On arrival at Joshua Hassan Gibraltar International Airport, you should expect two sets of checks which will satisfy entry into Gibraltar and the Schengen Area:

• Gibraltar entry immigration controls performed by the Gibraltar authorities

• Schengen entry immigration controls performed by the Spanish authorities as the authorities of the neighbouring Schengen State

This includes registration under the Entry/Exit System (EES) where it applies. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will also apply once it is operational. Once you have cleared these checks, you can move freely across the land border from Gibraltar into Spain and the wider Schengen Area.

The Borders and Coastguard Agency has up-to-date information on flights arriving and departing at Joshua Hassan Gibraltar International Airport.

Dual nationals

If you are a British–Irish dual national and travel on your Irish passport, you will be treated as an EU citizen on entry to Gibraltar and the Schengen Area. You will not be subject to the 90 day limits, EES or ETIAS. If you travel on your British passport, the conditions above apply. 

Staying longer than 90 days

If you intend to stay in Gibraltar for longer than 90 days, you are required to register your presence with HM Government of Gibraltar’s Department of Immigration and Home Affairs (DIHA), the authority responsible under the immigration laws of Gibraltar.

Travelling with children

If you’re travelling with children aged 17 or under who are not your own, you should carry signed letters of parental consent in case asked to provide them to law enforcement agencies. This also applies to children travelling alone, or children travelling with adults other than their legal guardian (for example, teachers and students on school trips).

Vaccine requirements

For details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Gibraltar guide.

Customs rules

Customs rules for Gibraltar will change with effect from 15 July 2026, following the provisional application of  the UK-EU Agreement in respect of Gibraltar. Gibraltar will form a bespoke customs model with the EU in order to avoid customs checks on people crossing the land border with goods. This means you will also need to declare certain  goods to customs officers on arrival at Gibraltar airport. Further information, including on customs allowances, can be found on the Treaty - Government of Gibraltar pages, or contact HM Customs Gibraltar via email: ncts@hmcustoms.gov.gi.

Terrorism  

There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.  

UK Counter Terrorism Policing has information and advice on staying safe abroad and what to do in the event of a terrorist attack. Find out how to reduce your risk from terrorism while abroad.

Terrorism in Gibraltar

Although there’s no recent history of terrorism in Gibraltar, attacks cannot be ruled out.

Crime

Violence and street crime are rare, but you should take sensible precautions to protect your belongings.

Laws and cultural differences

Alcohol and drug laws   

The laws of Gibraltar are similar to UK laws for alcohol, drugs and anti-social behaviour.

LGBT+ travellers

Same-sex sexual activity is legal. There is an active LGBT+ community, but due to the small size of Gibraltar, there are few places which are exclusively LGBT+ orientated. 

Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers. 

Money

Pounds sterling is the currency in Gibraltar. Bank of England-issued notes and UK coins are accepted and are mixed with locally-issued notes and coins of the same value in pounds and pence.

Some businesses accept euros, but check the exchange rate offered. Notes issued in Scotland or Northern Ireland are not usually accepted in Gibraltar.

Gibraltar-issued notes and coins are not usually accepted in the UK.

Transport risks 

Road travel  

You can drive in Gibraltar with a UK driving licence.     

If you are planning to drive, see information on driving abroad and check the regulations and laws that apply to Gibraltar’s roads and road users.

If you’re planning to drive in Spain or Portugal, check the requirements in those countries.

Before you travel check that:

• your destination can provide the healthcare you may need
• you have appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation

This is particularly important if you have a health condition or are pregnant.

Emergency medical number

Call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Contact your insurance company quickly if you’re referred to a medical facility for treatment.

Vaccine recommendations and health risks

At least 8 weeks before your trip check:

• the latest information on vaccinations and health risks in TravelHealthPro’s Gibraltar guide
• where to get vaccines and whether you have to pay on the NHS travel vaccinations page

See what health risks you’ll face in Gibraltar.

Medication

The legal status and regulation of some medicines prescribed or bought in the UK can be different in other countries.

Read best practice when travelling with medicines on TravelHealthPro.

For information on the legal status of a specific medicine, contact HM Customs Gibraltar.

Healthcare in Gibraltar

Most medical problems can be dealt with locally. The only hospital is St Bernard’s at Europort.

British nationals who live in the UK can get emergency treatment in Gibraltar by presenting a British passport. However, for some emergency treatment you may be transferred to Spain.

For this reason, you need to bring a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

The NHS’s getting healthcare abroad webpage has details about:

• how to apply for a GHIC
• how to get temporary cover if you lose your card or it does not arrive in time
• who qualifies for a new EHIC instead of a GHIC
• what treatment counts as medically necessary

A GHIC or EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. You may have costs your GHIC or EHIC does not cover, including:

• changes to travel and accommodation bookings
• additional standard costs for treatment
• medical repatriation to the UK
• treatment that is ruled non-urgent
• private healthcare
• private clinics

Travel and mental health

Read FCDO guidance on travel and mental health. There is also mental health guidance on TravelHealthPro.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) cannot provide tailored advice for individual trips. Read this travel advice and carry out your own research before deciding whether to travel.

Emergency services in Gibraltar

Telephone: 999 (ambulance, fire, police)

Contact your travel provider and insurer

Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.

Refunds and changes to travel

For refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.

Find out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:

• where to get advice if you are in a dispute with a provider
• how to access previous versions of travel advice to support a claim

Support from the Gibraltar government     

If you are in Gibraltar and you need emergency help, contact the relevant Gibraltar government department.

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