Gibraltar travel guide

Travel Advice

It is more important than ever to get travel insurance and check it provides sufficient cover. See the FCDO’s guidance on foreign travel insurance.

Most visits to Gibraltar are trouble-free. Violence and street crime are rare. See Crime

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory. There’s no formal British consular representation in Gibraltar and the local authorities deal with all requests for consular assistance. See Consular assistance

The Government of Gibraltar has issued some press releases with guidance on Brexit

You must hold a valid passport to enter Gibraltar. See Passport validity

Gibraltar is not part of the EU Common Customs Union. The amount of some goods (e.g. tobacco and alcohol) that you can take into and out of Gibraltar is limited. See Customs

Although there’s no recent history of terrorism in Gibraltar, attacks can’t be ruled out. See Terrorism

If you need to contact the emergency services call 199 (police) or 190 (ambulance and fire).

Coronavirus travel health

Check the latest information on risk from COVID-19 for Gibraltar on the TravelHealthPro website.

See the TravelHealthPro website for further advice on travel abroad and reducing the spread of respiratory viruses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Entry and borders

See Entry requirements to find out what you will need to do when you arrive in Gibraltar. There are currently no COVID-19 testing requirements to enter Gibraltar.

Be prepared for your plans to change

No travel is risk-free during COVID-19. Countries may further restrict travel or bring in new rules at short notice, for example due to a new COVID-19 variant. Check with your travel company or airline for any transport changes which may delay your journey home.

Plan ahead and make sure you:

• can access money
• understand what your insurance will cover
• can make arrangements to extend your stay and be away for longer than planned

Public places and services

There are currently no COVID-19 restrictions in Gibraltar, apart from the requirement to wear masks in the Gibraltar Health Authority Primary Care Centre and in clinical areas of Saint Bernard’s Hospital .

Health

Your emotional and mental wellbeing is important. Read guidance on how to look after your mental wellbeing and mental health

View Health for further details on healthcare in Gibraltar.

Testing positive for COVID-19 while in Gibraltar

There is no current legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive for COVID-19 while you are in Gibraltar. However, the advice of the Government of Gibraltar remains to isolate until you have a negative test, and to limit interactions with others.

If you test positive for COVID-19 you must not attend any Gibraltar Health Authority site, or visit any Elderly Residential Services or Care Agency premises until 5 days after the initial positive test and you have received a negative test.

Finance

For information on financial support you can access whilst abroad, visit our financial assistance guidance.

Further information

If you need urgent consular assistance, contact your nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate. All telephone numbers are available 24/7.

Crime

Violence and street crime are rare. However, there have been reports of people walking between La Linea (Spain) and Gibraltar at night being attacked and robbed.

Road travel

You can drive in Gibraltar with a UK driving licence. More information on road traffic rules is available on the Government of Gibraltar website.

See the AA guide on driving in Gibraltar.

Consular assistance

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory so it does not have formal British consular representation. Assistance for British nationals is delivered by HM Government of Gibraltar Civil Status and Registration Office in relation to passports, deaths, births, marriages and other notarial services.

• Victims of crime should contact the Royal Gibraltar Police on + (350) 200 72500
• For birth and death registration enquiries, call + (350) 200 78303
• For marriage bookings and information on marriage requirements in Gibraltar, call + (350) 200 72289 or email marriages.csro@gibraltar.gov.gi
• For visa information, call + (350) 200 51726 or email visa.csro@gibraltar.gov.gi
• For passport information, call + (350) 200 51725, 51727 or 51728, or email passports.csro@gibraltar.gov.gi
• For immigration information, call + (350) 200 51725 or 59832, or email immigration.csro@gibraltar.gov.gi

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

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. You should remain vigilant 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.

There is a low tolerance of any alcohol or drug-related crime (e.g. being drunk in a public place).

Attitudes towards LGBT people are generally tolerant in Gibraltar. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Gibraltar since December 2016. There is an active gay community, but given the small size of Gibraltar there are few places which are exclusively LGBT orientated. See our information and advice page for the LGBT community before you travel.

This page reflects the UK government’s understanding of current rules for people travelling on a full ‘British Citizen’ passport from the UK, for the most common types of travel.

The authorities in Gibraltar set and enforce entry rules. If you’re unsure how Gibraltar’s entry requirements apply to you, contact its UK embassy, high commission or consulate.

All travellers

See the Gibraltar Tourist Board website for full details of entry requirements to Gibraltar.

If you’re transiting through Gibraltar

The Gibraltar-Spain border is a busy external Schengen Border and Gibraltar is outside the Customs Union. There are rules on taking food and drink into the EU, which apply when crossing the border from Gibraltar to Spain. See the Spain travel advice page for details.

Entry restrictions apply for travel to Spain. If you are crossing the land border from Gibraltar into Spain you should refer to the Spain travel advice page for the latest entry requirements.

Children under the age of 18 years may be asked to show signed letters of parental consent when crossing into Spain. This applies to unaccompanied children, or children accompanied by adults other than their legal guardian (for example, teachers and students on school trips).

You can find up to date information on waiting times at the border on the Gibraltar Borders & Coastguard Agency website.

Information on the queue is also available by calling +(350) 200 42777, or checking the Gibraltar Frontier website and/or Twitter hashtag #GibFrontier.

Exemptions

There are no exemptions to the entry requirements to Gibraltar for air passengers.

Check your passport and travel documents before you travel

Passport validity

You must hold a valid passport to enter Gibraltar. Your passport must be valid for the proposed duration of your stay. No additional period of validity beyond this is required.

Visas

British nationals don’t need a visa to enter Gibraltar.

For further information on entry requirements, check the website of HM Government of Gibraltar.

Customs

Gibraltar is not part of the EU Common Customs Union. The amount of some goods (e.g. tobacco and alcohol) that you can take into and out of Gibraltar is limited.

Check the Gibraltar Customs website for more information on duty free allowances when arriving in Gibraltar.

If you regularly enter or return to Gibraltar (more than once per calendar month), you are not entitled to duty free imports.

If you travel to Spain from Gibraltar, you should declare any duty free goods to Spanish customs officers.

If you are returning directly to the UK from Gibraltar, see information on bringing goods into the UK.

If you have a health condition, or you are pregnant, you may need specialist healthcare abroad. Check whether your destination country can provide the healthcare you may need and ensure you have appropriate travel insurance for unexpected medical evacuation or local treatment.’

At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the latest country-specific health advice from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) on the TravelHealthPro website. Each country-specific page has information on vaccine recommendations, any current health risks or outbreaks, and factsheets with information on staying healthy abroad. Guidance is also available from NHS (Scotland) on the FitForTravel website.

General information on travel vaccinations and a travel health checklist is available on the NHS website. You may then wish to contact your health adviser or pharmacy for advice on other preventive measures and managing any pre-existing medical conditions while you’re abroad.

The legal status and regulation of some medicines prescribed or purchased in the UK can be different in other countries. If you’re travelling with prescription or over-the-counter medicine, read this guidance from NaTHNaC on best practice when travelling with medicines. For further information on the legal status of a specific medicine, you should contact HM Customs Gibraltar.

While travel can be enjoyable, it can sometimes be challenging. There are clear links between mental and physical health, so looking after yourself during travel and when abroad is important. Information on travelling with mental health conditions is available in our guidance page. Further information is also available from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC).

Local medical care

Most medical problems can be dealt with locally. The main hospital is St Bernard’s at Europort (telephone: +350 200 79700).

If you’re a British national living in the UK, you can get emergency treatment in Gibraltar by presenting your British passport. However, as some emergency treatment may require transfer to Spain, you should get a free UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. If you already have an EHIC it will still be valid as long as it remains in date.

The GHIC or EHIC entitles you to state-provided medical treatment that may become necessary during your trip. Any treatment provided is on the same terms as Spanish nationals. A EHIC or GHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance and you should have both before you travel. You will not be covered for medical repatriation, on-going medical treatment or non-urgent treatment. Read more about what your travel insurance should cover.

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.

Notes issued in Scotland or Northern Ireland are not usually accepted in Gibraltar, and Gibraltar issued notes and coins are not usually accepted in the UK.

Some businesses accept euros, although exchange rates may not necessarily be favourable. Change is normally given in Sterling.

UK debit cards and all major credit cards are widely accepted in Gibraltar.

Foreign travel checklist

Read our foreign travel checklist to help you plan for your trip abroad and stay safe while you’re there.

Travel safety

The FCDO travel advice helps you make your own decisions about foreign travel. Your safety is our main concern, but we can’t provide tailored advice for individual trips. If you’re concerned about whether or not it’s safe for you to travel, you should read the travel advice for the country or territory you’re travelling to, together with information from other sources you’ve identified, before making your own decision on whether to travel. Only you can decide whether it’s safe for you to travel.

When we judge the level of risk to British nationals in a particular place has become unacceptably high, we’ll state on the travel advice page for that country or territory that we advise against all or all but essential travel. Read more about how the FCDO assesses and categorises risk in foreign travel advice.

Our crisis overseas page suggests additional things you can do before and during foreign travel to help you stay safe.

Refunds and cancellations

If you wish to cancel or change a holiday that you’ve booked, you should contact your travel company. The question of refunds and cancellations is a matter for you and your travel company. Travel companies make their own decisions about whether or not to offer customers a refund. Many of them use our travel advice to help them reach these decisions, but we do not instruct travel companies on when they can or can’t offer a refund to their customers.

For more information about your rights if you wish to cancel a holiday, visit the Citizen’s Advice Bureau website. For help resolving problems with a flight booking, visit the website of the Civil Aviation Authority. For questions about travel insurance, contact your insurance provider and if you’re not happy with their response, you can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Registering your travel details with us

We’re no longer asking people to register with us before travel. Our foreign travel checklist and crisis overseas page suggest things you can do before and during foreign travel to plan your trip and stay safe.

Previous versions of FCDO travel advice

If you’re looking for a previous version of the FCDO travel advice, visit the National Archives website. Versions prior to 2 September 2020 will be archived as FCO travel advice. If you can’t find the page you’re looking for there, send the Travel Advice team a request.

Further help

If you’re a British national and you have a question about travelling abroad that isn’t covered in our foreign travel advice or elsewhere on GOV.UK, you can submit an enquiry, or contact us on Twitter or Facebook. We’re not able to provide tailored advice for specific trips.’