SPAIN VISA APPLICATION AND ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Spain is the second-largest country in the European Union by territory, with an area of 505,990 km2. It is officially known as the Kingdom of Spain and is located mostly on the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. 46,710,000 people live in Spain and speak Spanish as their official language. The tourism industry here is the second-largest tourism industry in the world. Spain benefits around 40 billion each year from it. Some of the most famous Spanish cities are Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia etc.

Spain Entry Requirements

• All persons entering Spain through land, sea or air need to present at least one document to the border police. What document(s) you will need to carry with you when you travel to Spain all depends on your nationality.
  
• If you are a traveller from one of the EU/EAA countries, all you need to carry with you is a valid personal identity card or passport.
•  However, if you are a non-EU/EEA traveller, you will need to present several documents to the border police when you show up at the Spanish port of entry. These documents are as follows:
• A valid passport or travel document. Valid for at least three more months beyond your planned date of exit from Schengen and issued within the last ten years.
• A visa – if you are subject to the Spanish visa regime.
• Proof of accommodation. A document that shows where you will be staying during your time in Spain.
• A return or round-trip ticket. Or proof of onward travel if you do not plan to return to your home country upon the end of your stay in Spain.
• Documents proving your purpose of entry.

What Type of Visa Do I Need to Enter Spain?

• If you are planning to visit Spain for a short stay trip (up to 90 days), then you have to apply for a Schengen short-stay visa to Spain, also known as a C-type visa. Depending on your purpose of entry to Spain, you can get one of the following Schengen visa types for Spain:
  
• Austrian Airport Visa – for those who need to transit through one of the Austrian airports, to reach their travel destination country outside the Schengen Area.
• Spanish Tourist Visa – for those wishing to visit Spain for holidays or sightseeing.
• Spanish Visitor Visa – for travellers who want to visit friends or family members residing in Spain.
• Spanish Business Visa – for business people who need to attend business-related activities in Spain.
• Spanish Visa for Official Visit – for Official Delegations coming to Spain on an official trip.
• Spanish Medical Visa – for people seeking medical treatment in Spain.
•  Spanish Study Visa –for students that wish to attend a course for up to three months at an educational institution in Spain.
  
•  Spanish Visa for Cultural, Sports, and Film Crews – for people wishing to attend an activity in Spain that belongs to this nature.

What Documents Are Required for a Spain Schengen Visa Application?

The Spanish embassy/consulate in your country of residence wants you to prove your identity, background and purpose of entry to Spain. You will need to do so by submitting several required documents for a Spanish Visa.The mandatory Spain visa requirements are as follows:

• Spanish visa application form. Fulfil the form with your computer, print it and then sign it at the end.
• Two passport photos. The photos should be of passport format – a recent whole-face capture with a light background. Learn more about photograph requirements for Spanish visa applications.  Your valid passport.
• Make sure your passport meets the following criteria:
• It has two blank pages in order to affix a visa,
  
• It is not older than ten years,
  
• It has a validity of at least three more months beyond the date you plan to leave Spain and the whole territory of Schengen.
  
• Copies of:
•  all the pages of the travel passport.
  
• your previous visas.
  
• other valid or expired travel passports.
  
• all the pages of other valid or expired travel passports

Spain Travel Health Insurance

Prior to your visa application, you should obtain travel health insurance for the whole territory of Spain and all the other Schengen states. Your insurance must cover medical emergencies with a minimum of 30,000€, including repatriation in case of death.  Health insurance policies for foreigners travelling to Spain that fulfil Spanish visa & entry requirements can be purchased online from Europe Assistance or MondialCare. Both companies are accepted by Spanish authorities.

• Round-trip Flight Itinerary. A document that shows you have a booked flight to enter and leave Spain. This document should specify flight numbers, dates, and your details.
• Proof of accommodation. I.e. a hotel reservation. (Check Booking.com or Hotels Combined to find cheap hotels in Spain!)
• Proof of sufficient financial means. A foreigner who seeks to enter the territory of Spain needs to attest owning at least 100€/day, with a minimum of €900 per person regardless of the intended duration of the stay.
• A cover letter. A personal letter in which you explain why you are applying to visit Spain, how long you plan to stay, when will you leave and other details. (Click to find cover letter samples for Spanish visa applications)
• Proof of civil status. This could be a marriage certificate, birth certificate of children, death certificate of spouse, etc.
  Spain Business Visa Requirements
• You should apply for a Spanish Visitor Visa if the purpose of your trip to Spain is to attend a business meeting or other business-related activities in this country.

 Required Documents for a Business Schengen Visa to Spain
 When applying to obtain a Spanish Business visa, you must provide the following additional documents:

• A letter from your employer. In this letter should be stated why you will be travelling to Spain.
• Invitation from a Spanish company indicating the purpose and period of the stay, activities of the company and personal data of the guest (name, nationality, passport number, etc.). The invitation must be signed either by the commercial director, exports director or CEO of the hosting company and should state the assumption of costs by the company if necessary.
• Accreditation of ongoing commercial relationship with the hosting company, in case of successive invitations on behalf of the same person (older invitations from the same person or organization).
• Copy of the identity document of the person who signs the invitation letter.
• Proof of trip financing. Regarding the applicant’s expenses during their stay in Spain, either the employer or the partner company must state coverage of expenses on the letter or invitation.

Spain Tourist Visa Requirements

If your purpose of visiting Spain is for holidays, exploring or sightseeing, then you should apply for a Spain Tourist visa before travelling to the country. When applying to obtain a Spanish Tourist visa, you must provide the following additional documents:

• Travel Itinerary. A description of your trip day-to-day, what you will be doing in Spain, places you plan to visit, where you will be staying, as well as the entry and leave dates.
• Proof of how you will be financing your trip to Spain.
• Spain Visa for Official Visit Requirements. If you are planning to enter Spain as a member of a foreign Official Delegation invited for an official visit representing a government, organization or institution, then you need to apply for a Spain Visa for Official Visits.
• Spanish Schengen Visa for Members of Official Delegations. When applying to get a Spanish visa as a member of an official delegation, you must provide the following additional documents:
• The official invitation copy.
• Evidence about the purpose of the journey (negotiations, meetings, events by intergovernmental organizations, consultations).

How to Apply for a Spanish Short-Stay Visa?

 To successfully complete the application process for a short-stay visa to Spain, follow the steps listed below in the given order, according to their instructions:

• Decide what visa type you need. Check the explanation given above for each visa type for short stays in Spain, and apply for the one that fits best your purpose of entry.
• Figure out where to apply for a Spain visa. You will have to submit your Spain visa application to the relevant body responsible for the admission of applications. Below you can find an explanation of this.
• Complete the application form for a Spanish short-stay visa.
• Collect the requirements for a Spanish visa. Gather all of the required documents, the statutory ones, and the visa specific requirements according to your purpose of entry.
• Appoint a visa interview.
• Attend the interview at the appropriate Spanish Embassy/Consulate/VAC.
  

Where to Apply for a Spanish Short-Stay Visa?

Depending on how the Spanish authorities in your country of residence have regulated visa submission, you will have to apply at one of the following Spain diplomatic bodies in your home country:

• The Spanish Embassy
  
• A Spanish consulate
  
• A Visa Application Center to which Spain has outsourced visa submission
  
• The Embassy / Consulate of another Schengen country to which Spain has outsourced visa submission
  Source: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/spain/visa/