Tips On How To Apply For Spain Tourist Visa: For Indian Citizens In US

To visit Spain for the purpose of tourism or business, you need to apply for a Schengen Tourist Visa. A tourist visa allows you to stay up to 90 days. I was going to visit Spain in June 2019 and applied for the tourist visa in April 2019, i.e. about 2 months prior to my departure date. Note that you cannot apply earlier than 90 days from your departure date. 

Basically, under the Schengen Agreement, if you are visiting to any of these countries i.e. Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, you will need to apply for a Schengen tourist visa at the Consulate of that particular country.

If you intend to visit only one Schengen country, you must apply at the Consulate of that particular country. However, if you intend to visit several Schengen countries, you must apply at the consulate of your main destination (i.e. where you are spending the most days). In my case, I was also traveling to Portugal during the same trip. But since I was going to spend maximum days in Spain, I applied at the Consulate of Spain.

Step 1: Gather all your documents
  1. Passport issued in the last ten years and valid for at least three months counting from      the expected date of returned to the US. 
  2. Green Card or valid visa (such as H1B, F1/F2, L1/L2, H4) in the United States. The visa or Green Card must be valid to renter the US after your trip to Spain. B1/B2 visa holders do not qualify to apply for a visa in this Consulate Office.
  3. Planned travel itinerary.
  4. Printout of a round trip airline ticket reservation.
  5. Printout of hotel reservations or an original letter of invitation from a Citizen or a Legal Resident of Spain issued by the local police station.
  6. Original letter of employment stating your job title, length of time employed and annual salary. For professional or business trips the letter should also indicate the dates and purpose of the trip. If you are self-employed, you must bring the last tax return document.
  7. Copy of your latest bank statement. You should have NO less than $100 per person and day you are staying in the Schengen area.
  8. Proof of Health/Travel Accident insurance coverage in the Schengen area stating you will be covered 100% with no deductibles or co-pays for a minimum coverage of 30,000 Euros or its equivalent in US dollars. If your health insurance company cannot provide a letter proving this coverage, you will need to purchase travel insurance for the days of your trip. We purchased the AXA Schengen low cost package. Note that the consulate does not accept insurance cards.
  9. If you are applying for a visa for a minor (under 18) either both parents must be present at the time of application or the parent who is applying must have a notarized signed authorization from the other.
  10. One 2 inch x 2 inch (US passport size) photo on white background.
  11. Pre-Paid US 'Express Mail envelope from the Post Office if you wish to have your passport returned by mail. 
  12. 'Money Order' to pay the non-refundable visa fee of $68 or cash in exact change.There is no fee for children younger than 6 years of age. The fee for children between 6 and 12 is $ 40. 

 Step 2: Fill out the visa application form. It can be downloaded from here.

Step 3: Once you are ready with all your documents along with your visa application form, the next step will be to visit the Consulate of Spain according to your jurisdiction. Being Maryland residents we were supposed to apply at the Spanish Embassy in Washington DC. The Spanish Embassy in Washington DC doesn't require you to schedule any appointments prior to your visit. You can walk-in during their regular business hour. However, please do check for their office hours and holidays on their website.

The tourist visa process is very simple and the embassy staff is extremely efficient and responsive. Our passports arrived within 3 working days. Below are some tips based on my visit to the Embassy of Spain that will help you have a hassle free visa process:
  1. Make sure you reach by 8:45 am preferably on Wednesday/Thursday: The consulate opens at 9 am but people line up outside from 8 am. We reached at 8:45 am and there were about 10 people in front of us (for visa and passport pick up or renewal). The door opens at 9 am sharp and everyone has to go through the security check-in which took about 10 mins. Three counters were open and the line moved very fast. Once in, our turn came in 5-7 mins.
  2. Keep all your documents arranged in the order mentioned on their checklist: The lady at the counter was super fast, professional and polite. Upon looking around, I saw that every one behind the counters were very helpful and nice. She checked our docs, took the fees and gave us the acknowledgement receipt. She asked us to wait and said that our names will be called for the fingerprints and photos. No questions asked. We had to hardly wait for 5 mins. The lady who took our fingerprints and photos was also very nice and helpful. 
  3. For family applications just one set of supporting documents and one pre-stamped, self-addressed USPS Express mail envelope is required.
  4. We parked using the Spot Hero app at Impark Parking, 2345 L St NW. It is right in front of the Embassy of Spain. $13 early bird parking for 12 hours if you enter between 7 am to 9 am.