Spain is one of the world’s top tourist destinations, but if you live outside the E.U. you need to know the Schengen Visa Requirements for Spain before booking your ticket to the land of sun, salsa and tapas.
Spain doesn’t welcome over 68 million tourists a year for no reason; its warm and friendly people, high fashion culture, amazing variety of food, and not to mention its incredible cultural and natural diversity. From the mountains of Northern Spain to the beaches in the South; Spain has something for everyone, at any time.
If you are a citizen of a country outside the E.U., chances are you have to apply for a Schengen visa in advance in order to visit Spain, as Spain is a part of the Schengen member states (the Schengen member states must not be confused with the E.U. member countries, as they differ, despite being almost the same. Read about the differences here.)
The first topic on your agenda for Schengen visa requirements for Spain is the Schengen travel insurance. A lot of travelers assume that any insurance will suffice, but this is wrong and may cause delays in your visa application process. The Schengen travel insurance has to comply with three strict demands in regards to insurance coverage amount, validity period and scope:
- The insurance must be valid for your entire stay in the Schengen area, and sometimes for an additional 15 days (this applies to for example Indian nationals)
- The insurance must have a minimum coverage of €30,000
- The insurance must cover all medical emergencies as well as repatriation to your home country
This travel insurance is one of the mandatory Schengen visa requirements for Spain. You can get your Schengen compliant travel insurance at Schengen Travel; a US based insurance company with many years of experience, and a variety of different plans to suit every individual travelers needs. With millions customers, Schengen Travel has become a favorite for travelers world-wide due to their fast customer service (a must when traveling abroad and something happens) and affordable insurance plans that are sure to help you get your Schengen visa for Spain.
Schengen Visa Requirements For Spain – Do I Need A Visa?
As we’ve already mentioned, in most cases you will have to apply for a Schengen visa in advance if you are not a citizen from a Schengen member country. However, as with everything in life, there are exceptions to this rule!
You do not need to apply for a Spain Schengen visa if you are a national of the following countries:
- Albania *
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bosnia Herzegovina *
- Brazil
- British nationals (Overseas)
- British overseas territories citizens (BOTC)
- British overseas citizens (BOC) British protected persons (BPP)
- British subjects (BS)
- Brunei Darussalam
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica Croatia
- Dominica
- El Salvador
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
- Israel
- Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) *
- Japan
- Kiribati
- Korean Republic
- Liechtenstein
- Macao Special Administrative Region
- Malaysia
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Montenegro *
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Northern Mariana Islands (passports from the US)
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Serbia *
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Taiwan (only holder of passports which contain identity card number)
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- United Arab Emirates
- Uruguay
- USA
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
- Vanuatu
*Restrictions apply – check with your local embassy
If you are a citizen from Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you also do not need to apply for a Schengen visa in advance.
Schengen Visa Requirements For Spain – How To Apply:
As with all of our check lists, it is your responsibility to contact your local Spain embassy before submitting your application, to make sure you have not missed any important documents. In some cases the embassy will require additional documentation from you. In general the visa processing time can take up to four weeks, depending on your embassy and your nationality. However, if you make sure you have everything in check when you submit your Spain Schengen visa application, you have minimized the chance of any delays as much as you can; and that’s all you can do. Below is a list of all the Schengen visa requirements for Spain at the time of the writing of this article:
- Passport
- Passport copy
- 2 passport photos
- Application form
- Personal Covering Letter for Schengen Visa
- Valid flight reservation(s)
- Proof of sufficient funds
- Schengen travel insurance
- Valid hotel booking(s)
- Visa fee
- Optional No Objection Letter
PASSPORT:
Less than 10 years old
In good condition!
Expiration date must not be less than 3 months after your return date to your home country
PASSPORT COPY:
Add a copy of both sides, plus any previous or current visas you might have
2 PASSPORT PHOTOS:
White background
Full face shown
2×2 inches (51 mm x 51 mm – some countries have different standards, double check yours!)
APPLICATION FORM:
Preferably filled out online, if not, use capital letters
No corrections by hand, re-do the application if necessary
PERSONAL COVERING LETTER FOR SCHENGEN VISA:
A great personal covering letter is your fast track to getting your application for the Spain Schengen visa approved! Read about how to write personal covering letter for schengen visa.
VALID FLIGHT RESERVATION(S):
Only a few years ago this requirement was the source of much headache for most travelers. How could they give the embassy a flight reservation without purchasing the entire flight ticket? Whereas travel agencies would do this for you ten years ago, the entry of an array of online travel sites have made the need for agents redundant, and they won’t reserve tickets for visa applications, such as the Schengen visa requirements for Spain, any longer. Luckily, there is now a better solution that makes sure you will get your visa fast and easy, and at a very low-cost. At Schengen visa flight reservation, we offer 100 % authentic and verifiable flight reservations. This means we will book and cancel a real flight for you, safely (pay through PayPal or credit card) and quickly (in your inbox in a matter of hours). We take care of everything, and you don’t have to worry about fixed travel schedules, or risking your money. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us and we’ll answer any questions you might have. If you have any doubts, check out our testimonials!
PROOF OF SUFFICIENT FUNDS:
This requirement is vague and not always up to date. Wikipedia has a semi-updated list here, stating that the required amount in the Schengen visa requirements for Spain is “€583.74 minimum amount (for stays of up to 10 days); €64.86 per day in excess of 10 days”. As always, we advise you to double check with your embassy.
SCHENGEN TRAVEL INSURANCE:
Check the different insurance plans at Schengen Travel and if you have any questions, contact us through our customer service at Schengen visa flight reservation via WhatsApp (+1-224-656-4761) or e-mail. In case you have any visa questions, we have a 24/7 FREE visa consultation service and are happy to help!
VALID HOTEL BOOKING(S):
Unless you have a host in Spain officially inviting you to stay with them, the Schengen visa requirements for Spain demands that you submit valid hotel bookings for your entire stay. Instead of risking to lose hundreds of money by booking non-refundable hotels, or tying yourself down to a specific travel schedule, check out our flights, hotels, bus and train reservation deals at Schengen visa flight reservation. All we need to know is where and when you want us to book your accommodation, and the rest is our job. We book and cancel all the hotels for you, so you can submit everything you need for your Spain Schengen visa application without actually having to book the hotels.
VISA FEE:
This fee might depend on the type of Schengen visa you choose, but generally the fee is around €60. This is usually non-refundable. Check at your embassy’s website if they allow payment at the embassy, or require a pre-payment via bank transfer.
OPTIONAL NO OBJECTION LETTER:
The Letter of No Objection is an optional document that might speed up your visa process. If you feel like it will be easy for you to obtain this document, it will only benefit your application, even if it’s not listed in the Schengen visa requirements for Spain. Read our post on how you can get a Letter of No Objection.
Congratulations, you have officially read through all the requirements for your Spain Schengen visa application. It may seem a little daunting at first, but if you have any questions or concerns, remember you can always WhatsApp, e-mail or call us, 24/7 and we’ll be happy to help you out!
Let us know if we forgot anything on our list of Schengen visa requirements for Spain!
