We use house-sitting as our R’n’R when travelling and mostly apply for sits when in country. That way we can truthfully say we are entering as tourists
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I had to look that up 
“An abbreviation used by the US Army meaning Rest and Recreation, Rest and Recuperation or Rest and Relaxation.”
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And I’m British! Sorry
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We use R&R in the British military too 
I’ve learnt a lot of abbreviations and expressions on forum. At the time «a bee in my bonnet» is the favorite. 
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Entry requirements are getting much harder all over. I was going to stay with my cousin, for a week, who is married to a Spaniard and lives in Spain. Because I wasn’t staying in a hotel or a home I owned in Spain, he was going to have to fill in a lengthy form, take it to the police station - not his local one, but one in the nearest city. In the end we decided it would be easier all round if I stayed in a local hotel. There are even more sticker rules coming in next year.
But I’m not going to risk having to cancel my holiday because someone says the wrong thing to Border Force.
?
Travelled all over the world and never come across that one.
Yes, in some countries it is advisable to book the first night in a hotel but they’re not usually interested in where you are going next. Tourists and visiting the sights work for us every time.
We arrived in Spain last week and didn’t get ask a thing. Walked through customs and immigration
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This is quite a sweeping statement, where are you getting your information from?
I have a UK passport. I fly within Europe regularly and have noticed no change at immigration.
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Did they ask you for proof of you reservation?
I don’t think anybody bothers with the invitation letter for just one week.
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From the UK Government Websites, and BBC. You may not have noticed it - yet, but…
These examples are for Spain but they will be for the Schengen area. This includes the ‘carta de invitation’ I referred to earlier:
More rules coming into force:
And a new rule that has just come in making hotels collect more data from you than just your passport details:
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I can’t see any differences in the first article from last year.
The second article, well, they have been threatening this since we voted to come out of the EU. And they will continue to threaten us with it. The problem is the waiting time and man power it would take to implement it.
The third article, to be honest, I’ve lost the will to live and haven’t read it properly. Do you honestly think the Government is going to check every single travellers data that enters and leaves their country or checks into hotels or hires a car? Let’s be realistic here. They immediately know when someone of interest arrives by scanning the passports. They have set up the names so when detected the red lights start flashing.
None of this is going to stop me travelling or meeting new animals and people. I’m very lucky. I travel as a couple. We are retired. We don’t look a threat to no one. And I know to only answer questions which are asked and keep my mouth shut the rest of the time. Yes, a bored immigration officer may ask more questions than normal or an over zealous newbie may want to rifle through my dirty undies. Let them, if it makes them happy.
Some people just like drama…….
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@Wavingfish Could you not have just given the address of where you were staying (your cousin) and their phone number - for further contact if necessary? What’s the difference wuth giving a hotel address when you are only staying one week as a tourist? What passport do you hold? Was a visa required for entry?
Sounds like something is missing in this story.
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Although we love petsitting and our full time travel lifestyle, we tend to do more traveling, visiting and touring in 2024 and into 2025/26. I’ve crossed many borders in the last 3 years, and as a US citizen, found the Canadian border to be the most thorough questioning process. If and when I book at sit for 2025, it will be last minute, and when I’m already in that particular country, which will avoid border crossing issues.
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Giving just an address and phone number is not acceptable from 2 December when entry rules changed. You need the correct form now as mentioned otherwise they can refuse you entry. The form has 42 pieces of information for the Spanish government on it.
Staying in a hotel means they are responsible for collecting the same info but can do it in days as opposed to the HO getting a letter of invitation via police and local government which can take 6-8 weeks and also the HO paying the 75 euro fee.
This is a new entry system changed from 2nd December. If stopped you are required now to present your hotel details or a letter of invitation your host will provide you that is stamped by the local police and government.
This depends on whether you have EU passport or not: Conditions for entry into Spain
@richten1 Wow! I hadn’t heard- thanks for the update!
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Just to be clear it is not the sitter entering the country that is liable but the HO could be fine thousands of Euro’s for not completing new paperwork.
This is a good article on the matter -
So many places to visit and spend money, maybe Spain will end up hurting itself if visitors start going elsewhere instead.
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