| Reason for Going to Spain | Visa type required | Validity | Number of entries | Documentation required | Rights for dependents | Additional specific conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| You want to go on reconnaissance | Schengen Visa | Ninety Days | Unlimited | If you are not on the list of countries who are automatically granted a Shengen Visa (see Introduction to visas), you will need to apply at a Spanish embassy or consulate in your home country. You can download an application form in both English and Spanish herethat may help your application be processed more quickly. The fees will vary, and it can take up to four months to be processed. | None | Valid only for ninety days in any 180 day period. Non-renewable |
| You are looking for a job | Schengen visa | Ninety Days | Unlimited | If you are not on the list of countries who are automatically granted a Shengen Visa (see Introduction to visas), you will need to apply at a Spanish embassy or consulate in your home country. You can download an application form in both English and Spanish herethat may help your application be processed more quickly. The fees will vary, and it can take up to four months to be processed. | None | Valid only for ninety days in any 180 day period. Non-renewable |
| You have a job and need to relocate | Work Visa | Dependent on Visa Type (usually 3 to 12 months) | Unlimited | Please see the “You have a job and need to relocate” section. | Dependents can live with you in a non-working capacity | Can be renewed online |
| You want to retire | Retirement Visa for Spain. Also called a Visa de Jubilados, this is a residence visa to retire in Spain and allows a foreigner to reside in Spain as a retiree without working (or only working limited hours). | Indefinite. This visa is just like any Permanent Residence visa, except you can only work for 20 hours per week. | Unlimited | As per General Requirements and:Original certificate proving that you receive a pension, and the monthly amount.
Proof of any other source of income and/or properties in Spain (The annual minimum is US$10,000 and is increased by US$1,700 for each dependent). If you own any property in Spain you must bring Original proof of ownership. |
None, although you will need to show additional income of US$1,700 for each dependent you have. | On arrival in Spain, you may be asked to get medical insurance, so you’re not a drain on the Spanish public medical system. This may not be the easiest request for an older person. If you can’t prolong the health insurance you had in your country of origin then try some of the companies listed in Health Care and Medical Insurance. The point is to convince them that you are insured, whether you are or not. See the tips on the Certificado de Empadronamiento above. Also, it helps to speak a little Spanish, be nice, and persist. Going back on different days, or to offices in smaller towns can give you an entirely different result. Hale and hearty 70 year olds are well-respected in Spain, so take advantage. |
| You are going to study | Student Visa (there is more than one type) | Dependent on type. From 90 days to more than 180 days | Unlimited, as long as you are reaching attendance requirements for classes | See “You want to study” section. | None | You must leave before your visa expires and you cannot renew it. |
| You are going for an internship | Work-exempt Visa (if internship is unpaid), or Non-lucrative Visa if you have cash in the bank or your Student Visa if the internship meets certain conditions | Dependent on visa type (usually 3 to 12 months) | Unlimited | As per General Requirements plus documentation proving your enrollment and ability to sustain yourself financially | visa-dependent | visa-dependent |
NOTE:
As well as looking into visas for Spain, it is a good idea to read our “NIE and Residency section.” In some cases, obtaining Spanish residency is much easier than going through the process of applying for a visa. You can apply for residency from inside Spain, within the first 30 days of arriving in the country and it can be renewed indefinitely.
General Requirements for Spanish Visas
For any visa application for Spain, you will probably be asked for the following documents, as well as those specified below for each Spanish visa type. Note that we say ´probably.´ Many parts of Spanish bureaucracy depend on catching the right person on the right day, and this is no exception.
These are the official documentation requirements:
- Your passport, valid for a minimum of six months and three photocopies of the personal information and photo page.
- 4 passport size photos.
- Your original marriage certificate (if you are married to a Spaniard).
- An original certificate of good conduct issued by the police department of the city or cities where you have spent 6 months or more in the last 5 years – with a Spanish translation.
- An original medical certificate, on your doctor’s stationary verifying that you aren´t suffering from, or carrying: yellow fever, cholera, and the plague. Really. The certificate must also certify that you are not suffering from drug addiction and mental illness – with a Spanish translation.
- Proof of medical insurance that will cover you in Spain.
It is also necessary to submit two (2) photocopies of all the documents.
The unofficial version of the above reads like this:
- Your passport, valid for a minimum of six months and TEN photocopies of the personal information and photo page.
- 8 passport size photos.
- Your original marriage certificate (if you are married to a Spaniard), and three photocopies, at least one of them notarised. It is only by doing all of this that you can guarantee the person behind the desk won´t ask you for any of it.
- Forget the original certificate of good conduct; it is almost never necessary unless you are from Morocco. Unfortunately, it´s an unspoken prejudice.
- A medical certificate from any Spanish doctor.
- Convincing arguments that you probably have some kind of medical cover in Spain. For instance: Before you apply for residency, go to your local town hall for your Certificado de Empadronamiento. This is a kind of local registration, and everyone in Spain should be registered in their local area. This is by far the easiest thing to do to pave the way for all other Spanish visa and residency applications. Even if you are in Spain illegally, the local authorities will be happy to give you your Certificate, as all information is confidential (you will never be chased as an over-stayer), and their yearly budgets are increased according to the increasing numbers on their registers. Once you have the Certificado de Empadronamiento, you are entitled to free emergency healthcare and a local healthcare card.
For further visa-specific information, please refer to the appropriate sections that follow.
