# Customs and Immigration in Madrid



## Maryanne Sea (Sep 21, 2011)

Hi,

My husband and I are moving to a France for a year and then hope to come to Spain.
We will be arriving in Madrid (our first point of entry in the European Union) and then going on to France.

I have two questions: 

I have been told by the French Embassy to make sure that
our passports are stamped with the date of entry in Madrid. Does anyone know what specific wording I am suppose to use when asking for this? In other words, is there a name for this date of entry stamp?

I need to bring quite a few nutritional supplements with me. I know bringing them into France will not be a problem. I wonder about Madrid.

I am planning to put them in plastic bags that can be sealed and have a label on the front stating the name of the supplement and the name of the doctor who recommended it. Plus I will have letters from doctors stating that these supplements are important.

Would anyone know if I am approaching this correctly?

Thank you so much,

Maryanne


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Maryanne Sea said:


> Hi,
> 
> My husband and I are moving to a France for a year and then hope to come to Spain.
> We will be arriving in Madrid (our first point of entry in the European Union) and then going on to France.
> ...


Hi

I don't know about the passport bit but someone will. In my experience coming IN to spain i have only ever even had to show my passport twice and they never check bags etc (going out is different of course). If your flight is coming from outside the EU then I guess it will be different but having said that I have travelled with tons of medication for my ex partner (i mean tons) including liquid drugs, needles and many other things that could not go in the hold because of temperature... I always carried a letter and when they were checked going out of the country and going into the uk this was always fine.

Anything in the hold will be fine (keep a copy of the letter with you and a copy in the hold with the drugs also incase they open it), if your stuff cannot go in the hold ask your doc to write this in the letter and the reason why and then you should be fine in the cabin. If liquid try to keep the bottles sealed to show they have not been tampered with).


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

I haven't had my passport stamped for years coming in and out of Spain, but I suppose if you ask specifically for them to stamp it they will.


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## Grimace (Mar 30, 2010)

Maryanne Sea, you'll definitely get stamped if you travel on a non-EU (e.g. Australian in your case?) passport. All non-EU passports get stamped with the date of entry and exit going in and out of the European Union. You don't have to ask for anything special. 

If France doesn't ban the substances in your supplements, you can all but guarantee Spain doesn't either. Plus you've got your bases covered with letters and doing everything above board. Spanish authorities in Madrid are keeping an eye out for the (literal) tonne and a half of cocaine that gets detected going through the airport more than for your supps.


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## Maryanne Sea (Sep 21, 2011)

Thank you very much for your reply. This is so helpful. I will make sure I have the letters translated into both Spanish and French.

Maryanne


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

Grimace said:


> If France doesn't ban the substances in your supplements, you can all but guarantee Spain doesn't either.


Not necessarily so.

Maryanne,
Although there are EU regulations about bringing foodstuffs, etc, into Spain (animal products in particular), customs regulations do vary from country to country. And Spanish custom regulations regarding some nutritional supplements are more strict than, for example, France.

It is quite difficult to find up to date links on this, but it appears that as long as you have documentation to prove that the nutritional supplements are for your personal use only, you should be ok. That does, however, assume that the guy you meet in customs is having a good day.

By the way, you say you are on your way to France and then hope to come to Spain again later. But once you are in Spain, it is quite difficult to legally obtain the delivery of nutritional supplements from outside the country. And particularly difficult to obtain any health products from outside the EU. So you will need to arrange for this first.
As far as I can tell, you need prior authorisation from Spanish customs for each and every supplement you may order, wherever it is shipped from outside of Spain.
(I know this, as I take anti osteoporosis supplements and have to order them when I'm in the UK and bring them back here to Spain for personal use, rather than going through a great deal of hassle and expense).


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## Maryanne Sea (Sep 21, 2011)

Again, this is such helpful information. I had no idea that I could not order supplements and have them delivered in Spain. It sounds as though the best thing is to follow your example:

a) purchase the supplements outside of Spain

b) bring them back in my luggage

c) have a letter from a doctor indicating that I need them and that they are for my own personal use.

OR

Could I assume that my sister, who is a US citizen, could visit me in Spain and bring them with her?

Thank you again for this help,

Maryanne


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

I don't know what supplements you are taking, but I'd be very surprised if they weren't available in Spain


I'm in the UK atm & needed to buy supplies, and have to admit they are a little cheaper here, although they are available in higher doses in Spain


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

Maryanne Sea said:


> Again, this is such helpful information. I had no idea that I could not order supplements and have them delivered in Spain.


Well you can, _in theory_, as long as you get that customs authorisation note first.
However, what you will find is that the majority of online suppliers (particularly from the US) and some high street health shops too, have little knowledge of Spanish customs rules. They just know its going to be difficult. So they simply refuse to ship to Spain, rather than go through the hassle.



Maryanne Sea said:


> It sounds as though the best thing is to follow your example:
> 
> a) purchase the supplements outside of Spain
> 
> ...


I cannot say what would be the best course of action for you. It will depend on circumstances, and whether you can find a Spanish doctor (or a doctor in the country you are travelling from) who will sign a form stating that these supplements are necessary.

Its all a bit of a dodgy area, so my giving any advice here could be considered a bit suspect (but having said that, people _do_ do this every day...). All I can say is its up to you how you handle this.

The problem is that travellers from outside the EU are subject to more customs declarations, so, given the worst case scenario, you or your sister could end up having a rather difficult time at customs.


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

Hi Maryann Sea
Definatly get a signed letter from a registered Medical practitioner that your nuitritional suppliments are essential.
I recently read this article and don't know whether it will effect you, but it is for the EU not just Spain.

All Therapeutic Supplements Banned In EU in April 2011 (2-18-2011) « Nutrientscure's Blog

The article does not specify any particular nuitritional suppliment, so maybe you can check it out more.


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## windwalker (Dec 21, 2009)

What kind of alternative practitioners are available in Spain? I also take certain high dose supplements for a particular condition. My functional medicine M.D. writes me a prescription once a year. I wouldn't want to have to return to the US every year to get a new prescription and supplements. 
Does Spain have naturopaths? or functional medicine specialists?
How about homeopaths?
Is it feasible to find a nearby country where they could be mailed, and maybe have a post office box there?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

windwalker said:


> What kind of alternative practitioners are available in Spain? I also take certain high dose supplements for a particular condition. My functional medicine M.D. writes me a prescription once a year. I wouldn't want to have to return to the US every year to get a new prescription and supplements.
> Does Spain have naturopaths? or functional medicine specialists?
> How about homeopaths?
> Is it feasible to find a nearby country where they could be mailed, and maybe have a post office box there?


It probably depends where you are, but there are all kinds of non traditional approaches available here, although I have to say I've never heard of functional medicine. Homeopathic medicine is usually available in chemist's on an order and next day delivery basis.


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## Brangus (May 1, 2010)

Solwriter said:


> But once you are in Spain, it is quite difficult to legally obtain the delivery of nutritional supplements from outside the country. And particularly difficult to obtain any health products from outside the EU. So you will need to arrange for this first.
> As far as I can tell, you need prior authorisation from Spanish customs for each and every supplement you may order, wherever it is shipped from outside of Spain.


I order supplements from iHerb in California approximately every 2 months. I also order some American supplements from a UK supplier. In 1.5 years of living in Spain, there have been no problems. iHerb does state that for some substances (such as melatonin), there are restrictions and that you are responsible for checking the rules for your particular country.

I have never heard of a prior authorization requirement for supplements. Parcels have always been sent via international airmail (no tracking available) and the customs declaration always clearly states that the contents are "nutritional supplements." My last two orders have arrived in about 10 days from iHerb, but in the past it has taken up to 3 weeks. I've never had anything withheld and never had to pay duty while living in Spain.

Elsewhere in the EU, I have sometimes had to pay duty if the item was sent via FedEx or DHL. Those items seem to get scrutinized more than regular parcel post. Yet I have always received my full orders.

Last summer I had a carry-on bag full of vitamins and minerals, flying from the U.S., changing planes in Amsterdam, and going through customs in Madrid. No one cared. I can't even recall walking through customs, as I was jetlagged and customs is so discreet these days....

However, the original poster lists her current location as Ecuador. A flight coming in from Latin America will likely draw more attention, so I agree that it would be wise to carry some documentation from a doctor and maybe the receipts.


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## Brangus (May 1, 2010)

windwalker said:


> What kind of alternative practitioners are available in Spain? I also take certain high dose supplements for a particular condition. My functional medicine M.D. writes me a prescription once a year. I wouldn't want to have to return to the US every year to get a new prescription and supplements.
> Does Spain have naturopaths? or functional medicine specialists?
> How about homeopaths?
> Is it feasible to find a nearby country where they could be mailed, and maybe have a post office box there?


Most medications are available without prescription in Spain. See my previous post regarding supplements from the U.S. And though I have not used their services myself, there are homeopaths, naturopaths and at least one orthomolecular "doctor" I've heard of (but probably not a true physician). I think homeopathy is more popular in nothern Europe, so certain expat enclaves might be more likely to have an expat homeopath who speaks English.

Some practitioners do internet consultations via Skype, so your location doesn't matter so much these days. I have heard of people in Asia "skyping" with American homeopaths, and Americans consulting "live" with Australians, etc.


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## windwalker (Dec 21, 2009)

Brangus said:


> Most medications are available without prescription in Spain. See my previous post regarding supplements from the U.S. And though I have not used their services myself, there are homeopaths, naturopaths and at least one orthomolecular "doctor" I've heard of (but probably not a true physician). I think homeopathy is more popular in nothern Europe, so certain expat enclaves might be more likely to have an expat homeopath who speaks English.


Orthomolecular physicians are similar to functional medicine docs in the US.


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