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 10 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.
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 visa,
- It is not older than 10 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Proof of civil status. This could be a marriage certificate, birth certificate of children, death certificate of spouse, etc.
The Spanish border officer will ask you to provide him/her with these documents. He/she may also ask you a few questions related to your trip to Spain like:
- What is your purpose for visiting Spain?
- How long do you intend to stay in Spain?
- Where are you going to stay in Spain? Etc.
Since Spain is a member country of the Schengen zone, it applies the Schengen visa code to all short-stay travellers. This means that you will need to obtain a visa prior to your trip if one of the following statements corresponds to your situation:
- You are a national of a third-world country that has not reached a visa liberalization agreement with the Schengen states
- You are a national of a third-world country that has reached a visa-free movement agreement with the Schengen states, but you were previously rejected from entering Spain or any other Schengen country without a visa.
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, known also 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.