Tourist Visa in Spain: A Simple Guide

Embarking on a Spanish sojourn and confused about the tourist visa process? Do’nt worry! We’ve got you covered!

This guide is here to untangle the knots of visa perplexities. Discover the ins-and-outs of acquiring a tourist visa in Spain, ensuring you can relish your Iberian escapade with peace of mind.

Let’s dive in!

Traveling To Spain

Spain is a mix of old and new, modern and traditional. For the traveler, Spain means many things: bullfights, massive cathedrals, world-class art, Muslim palaces, whitewashed villages, delicious paella, sunny beaches, and lively nightlife.

You’ll find all those things, but the country’s charm lies in its people and their unique lifestyle.

From the stirring communal sardana dance in Barcelona to the sizzling rat-a-tat-tat of flamenco in Sevilla, this country creates its beat amid the heat.

Madrid and Barcelona are hip and energetic cities, Granada has a Moorish touch, Valencia has its vibe, Catalonia has its language and culture, and the Basque region (an autonomous community in northern Spain) feels like you’re in an entirely different country.

As a bonus, Spain is an incredibly affordable place to visit.

Things To See And Do In Spain

Enjoy Barcelona

Like Madrid, Barcelona is famous for its partying, late-night eating, and historic streets. Embrace the midnight meals and all-night partying and you’ll fit right in with the locals.

Don’t miss the history museum — it’s one of the best in Europe! Other highlights include the Picasso Museum, the towering and iconic La Sagrada Familia (and Gaudi’s other works), and wandering the Barri Gotic (the Gothic Quarter).

Explore the history of Granada

Granada is one of the most favored cities in Spain. It’s a place where culture and ideas from North Africa and Europe collide uniquely and no trip to the south of Spain is complete without a visit.

Don’t miss the Alhambra, a UNESCO World Heritage palace and a fortress dating to the 13th century, and be sure to watch a Flamenco show while you’re there. They usually cost around 20 EUR.

Wander Madrid

Madrid, the capital of Spain, is famous for its museums, tapas, and nightlife. Like Barcelona, this is a city that doesn’t start until midnight.

You can see the Prado, one of the largest museums in the world, and the Royal Palace.

Other highlights include the Temple of Debod (an Egyptian temple from the 2nd century BCE), El Retiro Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the 15th-century Plaza Mayor.

Revel in La Tomatina

La Tomatina is an epic hour-long tomato fight that draws upwards of 20,000 people to the small town of Buñol (only 10,000 people live in the town itself).

Started in 1945, this festival is held on the last Wednesday of August, and over 360,000 pounds of tomatoes are used during the event.

Wander Seville

Seville is an amazing city with gorgeous churches and historic palaces. It has tasty cuisine too and is also known for its Flamenco dancing.

Be sure to check out the Royal Alcázar (also known as al-Qasr al-Muriq), the oldest residential palace in Europe still in use today (it dates to the 14th century).

You can’t visit southern Spain without spending a couple of days here!

Traveling Costs In Spain

Accommodation

Accommodation in Spain is relatively cheap when compared to other Western European countries.

Dorm beds in hostels typically begin around 15 EUR per night in the low season and go as high as 30 EUR in major cities like Barcelona or Madrid during the summer.

Hostel private rooms start at 45-60 EUR per night for a double.

Free Wi-Fi is standard and it’s not uncommon to find hostels with free breakfast either.

Budget hotels begin at around 55 EUR for a twin or double and go up from there. Prices are slightly lower outside of the major cities and tourist areas but can be higher in peak season.

Airbnb is common in most major cities, with a private room starting around 30 EUR per night. For an entire home or apartment, expect to pay at least 70 EUR per night (often double that in the big cities or peak season).

For those traveling with a tent, there are hundreds of campsites across Spain.

The campground costs around 10-20 EUR per night. They can be as low as 5 EUR for a basic tent plot without electricity while other costlier sites (up to 40 EUR per site) often include extra luxuries like a pool, electricity, and Wi-Fi.

Food

Spain has a strong food culture, where meals can last hours and dinner often isn’t served until after 8 p.m. Each region in the country has its local dishes and food culture.

Common favourites include paella, gazpacho, churros, jámon ibérico (cured pork), patatas bravas (fried potatoes with sauce), and tortilla (Spanish omelette).

You can usually find tapas and sandwiches for 5-10 EUR. Cheap fast food (think McDonald’s) costs around 8 EUR for a combo meal. Chinese food is around 10 EUR for a main dish while pizza costs 9-12 EUR.

Beer is 3-4 EUR while a latte/cappuccino is around 2 EUR. Bottled water is less than 1 EUR.

A decent casual restaurant meal costs around 20 EUR with a drink. If you go out for paella, drinks, or appetizers, plan to spend around 30 EUR for a meal.

Spain has a lot of expensive restaurants if you want to splash out. Meals at finer establishments begin around 40 EUR with a drink.

If you plan on cooking your food, groceries cost around 35-55 EUR per week. This gets you basic staples like pasta, rice, seasonal produce, and some meat or seafood. You can find the cheapest (and freshest) produce and meat at the local markets.

How To Get Around Spain

Public transportation

Madrid and Barcelona have extensive metro systems, while Valencia, Zaragoza, Bilbao, and Seville have limited but practical metro systems (or light rail).

Most big cities have a comprehensive bus system as well. Single rides usually cost between 1-2 EUR. You can often buy day passes that save you money overall if you plan on using the metro system quite a bit. These usually cost around 8-15 EUR.

Bus

The bus is the cheapest option for getting between cities in Spain. FlixBus has tickets starting as low as 5 EUR. Most buses come with outlets and free Wi-Fi.

A 9-hour trip from Madrid to Barcelona starts from about 30 EUR while the 4-hour trip between Seville and Granada costs around 20 EUR. Alsa is another popular bus company, mostly for travel in the south.

Trains

RENFE is the national rail line in Spain, and the country has both high-speed trains and regular trains.

High-speed trains are more expensive but you can travel between Madrid and Barcelona in just 2.5 hours, which might be worth it depending on how much time you have.

Even on the more expensive high-speed train, however, you can find tickets from Madrid to Barcelona for as low as 58 EUR. The trip from Madrid to Seville is around 2.5 hours and costs 30 EUR while Madrid to Valencia is just under 2 hours and costs 25 EUR.

Flying

If you’re pressed for time and are looking to hop from one city to the next, a budget airline like Ryanair might be the way to go. Book in advance to keep costs down.

However, be aware that you have to pay for all the extras on these cheap flights (such as checked baggage, picking your seat, etc……)

So, while flights are cheap (Madrid to Barcelona can be found for as little as 65 EUR round trip), the small expenses add up. And when you factor in getting to/from the airport, most flights aren’t much faster than the train.

Car rental

Car rentals can be found for as little as 25 EUR per day when booked in advance. Renters will need an International Driving Permit before booking. The minimum age for renting a car is 21.

Ridesharing

If your schedule is flexible, use a ridesharing service and catch rides with locals between cities. Drivers are verified and it’s perfectly safe. BlaBlaCar is the biggest company.

While not necessarily cheaper than the bus, it’s usually faster and more interesting.

Spain Tourist Visa For Visitors

A Spain Short-Stay Tourist Visa is a permit that allows you to travel to Spain for the main purpose of performing touristic activities, like vacation, sightseeing, exploring, and visiting friends or family members living in Spain.

You can stay there for a maximum of 90 days within 180 days.

Do You Need To Apply For A Spanish Tourist Visa?

You will not need to apply for a Spanish tourist visa if you are from:

EU member countries.
The EFTA member countries.
The 62 world countries under the Schengen visa-free regime.
Or, you are residing in any of the Schengen countries with a residence permit, as long as your residence permit is valid.

However, if you are a national of any of the world countries not listed above will need to apply for a visa in advance, before taking a trip to Spain for any of these two purposes.

Spain Tourist Visa Requirements

To apply for a Spain tourist visa, you need to submit the following required documents:

Two Spanish biometric photos: Identical and taken within the last three months according to the Schengen photo specifications.
Passport: Valid for another three months beyond the date you plan to leave Spain. It should also have at least one blank page, to affix the visa sticker in it.
Copies of passport pages: You also need to make a copy of all passport pages that contain information: the two main pages with your details and the pages with visa stickers and stamps.
Flight Booking: You need to show proof of the dates when you plan to travel to Spain and then leave the country. This proof is a flight reservation, with your name, as well as the dates and places of arrival and departure in it.
Travel Medical Insurance: It must cover not only the whole territory of Spain but also all of the other Schengen member countries.

Any incident or unforeseen illness with a minimum of 30.000€, including repatriation for medical reasons or in case of death. In addition, it must be arranged at least for 7 days even if you are planning to stay less than that, i.e. two days.

Proof of Sufficient Funds: You need to attest to owning the overall amount for a duration of up to 10 days which is representative of 90% of the gross national minimum wage (636.93 €) which is 573.23€.

On the other hand, if your trip is to last more than 10 days, the daily required amount is 70.77€. To prove you have this money you should present.

Your bank account statements.
A letter of support, if someone else is going to finance your trip. They should submit their bank statements alongside the letter.
Evidence of accommodation in Spain. Any of the following can be presented as proof of accommodation:
Hotel booking, that contains your name, the dates of stay, and the details of the hotel.
Invitation letter, if you will be staying over with friends or family members living in Spain.

The letter should include your host’s details (address, contact details, intended period of stay, etc.). Note that photocopy is not acceptable! You can still submit a colored print.

Rental agreement: If you will be renting a place for your stay in Spain, you should present the rental agreement with the owner of the premises. The document must state the area of the place you are renting, the address, and the owner’s details.
Proof of civil status: (marriage certificate, birth certificate of children, death certificate of spouse, ration card if applicable).

In addition, you will also need to submit proof of employment status, according to your situation, as follows:

If Employed:
1. Employment contract
2. Current bank statement for the latest 6 months
3. No-objection certificate from the employer
4. Income Tax Return (ITR) form or Certificate of Income Tax deducted at the source of salary

If Self-Employed:
1. A copy of your business license
2. Company bank statement for the last 6 months
3. Income Tax Return (ITR)

If A Student:
1. Proof of enrollment
2. Leave approval letter from school or university

If Retired:
1. Pension statement of the latest 6 months

How To Apply For A Spain Tourist Visa For Visitors?

To apply for a Spain Tourist or Visitor visa you will need to follow these steps:

Fill in the tourist/visitor visa application form.
Collect the required documents.
Appoint an interview.
Attend your interview.
Pay the tourist visa fees

Fill in The Spain Tourist Visa Application Form

As soon as you make the appointment, you should start collecting the documents required to present on the day of your appointment. Start with the application form.

There is one common visa application form for all types of short-stay visas, for every country in the Schengen territory. Complete this form, print it, and then sign it at the end.

After you complete the form, check if all your questions are correct and if you made any typos.

Note that your answers in this form must comply with the information in the rest of the required documents for a Spain Visitor Visa or Spain Tourist Visa, whichever you are applying for.

Appoint An Interview

After figuring out the two things listed above, you should make an appointment for the submission of your visa application file and the interview.

You can make an appointment for a Spain Visa application through the website of the authority responsible for the admission of your application or through a phone call. In some countries, there is only one option available, while in others there is both.

Gather The Required Documents

Next, proceed to collect the rest of the documents required for a Spain Visitor Visa, or Spain Tourist Visa, according to your purpose of the application.

Attend Your Spain Visa Appointment

Once you make the appointment, and you have all the required documents ready, you should wait for the day of your interview.

When that day comes, make sure you show up at the Spanish embassy/consulate/VAC on time. Have all your documents with you, arranged in order.

You will attend a meeting with a consular officer. The latter will ask you questions regarding your trip to Spain, and the purpose of the application for a visa, and will ask you to hand the documents to her/him.

If this is the first time in the last 5 years that you are applying for your Schengen visa, you will also need to provide your biometric data – your facial image and fingerprint.

Pay The Fees

You will need to pay a fee of €80 to apply for a Spain Tourist Visa or a Spain Visitor Visa. The fee is required to cover the expenses that come out of the processing of your application.

Note that children under the age of 12 are subject to a fee of €40, while those under six are exempt from any fee for a Spain short-stay visa.

In addition, the nationals of a few countries and several other categories are exempt from paying a fee for a short-stay visa for Spain.

Where Should You Submit My Application For A Spain Tourist Visa?

The Spanish authorities are responsible for the admission and the processing of your application only if Spain is your main Schengen destination, which means:

You will only visit Spain and no other Schengen country.
You will visit other Schengen countries aside from Spain, but you will stay in Spain the longest.
You will visit several Schengen countries and you will spend the same amount of days in each, but you will enter the borderless territory through Spain.

Once you make sure that Spanish authorities are the ones responsible for the admission of your visa application, check at which Spanish representation in your country you should lodge your application. This could be:

The Spanish embassy or consulate in your country of residence.
A Visa Application Center, to which Spain has outsourced visa processing in your country.
One of the three listed above, located in a neighboring country, in the absence of them in your country of residence.

How Long Does It Take To Get A Tourist Visa For Spain?

Normally, the Schengen embassies, including the Spanish ones, are obliged to process visa applications for short-term visas for tourism and visiting within 15 days. Yet, in some cases, this period may be extended for 30 days or even 60 days.

Such an extension may happen at times when the embassy where you lodge your application is receiving many requests for visa application processing, or due to your specific case.

Spain Tourist/Visitor Visa Validity

A Spain tourist or visitor visa can be valid for a maximum period of three months within half a year.

Yet, it is the authority that grants you the visa that decides on the validity of your visa, depending on how they see it as reasonable. You can calculate your legal stay in Spain here.

While you can get a visa valid for three months, you can also get one valid for three days. When you receive your passport with the Spain visa sticker on it, pay attention to the following tags:

FROM – stands for the first day you are permitted to enter the Schengen Area.
UNTIL – stands for the last day when you will have to leave the Schengen Area.
DURATION OF STAY – stands for the number of days you are permitted to remain in the Schengen Zone within the given dates near the “from” – “until” tags.

The visa sticker in your passport contains a lot of other information, such as the countries in which you may not be permitted to enter, the permitted number of entries with that visa, etc.

In Case Of Visa Rejection

If you receive a negative response on your Spain visa application, you will also get a letter with a reason why your application is being rejected. In this case, you have two choices:

Move one and make a new application, by avoiding the previous mistakes and improving your situation.
Write an Appeal Letter for Schengen Visa rejection, but only if you think that your application has been rejected by mistake or unjustly. You should have a strong basis to write this letter and present facts that support your point.

When To Go To Spain

Spain is lovely year-round, but the peak season is in the summer from June to August.

Popular destinations like Barcelona and Ibiza experience a massive influx of tourism — so much so that Barcelona’s residents have started clamping down on overtourism. The weather is fabulous this time of year with high temperatures well into the 30s°C (90s°F)

The temperature in Spain doesn’t often drop too low, with winter temps between 4-10°C (40-50°F) country-wide.

However, Northern Spain does sometimes experience snowfall — especially in the mountainous areas.

The shoulder seasons (spring and autumn) are great times to visit. Tourism is much less congested and prices are a bit cheaper.

Temperatures are pleasant, although it’s not exactly beach season. Beach destinations like Ibiza and Mallorca tend to get very quiet during this time but there is still plenty to see and do around the rest of the country.

Conclusion

Spanish adventure shouldn’t be hindered by visa troubles. With our comprehensive guide, step into the vibrant culture and stunning landscapes of Spain without a hitch. Navigate your journey with ease and immerse in the enriching experiences Spain has to offer.

Happy Travelling!

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