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Short-Stay Visa Request
As Spain is a party to the Schengen Agreement, U.S. citizens can enter Spain visa-free for periods of up to 90 days (for both tourist or business purposes).
> You must be in possession of:
- your U.S passport, valid for 6 months beyond stay and at least two blank passport pages available for entry and exit stamps,
- a confirmed round-trip or onward ticket,
- a valid health/accident/repatriation insurance with full international coverage, specifically mentioning coverage in the Schengen Area, and,
- enough funds for the duration of stay in Spain.
Should you be Considering a Stay in Spain longer than 90 days?
If you want to stay in Spain for longer than 3 months, you must apply for a residence visa at the Spanish consulate or embassy nearest to your last residence prior to entry to Spain (visit the website of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation to find the nearest consulate or embassy).
The required documents to obtain the Spanish visa depends on the type of visa being requested: student, non-lucrative residence, or work visa (to study, to reside, or to reside and work, respectively).
In any case, you must request an in-person appointment at the embassy or consulate, submit the original and a photocopy of each document requested and pay an established fee (generally €60, although higher fees apply to US citizens), which shall not be refunded in case of a denied application.
The deadline for processing long-term visa applications is one month after the application has been submitted, except for the case of non-lucrative residence visas, in which it is three months.
All general information and requirements can be found at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Remember that many consulates and embassies do not give visa application updates by phone or e-mail.
> General Requirements for the Spanish Visa Application
- In-person appointment – It is absolutely necessary request an in-person visa appointment to submit each visa application. It must be request at the website of the Spanish embassy or consulate nearest to you, at least 3 months before your trip.
- Application form – Download, fill out and sign 2 visa application forms. Please, be careful. It must be signed and filled out correctly.
- Passport photos – Submit two passport photos with your application, glued to the applications forms.
- Original passport and driver’s license or state ID – The passport must be valid for 6 months after leaving Spain. The consulate will generally keep the passport from the day of your appointment until the issuing of the visa.
- Residence Form – Submit form EX-01 called “Solicitud de autorización de estancia y prórrogas” which is essentially the application for the Spanish residence permit.
- US Residency – If you’re a US resident but not a citizen, there is this extra step to prove your valid immigration status in the US.
- Medical Certificate – Obtain a health certificate from a doctor verifying you are in good health and don’t suffer any illnesses that could cause serious repercussions to public health. It should be issued by your family doctor, signed by your doctor, and on the office’s letterhead. Also, it must be translated into Spanish or directly issued in Spanish.
- Police criminal record history – Submit a Criminal Record History from either your state (or states) of residency during the past 5 years or from the FBI. It can not be older than 3 months at the application date.
- Health Insurance – Provide original hardcopy letter from your travel/health insurance with international coverage for the entire duration of your stay in Spain with a coverage similar to the public healthcare system in Spain. This specifically requires no co-payments or reimbursements and must cover general and specialized medicine and hospitalization. This insurance must be provided by a company authorized to operate in Spain and cover residents, not travel visitors.
- Proof of Sufficient Funds – Since non-lucrative and student visa do not allow working in Spain, you have to prove that you have sufficient income or savings to support yourself.
- Proof of Accommodation – Provide proof of where you will live while in Spain, whether it is property ownership or if you are renting or leasing an apartment.
- Visa Fee –Around $140 visa application fee (depends on the type of visa) must be paid by cash or money order depending on each consulate.
If you need further details about how to obtain a visa for Spain from the US, please contact us, without any obligation.
