How I Applied for a Spain Schengen Visa in San Francisco – Steps

Spain Visa from the consulate of San Francisco

Spain happens to be one of the most visited countries in Europe. It received close to 1.6 million visa applications in 2016. Out of this, more than 1500 visas were applied from the Spain consulate in San Francisco, alone.

Spain Schengen Visa Statistics

As clear from the statistics given above, the visa rejection rate for Spain is quite high at an 8%.

Update : It is now mandatory to get COVID Insurance when you travel Abroad. Click the below link to get your COVID Insurance at cost price. 

Many of these rejections happened as the applicants didn’t go about the visa application process in the right way. That is why we have this guide in place to help you do things right. Follow this guide to increase your chances of Spain Schengen visa approval.

Spain Schengen Visa statistics from San Francisco

This guide is for people who are planning a short stay (< 90 days) in Spain. It explains clearly as for what you need to do to get your Spain Schengen visa request approved.

Update : It is now mandatory to get COVID Insurance when you travel Abroad. Click the below link to get your COVID Insurance at cost price. 

There are five steps involved in getting a Spain Schengen Visa from San Francisco and they are:

  • Finding out whether you actually need a Schengen visa to enter Spain
  • Do you need to apply from the Spanish consulate in San Francisco or any other city in the US?
  • Schedule an appointment for an interview at the Spanish consulate  ( Get Schengen visa appointment  for $ 10 )
  • Collect all the documents you’ll need at the time of your interview
  • Go for the interview and get your visa request processed

Here’s is a detailed explanation of each of the steps mentioned above.

Schengen Visa appointment

Do I need a Spain Schengen Visa?

Whether you need to apply for a short-stay visa at the Spanish consulate will depend on your nationality. If you’re a US passport holder, you will not need a visa for a short stay in Spain. However, if you’re a US permanent resident, you’ll need to visa to enter Spain.

Is the Spanish Consulate in San Francisco the right embassy from where I need to apply for my Spain Schengen Visa?

There are Spanish consular offices in almost all major cities of the US. Whether you need to apply from the Spanish consulate in San Francisco will depend on your permanent address in the US. You need to apply at the Spanish consulate in San Francisco if you’re a resident of the following jurisdictions:

  • Washington
  • Alaska
  • California
  • Nevada
  • Hawaii
  • Montana
  • Idaho
  • Wyoming and
  • Oregon

Do Green Card holders need a visa to enter Spain as a tourist?

Unfortunately yes. If you’re a Green Card holder or a US permanent resident, you’ll need to apply for a visa to enter Spain. Your permanent residency proof should have a validity of at least three months from your planned date of return from Spain.

What if I’m a B1/B2 visa holder?

You need to apply for your Spain visa from the country of your nationality. You can’t apply for your visa from the US.

I’ll be visiting France and Italy as well along with Spain. Do I need to apply for my Schengen visa at the Spanish Consulate?

You will need to apply at the Spanish consulate if the theme of your travel is Spain. This means you should be staying in Spain for the longest time. If you’re planning to stay in all the three countries for an equal duration, then you’ll need to apply at the consulate of the country from where you’re planning to enter the Schengen area.

The following image explains this better.

where-to-apply-for-Schengen-visa

How can I schedule my Spain Schengen visa interview appointment at the Spanish consulate in San Francisco?

You will need to book your appointment online and you can do it from the comfort of your home. Please note that the Spanish consulate in the US doesn’t allow walk-ins.

To book an appointment, visit the official website of the Spanish consulate in the US. Click here to enter the website.

Official Spanish consulate

Official spanish consulate website

On the world map, click on ‘North America‘. Once you click on North America, you’ll get redirected to a page with the map of North America zoomed in.

Zoom in further with the ‘+‘ sign given on the bottom-right. Make adjustments on the screen as required to find the consulates. Each ‘C‘ on the map represent the different Spanish consulates. You’ll find San Francisco on the left-hand side of the map.

Spanish consular website San Francisco

Click on ‘San Francisco‘. Once you do so, a dialogue box will show up with four options. Click on ‘Consulate en San Francisco‘ to get to the official Spanish consulate website for San Francisco.

Selection of San Francisco from map of North America

The page will look like the image given below.

Official Spanish consulate website in San Francisco

Translate the page into English and click on ‘Appointment‘ on the left.

Scheduling an appointment at the Spanish consulate in San Francisco

Scroll down to find the link for scheduling the appointment. Click here to proceed.

Scheduling an appointment

Link to book an appointment at the Spanish consulate in San Francisco

Once you click on the link, you will get to choose a date for the appointment.

Choosing date for interview at the Spanish consulate in San FranciscoChoose a date and a time depending on your availability. Once you choose the date and time, you’ll need to register on the website. For that, you’ll need to enter few details. Make sure that the details you enter here are 100% accurate.

New user registration at the San Francisco Spanish consulate website

Click on ‘Confirm‘ to get your booking confirmation. Take a printout of this and keep in handy.

You will receive an email confirmation that mentions all the details you entered along with the day and date.

Next, print the ‘Schengen Visa Application Form‘ and take its print out. You will need to carry the print out of a filled-in Schengen visa application form on the day of your interview. Ensure that you enter accurate details. It should match with what is present on your passport.

Documents required for Spain Schengen Visa

You’ll need to carry many documents on the date of your interview at the Spanish consulate in San Francisco. Make sure you have all the following documents in place before you head out for the interview:

  1. Original passport
  2. Printed Schengen Visa application form
  3. Photographs (one to be pasted on the application form)
  4. US Permanent Resident proof
  5. Hotel bookings
  6. Flight itinerary
  7. Schengen travel visa insurance
  8. A detailed cover letter
  9. Proof of financial sustenance
  10. Letter of employment or proof of self-employment (whichever is valid)
  11. Letter from university/college for students

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Here’s a brief explanation of each of the documents you need.

Passport: Carry your original passport to the interview. Applicants with passport copies will be rejected. The validity of passport should be at least three months from the date of your planned return from Spain.

US Permanent Residence Permit: You’ll also need to carry your US Permanent Residence permit to the interview. It validity should also be three months from the date of your planned return from Spain.

Photograph: Paste a recent passport-sized photograph on your Schengen visa application form. Forms with photographs stapled will be rejected.

Cover Letter: Make this detailed and include all your travel plans in it. Include your flight and accommodation details as well. Give the list of documents you’re submitting to the consulate as well.

Flight Itinerary: The consulate demands the flight itinerary to know about your exact return date.

Hotel Accommodation: Have your hotel bookings in place as well. This is the proof of the fact you have your stay sorted in Spain.

What is flight itinerary? Is it accepted by the Schengen consulate ?

Of course, in fact all the embassies mention the same. We have added links to the official visa pages which you can verify.

France Consulate

Your travel itinerary : you MUST BOOK your airline ticket but do not purchase until the visa has been approved.

Spain consulate

We recommend that you do not purchase travel tickets until your visa has been approved. On the other hand, you may provide us with a reservation, a planned itinerary or an online printout of a roundtrip ticket.

Netherland consulate

Travel reservation to and from schengen area, not a ticket. Note: Make travel reservation which you can cancel

Germany consulate

Flight (roundtrip)/travel reservations and full itinerary (if several Schengen States will be visited or if the trip covers several Schengen States and non-Schengen countries) with the name of passenger and one copy

Italy consulate

Round trip ticket/reservation, originating in this jurisdiction to Europe (and ultimately to Italy) and back, including internal entry and exit points of travel i.e. EURORAIL tickets, car rental, internal flights. The names on reservations have to reflect the names on passports.

We can provide you with flight itineraries which is accepted by not only for Schengen visa but for all visas. We have customers using the same flight itinerary for Malaysia visa, Singapore visa, India visa, UK visa etc.

In fact the European union visa requirements for visa states the same.

As per the official document,

Round trip reservation or itinerary with dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from Schengen state.Schengen authorities accept the itinerary when applying for the visa but request the original air ticket when visa is collected.

That is why we have 100% visa acceptance rate although some of our customer have been requested to provide “additional documents”,none of their visa has been rejected for providing fake documents.

With 80% of our customers being return customers or companies which process visas for their employees/clients, our approach is the best approach if you want to ensure the safety of your visa.

This is our orders screen for this month. Most of the orders have been placed by repeat customers.

travelvisabooking orders

The best part about our service is along with getting a flight reservation without payment, you can also get confirmed hotel bookings, personal cover letter, leave/no objection letter for your visa consulates.

Travel Insurance: Accidents don’t come with an invitation. Having a travel insurance will take care of all kinds of accidents. You need to have one in order to get your visa request processed.

Proof of sustenance: Unless you’re staying with friends/family, you’ll need to provide proof of your sustenance in Spain as well. This can be in the form of credit cards, bank balance statements, and travel cards.

Employment Documents: If you’re working in the US, bring your employment contract, leave permissions, and IT return documents. Self-employed people need to bring their company registration documents.

Why should I make flight and hotel bookings before my Spain Schengen visa gets approved?

Having flight itinerary and hotel booking increase the chances of your visa approval. However, you don’t need to make actual bookings. Opt for temporary bookings as all consulates accept these. We can get this done for you at affordable rates.

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Why should I take hotel and flight bookings from you?

Here at Travel Visa Bookings, we have processed millions of order. We offer temporary flight and hotel bookings that you can show at the Schengen consulates. This will increase the chances of your visa approval. And that is not all, we help plan your travel itinerary as well and write your cover lettre. We offer all these services at highly competitive rates.

What is the visa fee that I need to pay?

Schengen Visa Types and Costs

The visa cost depends on the length of your stay and the type of the visa you’re applying for.

Since you’re looking for the short-term visa, here’s the fee that you’ll need to pay. This is an all-inclusive charge that includes travel insurance and temporary bookings as well.

Cost of Schengen Short Stay visa

Can I schedule an appointment in person or via post?

No, you can’t. You have to make a booking for the appointment online.

What are the business hours of the Spanish Consulate in San Francisco?

The Spanish consulate is open from 9 AM to 1 PM for visa interviews. For visa pick-ups, you need to visit the consulate between 1 PM and 2 PM. The office is open from Monday – Friday.

Can I carry photocopies of my passport?

No, you have to bring your original passport to the interview.

I am traveling to Spain with my family. How many appointments do I need?

You will need to book an appointment for each of your family member, individually.

What if my relative in Spain is funding my trip?

In this case, your relative has to sign an official affidavit of support. Ask your relative to get hold of this document from one the alien offices in his or her city in Spain.

What if I am less than 18 years old?

Minors need a consent letter from their parents to travel to Spain. Carry photocopies of your both parents’ passport to the interview.

How will I know if my visa is ready?

The Spanish consulate in the US lets you check your visa application status online. Visit this website to know when your visa will be ready. When you submit your visa application at the consulate, you will receive a ticket. This ticket will give the instructions that you need to follow. Your unique reference number is below the barcode. You’ll need this number to know the status of your application.

How long does it take for the visa to get approved?

It shouldn’t take more than 2 weeks. However, in rare cases, it might be extended to 30 days as well. This usually happens when the consulate asks for additional documents from the applicants. So, it’s always better to apply for your visa early.

What will be the validity of my visa?

The validity of your visa will be for the days that you mention in your cover letter. That’s why it’s better to add 5-10 days to your itinerary. This will ensure that you don’t miss out on anything and visit all the places that you have planned to.

Spanish Consulate in San Francisco Information

Telephone:

+1 415-922-2995

Address:

1405 Sutter Street

San Francisco, CA 94109

United States

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