Spain visa or Spain Schengen visa is in great demand among tourists who plan to visit Europe since Spain has beautiful sunny climate and post COVID, it is one of the top destinations for tourists visiting Europe. But before you travel you need to get a Spain Schengen visa.
This article explains how I got my Spain Schengen visa approved in 7 days along with new requirements post pandemic along sample templates and documents to help you get your visa easily.
Information about Spain Visa
Spain is part of the 26 Schengen countries in the European Union which means that if you have a valid visa from any of these countries you are free to travel to Spain. This also means that you can travel to any of the Schengen countries if you have a Spain visa. This visa is generally called Schengen visa. This is a travellers dream since now with one visa you can freely travel to any of the Schengen countries along with Spain for a maximum period of 90 days.
See the full list of Schengen countries you can visit with a Schengen visa
But keep in mind that you are not guaranteed 90 days visa and your visa is generally only approved for the period you mention in your travel Itinerary or personal cover letter. I case you want an extra week of stay (within 90 days) then you can use temporary flight, hotel bookings for your visa application or get flight itinerary for visa using FlightGen App . My plan was to visit Spain & Portugal for 10 days and my visa was granted for 12 days only.
Do I need to get a visa to visit Spain ?
That would depend on your nationality and if your country has a schengen visa liberalisation agreement with the Schengen states then you do not need a visa.
List of countries that do not need a Schengen visa
On the other hand, if you are a citizen from the list of countries that need a Spain Schengen visa, then you need to apply for a visa with either, BLSS, VFS or directly at the consulate depending on where you are currently staying.
Where to apply for your visa ?
This question can a bit tricky since If you are visiting both Spain and Italy, then where should I apply for my Schengen visa ? The answer depends on your travel Itinerary
You should always apply for your Schengen visa with the consulate in which you will spend the maximum number of days of your trip. If you are spending equal number of days in both the countries, then you need to apply with the consulate which you will enter first.
What are the types of Spain Schengen visa ?
There are several types of Spain Schengen visa depending on your purpose of visit to Spain.
These can be among:
- Spain Schengen Tourist visa : If you are planning to visit for holidays or general sightseeing.
- Spain Schengen visitor visa : If you are visiting friends, family or relatives. This can include attending a wedding, visiting someone ill or any other family related event.
- Spain Business Visa : to engage in business activities such as meetings, deals or training.
- Spain Study visa : If you wish to attend a course or study related event, this is restricted to a maximum of 3 months of stay.
- Spanish Visa for Cultural, Sports, and Film Crews : If you want to watch a football match, make movies or in general help with shooting the film
These are generally called Schengen short stay visa with which you can stay in Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days.
Documents Required to process Spain Schengen visa
The documents needed for Spain schengen visa needs to prove 3 important things, proof of identity (passport, civil status proof, ), proof of purpose (travel itinerary, invitation letter etc) & proof of sustenance (bank balance, credit cards)
Irrespective of the type of short stay visa you apply, these are the common documents for all Schengen short stay visas.
In summary the minimum documents you need for Schengen visa are:
- Schengen visa application form
- Covid Vaccination Certificate
- Two Photographs as per Schengen visa specifications
- Passport
- Travel Itinerary
- RoundTrip Flight Itinerary
- Travel Insurance
- Proof of accommodation
- Proof of Sustenance
- Proof of civil status
Apart from these documents you will need to provide additional ones depending on the type of visa you are applying for.
We have explained documents requirements in detail below
COVID Vaccination Certificate : Post pandemic a vaccination certificate is needed document by default for all visas. In addition getting a covid approved travel insurance also is mandatory.
Spain schengen visa application form : This must be duly filled with all the fields and must use a blue ink to fill it. Some embassies have electronic version of the Schengen visa form which you can fill and download your form and sign it. you can download a sample of a fully filled Schengen visa application form here. we have explained all the fields you need fill here.
Two Photographs : You need to submit 2 recent photographs as per Schengen visa photo specifications.
Passport: Must have minimum 2 empty pages & be valid for atleast 3 months from the date you leave the Schengen area
Travel itinerary (cover letter) : Also called, personal cover letter or invitation letter, this is the first document that the consulate reads and it gives them the information they need to either approve / disapprove your visa. So spend as much time as you can on this.
Make your cover letter for Schengen visa in 5 minutes using AI using BlinkDocs App
Schengen approved Travel Insurance : As of 2022, this insurance must cover COVID and also provide medical coverage of atleast $50,000 & repatriation of about 1 million . Also the insurance must be 0 deductible. You can buy your insurance below.
It is now mandatory to get COVID related travel insurance for visa application. Get your travel insurance at just $1 per day with visitorscoverage.com
RoundTrip Flight Itinerary : You will need to submit a probable flight route (actual ticket is not necessary) called as a flight itinerary. I got my Flight itinerary for visa using FlightGen app.
Get Flight itinerary for your visa with FlightGen app within 30 seconds. You can create unlimited itineraries from just $10.99
You can download flight itinerary app for both IOS or Android phones.
Proof of accommodation: Either hotel bookings or if you are staying with someone, then their address and details. You can get flight itinerary, travel insurance & proof of accommodation from us here.
Proof of sustenance: This is how much money do you have for this trip ? You need to show proofs of how you are going to fund your trip, this is generally bank statements or credit cards. On average you must have a minimum of €900 and at least €100 per day of stay. This is after your flights & hotels are booked. If you do not have this sum then you can use our service to make temporary bookings.
Proof of civil status : your work, marriage or birth certificate in case of children.
Of course this is not the full list as depending on each individual applicant there are additional documents that are to be submitted.
* Employment contract
* Copy of latest bank statements of atleast 6 months. These needs to be signed by the bank.
* Leave approval letter from your company.
* Income tax Returns (ITR ) forms.
* A copy of your business registration like Tax or Company TIN or PAN
* Copy of latest bank statements of atleast 6 months. These needs to be signed by the bank.
* Latest Income tax Proofs (ITR)
* Proof of Enrollment
* No objection certificate from School or college.
* A copy of your pension order for last 6 months
* Bank statements signed by the bank.
* Proof of regular income generated by the property, for the last 6 months
* Birth certificate of the minor travelling to Spain.
* Spain Visa application form signed by both parents.
* Family court order. In cases where only one parent has full custody of the child.
* Certified copies of ID/passport of both parents
* Consent from the Guardianship Authority. If the minor will be travelling with only one parent, or alone with another person.
Of course we are not done with the documentation yet. Along with these documents there are some additional documents that depend on your visa type choose your visa type to know more:
* Spain Tourist visa documents
* Spain Visitor visa documents
* Spain Airport Transit visa documents
* Spain Transit visa documents
* Spain Student/study Visa documents
* Spain Business visa documents
* Spain medical visa documents
* Spain Cultural/sports/film visa
* Spain Spouse/dependent visa
* Spain Official visa documents
How I got my Schengen visa in 7 days
Now that you know all about the visa this is the exact steps that I followed to get my visa on time. Follow them in order
Steps on How to apply for Schengen visa:
- Get Schengen appointment : This is the first and most important step since appointment slots fill fast. Also we have an article to do when there is no Schengen visa appointment available.
- Collate all the documents : Make sure your documents are in order and follow the checklist. Here is a sample checklist, but download one from your jurisdiction.
- Fill Application from : Make sure that you have filled the Schengen visa from completely, if you are unsure you can take visa service from experts.
- Keep soft copies handy: I had missed one of the documents but was able to get a print out at the VFS center ($10 per copy !) using my phone.
- Be on time: Reach the consulate of VAC on time.
Mainly all my documents was either outsourced or I got help from visa experts to get my visa on time.
How much does the Spain visa cost?
The fee for Schengen visa is € 80 for adults and €40 for kids over age of 6 . Children below 6 can apply for Schengen visa for free If you are applying with VFS or BLSS, then there is a processing fee of €20 that you will need to pay with VFS or BLSS
But there are other alternate costs for Schengen visa especially if you do not want to make flight & hotel bookings in advance since you are not guaranteed of visa. Below is our total cost for Spain Schengen visa
On top of this if you have no schengen visa appointment then that too will cost you additional fees.
What questions might be asked during my Spain visa interview?
- Who will pay for your visit?
- Are you married? If yes, what does your spouse do? For how long have been married?
- Do you have any children? If yes, how old are they, what do they do and where are they?
- Do you have any close family or friends in the Schengen area.? If yes, when did you meet the last time?
- Where do you stay?
- What is your educational qualification?
- How will you travel from one place to another?
- How do you guarantee me that you will come back?
- Which company do you work for?
- What does your company do?
- What is your profession?
- What is your role in the company?
- How many years of total experience you have?
- For how long are you employed with your current employer?
- For how long were you employed with your previous employer?
- Could you please show me your company profile and tax returns?
- How many employees are there in your company?
- Explain your current project to me.
Do US permanent Residents need a visa to visit Spain?
Yes, Is it compulsory to get a Spain Schengen Visa for US permanent residents to visit Spain.
How to apply for visa from UK?
Follow simple steps to get your Spain Schengen visa from London. Likewise, you can follow the steps to apply for Spain Schengen Visa from Edinburgh.
Where and How to Apply in Toronto, Canada?
If you are resided in Canada and planning to visit Spain, then you need to apply for a Spain Schengen visa from Canada.
How long does it take to get my Spain visa?
It usually takes about a week. But it depends on how busy the consulate is so it is better to apply for a visa at least one month in advance