Bilbao Airport (BIO) is the main airport for Bilbao and the Basque Country, at Loiu in Biscay, north of the city over the hills. All flights use a single terminal, opened in 2000 and designed by Santiago Calatrava; its white, wing-like shape earned it the nickname "La Paloma", the Dove.
Flights from Spain and other Schengen countries arrive without passport checks. If you come from outside the Schengen area, including the UK, you queue at passport control. Bilbao is a mid-sized airport, so arrival is usually quick; after baggage claim you come out into the arrivals hall, where pre-booked drivers meet passengers.
Spain is on Central European Time (UTC+1) and switches to UTC+2 for daylight saving time from late March to late October. It uses the euro.
Requisitos de entrada y notas locales
Schengen entry. Spain is in the Schengen area. Non-EU travelers are registered in the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), fully operational since 10 April 2026; the planned ETIAS travel authorization is not yet in operation. Check the visa rules for your nationality before you fly.
Basque place names. Signs are in Basque and Spanish, so San Sebastián also appears as Donostia and Vitoria as Gasteiz; either name works when you book.
Old town addresses. The Casco Viejo is largely pedestrian, so give your full address; your driver stops at the nearest point a car can reach.
Euro and cards. Spain uses the euro, and cards and contactless payments are widely accepted.