Visa Info

Who needs a visa to enter Spain?

Anyone inside the Schengen Area does not need to apply for a visa to travel to Spain.

We have included here a list of all 27 members of Schengen

Austria	Liechtenstein
Belgium	Lithuania
Croatia	Luxembourg
Czech Republic	Malta
Denmark	Netherlands
Estonia	Norway
Spain	Poland
France	Portugal
Germany	Slovakia
Greece	Slovenia
Hungary	Finland
Iceland	Sweden
Italy	Switzerland
Latvia

In addition to the above the following nations do not require a visa to visit Spain and the rest of the Shengen Zone: Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong S.A.R (Visa-free regime applies only to holders of a “Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” passport), Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macao S.A.R (Visa-free regime applies only to holders of a “Região Administrativa Especial de Macau” passport), Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Montenegro, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Samoa, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, Timor Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Which visa is best to apply for? 

The Visa for Sports, Culture, Study is the best visa for the purpose of attending the conference in Barcelona.

How do you go about applying?

Who can apply for a visa: Applications must be submitted in person. If the applicant is a minor, the application must be submitted by their legal representatives.
Place of submission: Applications must be submitted in person at the Consular Office or, when available, at the Visa Application Centre. In either case, an appointment is necessary.
Visa application period: Visa applications must be submitted between 6 months and 15 days before the scheduled date of travel. Seafarers may apply for the visa up to 9 months before the date of travel.
Proof of receipt: When a visa application is submitted, the Consular Office will provide the applicant with proof of receipt of the application with a code that enables them to check the status of the dossier through the following link: https://sutramiteconsular.maec.es/Ho​me.aspxIt opens in new window
Biometric data capturing: The applicant's facial image and fingerprints will be captured during the visa application procedure. Applicants under 12 and applicants whose fingerprints have been taken in the last 59 months are exempt from fingerprint taking. However, in the latter case, if the applicant's prints are of poor quality, the Consular Office will request that they come back in to have their fingerprints retaken.
Rectifying the application: The Consular Office may ask the applicant to submit any missing documents, or to provide additional documents or data that are necessary for a decision regarding the application. The applicant may also be called in for a personal interview.
Decision period: The legal period for reaching a decision is of 15 calendar days as of the day after the application submission date, but this period may be extended to 45 calendar days if an interview or additional documents are requested.

The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation have a full writeup for the process on their website. There is also a FAQ, as well as resorces for finding your nearest embassy and consulate.

A more general guide for the documents required can be found below.

Documents

Travel Document

• Your passport or travel document must be valid for minimum three months after the intended departure from the Schengen area,
• It should contain at least two blank pages,
• It should have been issued within the past 10 years,
• It should not have any observation regarding the front data page.

Passport Copy

A full colour copy of your passport, including all pages. If your old passport holds any valid visa for Schengen or USA/UK/Canada/Australia (issued in the last three years), you should have a colour copy of that passport as well.

Application form 

You will need to complete this application form. Try to complete this in its entirety. Under inviting person you should put the following details, to match the details on the visa invitation letter we will issue to you: 

Inviting Person: Dr Mikel Aramburu, Director del Departament d’Antropologia Social
Contact Information: Departament d'Antropologia Social Facultat de Geografia i Història
Montalegre, 6 08001 Barcelona
Tel. +34 934037773
dp.antropologia(at)ub.edu

You can request a visa invitation letter by filling out this form.

Photograph 

A passport-size (35x45 mm) photo in colour, against a white background, no older than six months. 

Proof of legal residence in normal residence country

A residence permit (original and photocopy), endorsed in the passport or issued as a biometrics card. The permit must be valid at least three months after your departure from the Schengen area.

Covering Letter

A covering letter from your home institution, organisation or company containing:

• Name of invited applicant
• Purpose of visit
• Dates of intended stay
• Nature of costs being covered by host 
• Outline of applicant’s itinerary, names and addresses of inviting schools / organisations / companies intended to visit

Invitation Letter

A signed invitation letter from the inviting school / organisation / company. 

You can request a visa invitation letter by filling out this form.  

Proof of employment or studies

• If employed: an employer’s letter on official letterhead confirming the applicant's start date and continued employment and /or pay slips for the last three months. The letter should state the date of issue, name, address, telephone number and position of signatory and registration number.
• If self-employed: original letter from a solicitor, accountant or Companies House confirming self-employment status or business ownership.
• If student: a recently signed student letter from the school, college or university confirming the applicant’s enrollment and indicating the start and end date of their studies.

Travel Medical Insurance

You must hold a travel insurance policy to cover possible expenses in connection with a return for all risks e.g. accident, illness, medical emergency evacuation etc. during your stay. The insurance policy must cover all the Schengen countries, and the minimum policy coverage is 30,000 Euros. The insurance policy must be valid for the entire duration of the intended stay. 

Proof of means of Transport

Flight reservation of return or round ticket. If the applicant is travelling to several Schengen States, proof of intra-Schengen flight reservation, train itinerary or car rental. Please note that the tickets do not have to be paid, only the flight booking needs to be submitted.

Proof of accommodation

Hotel reservations, rental of holiday home or campus residence reservation. If the applicant intends to stay with a family member or a friend, proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation is required from the host.

Proof of Financial means

• Latest 3 months current or savings account bank statements showing applicant’s name, address and an end balance dated within the last month on the visa application submission date.
• If no bank account, traveller’s cheques that should be in the applicant's name and showing details and balance for sufficient means of subsistence both for the duration of intended stay and for the return to country of origin.
• If the applicant is financially fully supported by his/her employer, this must be clearly mentioned in the letter of employment.
• If the applicant is a recipient of conference funding after the call in Febuary, this will be stated on the visa support letter.

Minor Applicant - if travelling with children

• Original birth certificate and photocopy.
• If the minor is travelling with only one parent, written consent of the other parent or guardian, and a signed copy of their passport or other photo ID. In case a person has sole custody or guardianship of the minor, proof of this should be submitted.
• If the minor travels alone (without parents), written consent, from both parents or legal guardians of the minor; as well as signed copies of the passports or other photo ID of the parents or legal guardians.
• All minors must be accompanied by both parents or legal guardians and sign the application form in front of a VFS officer. Except in cases where, the child is travelling with one parent to visit the other parent, who is residing in Spain.

When should you apply? 

You can apply from 6 months before to 2 weeks before your arrival. The earlier the better.

How much will it cost?

The amount of the visa fee is 80 euros for people aged over 12 and 40 euros for children of 6 to 11. Children aged 5 and under are exempt from the fee. Different fees are applied for nationals of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cabo Verde and Russia, pursuant to the respective Visa Facilitation Agreements formalized with these countries.

In some cases, applicants have to pay an extra fee of €10 for any type of forms they must obtain in cases where Spain won’t recognize their travel documents. Sometimes the charges for a visa may differ from country to country.

Applicants should be aware that your visa fee are non-refundable in cases of rejection. The fee may be refunded only in some specific cases, such as if they applied for the wrong type of visa.

How long will it take?

It should not take more than 15 working days, however do apply before in order to prevent  unexpected delays from derailing your plans.

Visa Invitation Letter