A Spain Airport Transit Visa is a permit to stop at a Spanish airport, without leaving the international airport area, in order to get another flight, to your non-Schengen destination country.
It permits you to remain in that airport for a maximum of 24 hours. Before starting the procedures to get such a visa, first make sure to check whether you need a Spain Airport Transit Visa or not.
Application for a Spain Airport Transit Visa
The Spanish Airport Transit Visa is the easiest visa for Spain to get. The application procedures are very similar, almost identical, as when applying for a Spain short-stay visa. Yet, getting an airport visa is quite easier.
Check whether you need to apply for a Spain Transit Visa
First, you are highly recommended to check whether you need this visa or not. Check if your country is listed above, and if yes, check if you are exempt from the requirement by any chance.
Nationals of 25 world countries need a Spain Airport Transit Visa. Without this visa, the passport holders of these countries with not be able to transit Spain, and they will have to return to their departure country.
You will need a Spanish Transit Visa if you are a national of:
- A country under the EU common list of third countries in need of an Airport Transit Visa
- Cameroon
- Côte D’Ivoire
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Gambia
- Guinea
- Guinea Bissau
- Jordan
- Liberia
- Mali
- Sierra Leona
- Syria
- Togo
Yet, even if you are a national of one of the countries listed above you may still be exempt from the airport visa requirement.
Complete the application form and submit the required documents
Secondly, complete the visa application form, giving all the required information. Though you will not be staying in Spain, you still need to submit some documents for a Spain Airport Visa.
There is a short list of supporting documents required for a Spain Airport Transit Visa. Find this list below:
- Visa Application Form. The form for a Spanish Airport visa is the same as for a short-stay visa. Complete the form with correct information. Print it twice, and then sign both copies at the end.
- One photo, taken according to the EU standards.
- Valid Passport. Your passport must have a minimum validity of three months beyond the day you plan to transit Spain.
- Copies of passport pages. Submit A4 copies of the pages containing personal data, previous visas and residence permits.
- Proof of onward travel. Note that you must be capable of proving where you are going, and that you are permitted to enter that country. You can do so by submitting the following:
- Visa to your destination country, if you need one.
- Booked ticket to your destination country.
- Health Insurance. Even though you will not be stepping outside the international zone of the Spanish airport where you will lank, you still need health insurance. Make sure it covers the whole territory of Schengen, with a minimum value of €30,000. You will need it in case of any illness or accident that may occur while you are in Spain.
- Proof of paid visa fee.
Make an appointment
Then make a visa appointment at the Spanish consulate or visa center, where you will need to submit your documents and attend a short interview with the visa consular. You will also need to give your biometric information if this is the first time you are traveling through Schengen.
Pay the Spain transit visa fee
Usually, during the appointment, you will also need to pay the visa fee. In some countries, you may need to pay the visa fee on the day you make the visa appointment, i.e. in Morocco.
The cost of this visa for adults is 80, 40 for children under 12 years old, and free of charge for those under the age of 6 years.
Note that you also need to pay an extra fee to the visa application center.
After all these procedures, you should wait for a reply on your application.
Validity of a Spain Airport Transit Visa
A Spain Airport Transit Visa is valid for a maximum of 24 hours. Some of the airports allow you to remain there for a shorter period, i.e. 6 hours. You must check with the flight-booking agency for more information in this regard.