Spain is in second place in popularity among countries in which Russians like to relax. According to various tour operators, Turkey ranks first. This country is famous for its warm climate, sea, rich past and unique architecture. In addition, the service in Spain is top notch.
Those who are going to visit this country need to get information about what visa is needed in Spain, how to apply for it. You should be aware that the most popular type of visa for European countries is considered to be “Schengen”. This is due to the fact that the list of Schengen countries in 2018 is the same as it was originally compiled at the conclusion of the Schengen agreement, so you can not be afraid that such a visa will become invalid.
Types of Visas to Spain
Visas to Spain come in several forms, which are divided by the duration and purpose of the trip:
- "Schengen." Since Spain belongs to the list of European countries, the easiest way to get to Europe is “Schengen”. This visa is of type C and is the most popular tourist visa.
- National visa (type D). Thanks to this type of pass to the country, its recipient can live in it for a long time.
- Transit visas (type A, B). A document giving the right to stay at the airport of the country or to be in it travel. This type of visa is currently not valid in Spanish territory.
After the appropriate type of visa has been determined, it is necessary to fill out a questionnaire issued by a specialized body and prepare the necessary package of documents.
Package of documents
Taking into account the latest changes in the legislation of Russia and international acts, the tourist must provide the following documents for "Schengen":
- A questionnaire filled out in Spanish or English with a signature.
- A photocopy of all pages of a foreign passport.
- A photocopy of the pages of the passport of the Russian citizen (filled pages).
- The original valid at the time of applying for a passport. Its validity should expire no earlier than three months after the end of a tourist trip.
- Previously issued passports.
- Copies of previously issued Schengen visas to Spain or other countries.
- Photos measuring 3.5 * 4.5 centimeters (two pieces).
- Copy and original of a medical strass policy.
- Help from the place of work.
- Confirmation of financial security (solvency).
- Confirmation of the fact of booking air tickets (or tickets for another type of transport).
- Proof of residence in the country.
- Documents confirming the sponsorship of a tourist trip (to persons with a salary below 25 thousand rubles).
- An invitation to Spain from a relative, if the visit is private: a copy of his passport and a residence permit (copy).
- When applying for a visa for a period of more than six months, it is necessary to submit documents confirming that a person has previously been in the country. This may be copies of past "Schengen" to Spain, photocopies of tickets, receipts for purchases in the country, documents confirming payment of the hotel or hotel in previous visits, and so on.
- Other documents that may be requested by the visa application center, such as permission for children, if they travel with the parent.
When filling out the questionnaire for “Schengen” to Spain, you must provide accurate information and contact information. If false information is found, a visa will most likely be refused.
Requirements for a package of documents
A package of documents for a Schengen visa provided to the embassy should be collected in a clearly established order:
- A completed application for a visa to the country.
- Photos - one is pasted into the questionnaire, the other temporarily remains with the recipient.
- An invitation from a relative or a document confirming a hotel reservation.
- Medical insurance.
- Copies of tickets (rail, bus or air). Also, when traveling by personal transport, it is necessary to provide documents for the car and an insurance policy for it.
- Certificate of employment.
- Documents confirming financial viability.
- A photocopy of all pages of the passport.
- A photocopy of the filled pages of a Russian passport.
- Other documents.
The requirements for "Schengen" in Spain are very high, so the wrong sequence of documents in the package can lead to a refusal to issue a visa.
The requirements for photography are as follows:
- two photographs, which should be color, size 3.5 * 4.5 centimeters;
- the angles in the photo are smooth, there are no frames;
- a person must occupy seventy or eighty percent of the area of ​​the photo;
- head size should be approximately three centimeters in diameter;
- the gaze should be directed directly to the camera;
- eyes are open;
- the background is necessarily white;
- ears must be opened, all accessories removed;
- The maximum validity period of a photo is six months.
The next important condition for getting a “Schengen” to Spain is the correct filling out of the application. The document can be downloaded and printed from the Web. If you have difficulty filling in some fields, you can continue it at the embassy. Below you must put a signature.
A foreign passport is also subject to certain requirements. In addition to the three-month supply of time from the date of the expected return from the trip, an important condition is the presence of two free pages in the passport.
Copies must be taken from all pages, including blank pages. Each A4 sheet must contain four pages of the passport arranged in series. If you have old passports, it is best to copy them too.
To get a “Schengen” to Spain a very important condition is the availability of insurance. Its amount should be at least 30 thousand euros. The insurance period must be 15 days longer than the period of stay in the country (including the road).
The cost of insurance for days of stay abroad ranges from 0.5 euros to one euro per day. You can buy insurance in two ways: in an insurance company or through an online service. An application for issuing a policy must be accompanied by the original policy for the provision of all types of assistance (with a copy).
If several people participate in the trip, then the policy must be issued for each individually.
The next important point is to decide where the tourists will live while in the country. “Schengen” will be issued to Spain only if the place of residence in the country is confirmed at least 30% of the travel time.
There are four ways to solve the issue with your place of residence:
- Book a hotel room. Confirmation of the reservation can be a fax with the signature and seal of the hotel, a printout from the site indicating the guest's name and number, and the original reservation. It is not necessary to pay in advance for the hotel. When staying in the country, you can not even check into a booked hotel, but choose another.
- Rent an apartment or house. In this case, the lease agreement will be a supporting document.
- Settle with those who invited to the country. It is enough to attach the original invitation, which must be notarized. The document must contain information about the parties, the duration of the stay, the address of the place of residence and the purpose of the stay in the country. On the part of the inviting person, you will need a copy of your passport, a document of registration at the place of residence, a copy of the residence permit.
- Go with relatives. In this case, submit documents confirming the fact of kinship.
It is worth noting that the package of documents for the "Schengen" by invitation is much larger than with a simple tourist trip.
As for confirming the reservation of transport, everything is much simpler here. It is only necessary to attach a document confirming the fact of booking or a copy of tickets. If the trip takes place on your vehicle, you need copies of the technical passport for the car, driving license and international insurance.
The certificate of employment should be printed on letterhead and contain the following data:
- organization (full name);
- position;
- work experience;
- amount of fixed salary;
- information about the employee receiving vacation time for the trip while retaining his place of work.
Employees working for an individual entrepreneur must also attach a copy of the TIN from the certificate of state registration as an individual entrepreneur.
For those who, according to the Schengen standards, are insolvent in Spain (they have a salary below 25 thousand rubles), it is best to arrange a sponsorship trip. For this, it is necessary to provide the embassy with a certificate of salary of the sponsor, a letter from him. A salary certificate can be replaced by a three-month bank statement or a statement of the balance in this account.
The application from the sponsor must contain the last names, first names, patronymics of the parties, dates of birth, passport details, address of registration, country of travel and duration of trip.
You can confirm your solvency by using a bank statement, a statement of the balance of the account, or a copy of a credit card. In order to approve the “Schengen” to the country in 2018, it is necessary to confirm the availability of 64, 53 euros for each day of stay in the country. The minimum total amount is about six hundred euros per trip. Confirmation of solvency can also serve as a certificate of ownership of real estate or car.
Additional documents required to apply for a “Schengen” to Spain, to the visa center in St. Petersburg and in other cities of Russia include:
- Unemployed or freelancers - an act on the last place (or last places) of work for six months.
- For individual entrepreneurs - TIN, tax return, certificate of registration as an individual entrepreneur (copy).
- For pensioners - a pension certificate (copy), documents from the sponsor.
- For students - a certificate from the place of study (during the trip during the semester), a copy of the student ID, a certificate of employment, documents from the sponsor.
Child Visa
If children travel with a parent (or parents) on a tourist trip, then they will need a full package of documents, as well as other information:
- Birth certificate of a child (copy). In case of differences in the surnames of the parents, a written confirmation of family ties must also be attached.
- Certificate from the child’s place of study.
- When traveling with one of the parents, you must attach a copy of the second parent’s permission to travel abroad, certified by a notary, as well as a copy of the passport of the parent remaining in the country. The permit is valid for three months, the purpose of the trip is tourism, and the country is Spain. The power of attorney is compiled in Russian.
- If the parents let the child go abroad with third parties, both parents must draw up a notarized authorization and also attach copies of passports to it.
- Copy of “Schengen” and passport of the person accompanying the child.
- Documents of sponsorship from the next of kin.
Biometric data
Since 2015, the issuance of a Schengen visa is accompanied by the submission of biometric data. The delivery procedure is carried out at the time of filing a package of documents in the visa service or consulate. After paying the necessary fees and handing over the package of documents, it will be necessary to go with the employee to the cabin for fingerprinting and biometric photography.
People who receive a Spanish visa for the first time must be present in person at the time of submitting documents and biometric data. When you apply again, you can restrict yourself to processing through an intermediary, since biometric data is stored in the database for five years.
There is also the procedure “Mobile (visiting) biometrics”. Having paid for this service, you can call a specialist in taking biometric data at home, at work at any time convenient for the customer. The specialist will arrive at the indicated place with his equipment and take fingerprints for the visa.
The following persons may not submit biometric data:
- Children under the age of twelve.
- Persons who do not have the physical ability to fingerprint.
- People who submitted biometric data after September 2015.
Visa Production Time
If the "Schengen" is issued in St. Petersburg or in Moscow, the visa processing time is from four to six days (workers) from the date of application. At the height of the tourist season, the registration period can last up to ten business days.
The period for consideration of visa applications may be extended, but not more than three months. When submitting a package of documents through a visa center in the region, it is necessary to add from two to four days to these terms for sending the package of documents to the consulate of the capital.
Tourists also have the opportunity to get an urgent Schengen to Spain. To do this, you must pay a double amount of the visa fee. In this case, the visa preparation period is reduced to three business days. To reduce the visa issuance period to 24 hours, it is necessary to increase the amount of the service visa fee.
Duration of a Schengen Tourist Visa
To usually make a tourist trip, you can apply for a multi-visa for six months (180 days). In this case, you can easily travel to all countries in the Schengen area. Moreover, the duration of stay in one country is limited by the number of days - no more than 90 days in each country.
Persons who need a “Schengen” to Spain repeatedly, the period of general stay in the Schengen countries is extended to one year. The length of stay in one country does not change. In some cases, the consulate issues a “fractional” visa - single or double for three months.
Schengen visa cost
The total cost of a Schengen visa to Spain consists of two parts:
- a fee charged by the consular post;
- service fee for applying for a Schengen visa at visa centers.
The consular fee is 35 euros (approximately two and a half thousand rubles at the current rate). It can be paid immediately when applying for documents at visa centers. For the procedure itself, the center will take from 15 to 20 euros. The approximate total amount of applying for a Spanish visa is 55 euros.
Obtaining an urgent visa will cost at least twice as much. Paperwork within three days (workers) will cost tourists seventy euros each. This is slightly less than five thousand, if you count in rubles. If you need to reduce the process to 24 hours, then it will cost even more.
For a national visa with the right to work or study, you will have to pay 60 euros. This will cost about four and a half thousand rubles. Urgent clearance will cost, respectively, almost ten thousand, if you count in rubles.
Exact prices can always be found on the official websites of visa centers or consular posts.
The procedure and places for applying for a Schengen visa
To apply for a Schengen visa to Spain, you can apply to any BLS International Services Visa Application Center in Russia.
The centers are located in the following Russian cities:
- St. Petersburg;
- Moscow;
- Kazan;
- Ekaterinburg;
- Rostov-on-Don;
- Saratov;
- Novosibirsk
- Samara
- Voronezh;
- Krasnoyarsk;
- Ufa
- Krasnodar;
- Permian;
- Vologda;
- Khabarovsk
- Arkhangelsk;
- Irkutsk
- Vyborg;
- Omsk
- Novorossiysk;
- Vladivostok;
- Kaliningrad
- Pskov;
- Petrozavodsk;
- Murmansk.
Before submitting documents, you must first register through the website of one of the visa centers. Recording is carried out from 10:00 to 16:00.
You can obtain a visa in person or through courier delivery to any place convenient for the recipient.
Persons who submitted biometric data earlier, you can get everything through a travel operator, without coming to the visa center.
If you have questions, you can contact the visa center hotline from 8 am to 6 pm Moscow time on weekdays. A single phone can be found on the official website. You can also ask questions by e-mail.
Some questions are covered on blsspain-russia.com. You can also find the addresses of visa centers in Spain in Moscow and other cities.
Addresses of visa centers
You can apply for a visa at one of the addresses of the Spain Visa Application Centers in Moscow and other cities of the country:
- Moscow: Letnikovskaya street, 11/10, building 1.
- St. Petersburg: Liteiny Avenue, 26 A, office 106.
- Ekaterinburg: Karl Liebknecht street, 22.
- Kazan: Marcel Salimzhanov street, house 2 B, 3 floor, office 320.
- Novosibirsk: Lenin street, 52, 4th floor, office 406.
- Voronezh: street of Heroes of the Red Army, house 6.
- Samara: Partizanskaya street, Partizan business center.
- Khabarovsk: Kalinin street, house 71, building A.
- Arkhangelsk: 135 Lomonosov Avenue.
- Omsk: 74/2 Marshal Zhukov Street.
- Nizhny Novgorod: 13 Kerchenskaya street.
In addition to the visa centers of Spain in St. Petersburg and Moscow, there are consulate generals of Spain at the following addresses:
- Moscow, Stremyanny lane, house 31/1;
- St. Petersburg, st. Furshtatskaya, house 9.
As well as the Spanish Embassy, ​​located in Moscow at the address: Bolshaya Nikitskaya, house 50, building 1.
A Schengen visa as one of the most popular types of documents, which gives the right to temporary stay in almost any country in Europe, is also one of the fastest and easiest to get. Despite the large number of documents required to obtain a Spanish visa, applying for a “Schengen” to this country is much easier than a tourist visa to the United States of America. If at the initial registration it is best to contact a travel company, then a second trip can be easily arranged independently.