Tourist visa for Spain: documents, fees and steps

Documents requested

• Completed and signed Schengen visa application formConditions and details

  Each applicant shall submit an application form in accordance with Annex I to the Visa Code, filled in by hand or electronically and signed by hand or, where the competent State recognises electronic signature, by qualified electronic signature. Consulates shall make the form available free of charge. Its submission is a condition for the admissibility of the application (Article 19).
• Valid passport or travel documentConditions and details

  The travel document must be valid for at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States (in the case of several visits, after the last intended date of departure), contain at least two blank pages and have been issued within the previous ten years. Its submission is a condition for the admissibility of the application (Article 19).
• Photograph compliant with the standardsConditions and details

  A photograph is submitted or taken at the time of lodging and registered in the Visa Information System (VIS). The technical requirements refer to the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (document 9303, part 1, 6th edition). Its submission is a condition of admissibility (Article 19).
• Payment of the visa feeConditions and details

  The Visa Code sets the visa fee at 90 EUR for an applicant aged 12 years or older. The fees are charged in euros, in the national currency of the third country or in the currency habitually used in the place where the application is lodged, and are not refundable, except in the cases provided for (in particular an inadmissible application). A receipt is given to the applicant. Payment is a condition of admissibility (Article 19).
• Evidence of the tourist purpose of the journey and of the itineraryConditions and details

  For a uniform visa, the applicant presents documents indicating the purpose of the journey. For tourism, the non-exhaustive list in Annex II mentions the confirmation of booking of an organised trip or any other appropriate document indicating the travel plans.
• Proof of sufficient means of subsistenceConditions and details

  The applicant presents documents showing that they have sufficient means of subsistence for the duration of the stay and for the return to their country of origin or residence, or that they are able to acquire them legally. Annex II cites proof of financial means in the country of residence among the items that make it possible to assess the intention to return. The reference amount set by Spain for entry appears in the recommendations.
• Elements establishing the intention to leave the Schengen area before the visa expiresConditions and details

  The applicant provides information allowing an assessment of their intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the visa expires. The non-exhaustive list in Annex II mentions: a reservation for a return or round-trip ticket, proof of financial means in the country of residence, proof of employment (bank statements), proof of real estate ownership, proof of integration in the country of residence (family ties, professional situation).
• Travel medical insurance (minimum coverage of 30 000 EUR)Conditions and details

  The insurance covers costs related to repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical care, emergency hospital care or death. It is valid throughout the entire territory of the Member States for the whole duration of the intended stay, with minimum coverage of 30 000 EUR. For a multiple-entry visa, it covers the first intended visit and the applicant signs, in the form, a declaration on the need to be insured for subsequent stays. It is in principle taken out in the country of residence.

Depending on your situation

• Proof of accommodation (hotel reservation or other document indicating the planned accommodation)Conditions and details

  The applicant presents documents relating to accommodation, or proof of sufficient means to cover it. For tourism, Annex II mentions a document from the accommodation establishment or any other appropriate document indicating the accommodation envisaged. Where the accommodation is with a private individual, the invitation letter applies.
• Invitation letter (carta de invitación) issued by the police at the request of the host in SpainConditions and details

  For a tourist or private stay with a private individual, the carta de invitación (Orden PRE/1283/2007) is applied for by the person issuing the invitation, where applicable by appointment, at the police station of their place of residence. The application states the identity of the host and of the guest, the intention to host the guest at their main home or in a secondary residence, together with supporting proof of availability of the accommodation (title deed, lease or similar document), the link with the guest and the approximate dates of the stay. Issuance depends on a favourable decision; the host may be summoned to an interview. After the favourable decision, the host pays the fee within one month and presents the proof of payment in order to collect the letter, which they then forward to the guest: the sending time is added to the processing time and must be anticipated. The letter may be required at the border post.