VISA AND ENTRY REQUIREMENTS INTO SPAIN

Whether you plan a short trip or a long stay in the country it is very much important to understand the various visa and entry requirements needed to access legal entry into the country.
If you are coming to Spain from any other European country then no passport or visa will be required but if you are coming from some other country that is out of European region then yes of course you will be requiring a passport or visa. The passport must be valid for a period of 90 days after the length of a planned stay in Spain.

APPLYING FOR PASSPORT/VISA

Apply for a passport and Visa, when needed, as soon as possible. It can take several weeks to process the application, and you do not want to be ready to go yet still waiting on this information to arrive.

To apply you will need to complete paperwork with the Spanish Embassy or with the Consulate in your country. You are required to have a few pieces of information available when you are applying for a Visa into Spain. Those things are:

• Proof of attendance at a university in Spain.
• Obtain a passport, if you do not already have one, and ensure that is updated.
• Completed application.
• Photo ID.
• Birth Certificate

Keep that in your mind that fees is also accessible. This fees has to be paid during the time of submitting an application. Costs may vary. You need to see this also that your passport contains some blank pages, it is recommended that two or three pages must be available. 

Those who are attending full time college are only able to keep their visa with them.

The ones who lives in the Schengen area here are some documents which are needed for Spain visa applications:

• completed visa application form.
• two passport photographs.
• National passport and one copy of the passport.
• Original resident visa.
• Confirmation letter from your health insurance stating coverage and one copy of that.
• Proof of group travel or hotel booking in Spain or airline reservation for Spain and one copy of that.
• Closed round trip or tour ticket.
• Current bank statement and one copy.
• A reference letter from your employer or education institution.
• Document certifying the existence of commercial, industrial, or other.
• Visa fees for Spanish Visa.

From the submission date it takes a maximum of 15 days for visa application process, However the period can extend to 30 days for specific cases.The visa fee is 60 Euros, and is payable to consulate of Spain. This fee is non-refundable, even if the person didn’t fill the visa application properly.  There is separate visa for students as well. This is required for those who are  NON Europeans . 

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR STUDENT VISA ARE :

• 2 Schengen Application forms duly filled and signed.
• The passport must be valid for the intended period of your stay in Spain with at least one blank page to affix the visa.
• Photo ID proof.
• Two recent passport size photographs with white background. Staple these photos on each application form.
• Letter of acceptance as a full time student from Spain’s University indicating the name, address and registration number of the school with Spain’s Department of Education; full payment of all of the costs of  tuition, duration of the program, subjects of the study and hours of study per week, which must be no less than 20.
• Health Insurance (only the original form will be accepted): International insurance coverage for health/accident with a minimum coverage  equal to 30,000 EUR during the planning period of stay in Spain (or its equivalency in dollars).  This is in lieu of the EHC.
• Proof of financial means during your stay: You should provide one of the following:

1. Letter from the University or School in Spain assuming full financial responsibility during your stay
2. Proof of financial aid or scholarship for at least $1,000 per month for room and board
3. Notarized letter from your parents or legal guardians assuming full financial responsibility for at least $1,000 per month for room and board.
4. Personal bank account statements showing at least $1,000 per month of stay.

There can be many more things which must be required so it is always good idea to check with the Embassy before planning the departure.This is just to ensure that you have met all the requirements to travel to Spain.

                                                                                                                                   info by SFWWC