Schengen visas

This Consular Office is competent to accept visa applications from third-country nationals residing in the consular district who are travelling to Spain as their only or main destination.

• 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 through any BLS VAC with prior appointment through the following link
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• 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.

• 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.
  Visa applications submitted by nationals of certain States require consultation with the central authorities that could affect the duration of the visa procedure.

• ​Return of passport and other documentation: The Consular Office or Visa Application Centre will inform the applicant regarding the procedure for the return of the passport and any other original documentation.

• Permission granted by the visa: A visa does not automatically entitle someone to enter the Schengen area. The traveller must meet all legal entry requirements (see section “Conditions for entry into Spain”).

• Visa refusal: Visa refusals will always be notified in writing, setting forth the grounds on which the decision adopted was based.

• Appeals
  • In case of refusal of a visa, the applicant can request reconsideration of decision by submitting in person an appeal letter at the Consular Section, as per the following instructions:
    1. ​Appeal can be presented within one month from the date of notification of the rejection.
    2. Appeal letter must be written in Spanish or in Spanish and English and must be duly signed by the applicant. In case of minors, appeal must be signed by the parents/legal guardians.
    3. Appeal letter must mention a telephone contact and an email address.
    4. In case of multiple applications, each applicant must present an individual appeal letter.
    5. Original and one photocopy of the appeal letter must be presented in person in order to be properly registered.
    6. Appeal letter can be presented on any day, except declared holidays, from Monday-Friday, between 9.00-13:00 hours, without any prior appointment.
    7. Appeal letter cannot be sent by email or by post.
    8. Maximum processing period of an appeal is one month. During the processing period, no status queries or requests for expediting the procedures will be entertained.
    9. Once the appeal has been processed, the applicant will be contacted by email directly by the Consular office.
  • An application for judicial review may also be filed with the High Court Justice of Madrid within the 2-month period beginning the day after the date on which the applicant receives notification of the visa refusal or of the dismissal of the reconsideration appeal.

Complaints or suggestions about the service received or about the visa application procedure can be submitted online through this website. They may also be submitted in writing at this Consular Office.