Who Needs a Spain Short-Stay Business Visa?
Nationals of quite a lot of countries will need to apply for a visa to Spain, before traveling there for business. Yet, you will not need to get a Spain visa for business doing, if you are a national of any of the following:
- EU member states.
- EFTA countries.
- The 62 world countries under the Schengen visa-free regime.
You will also be exempt from the Spain business visa requirement if you are residing in any of the Schengen countries with a residence permit, as long as your residence permit is valid.
On the other hand, if you hold a passport issued by any of the world countries not listed above, you will have to apply for a business visa, in order to be permitted to enter Spain under such purposes. Please pay attention that if you are planning to apply for a long-stay visa to Spain, you should check who needs a long-term visa to Spain.
How to Apply for a Spain Business Visa?
If you want to travel to Spain for business purposes and you need a visa to do so, you must follow a whole procedure to get one. Note that it is crucial for you, to follow all of the steps for Spain business visa application in the correct order and according to the criteria set by the Spanish authorities.
Following find all of the procedures for Spain business visa application explained clearly in detail:
- Check where you need to submit your application.
- Figure out when is the right time to apply.
- Schedule a visa appointment.
- Complete the Spain Business Visa Application Form.
- Collect the documents.
- Attend the visa interview.
- Complete the visa fee payment.
Check Where You Need to Submit Your Application
Depending on the Spanish authorities in your country of residence, you may have to submit your visa application at any of the following:
- The Spanish embassy, in your country of residence.
- A Spanish consulate, in your country of residence.
- A Visa Application Center that processes business visas on behalf of Spain in your country of residence.
- The embassy/consulate/VAC of another Schengen country located in your country of residence, to which Spain has outsourced visa processing.
- Any of the above located in a neighboring country, processing Spanish visas for the residents of your country on behalf of Spain.
Figure out When Is the Right Time to Apply
The earliest that you can submit your visa application for a business visa to Spain is six months before the intended date of your trip. On the other hand, the latest that you can do so, is two weeks before the day you plan to travel to Spain.
It is recommended to apply at least three weeks in advance, in order to avoid any possible delay by the embassy.
Schedule a Visa Appointment
Spanish embassies/consulates/VACs do not accept walk-in applications. Thus, you will need to make an appointment with them. You will be able to make the appointment either through their website, or through a phone call.
Complete the Spain Business Visa Application Form
Next, complete the application form for a Spain business visa. In fact, the application form for a Spanish visa is the same as for every short-stay visa to the Schengen area. Answer all questions with correct information that complies with the info in the rest of the required documents.
Print the form, and then sign it. This document should be placed at the top of the file with the required documents.
Collect the Documents for a Business visa
With a completed application form in your hands, you can proceed collecting the rest of the required documents.
Following find a full list of the documents required for a Spanish business visa, each explained clearly:
- The Spain Business Visa Application form, as explained above.
- Two photos. They must be identical and no older than three months. Make sure they are taken according to the Schengen visa photo specifications.
- Your Valid Passport. Your passport must be valid for three months more after the date you plan to depart Spain.
- Copies of passport pages, with info and visa stickers and stamps on them.
- Flight Booking, that confirms you have a saved seat on a flight to Spain and back, with your name, as well as the dates and places of arrival and departure in it.
- Work certificate, which mentions your position, salary, and date of starting the post.
- Letter of invitation from the company in Spain written in Spanish, in which it states the business relation that justifies your trip. It should also include the purpose of the trip and duration of your stay in Spain.
- Spain Travel Health Insurance, covering any incident or unforeseen illness with a minimum of 30.000€, that occur in Spain and any other Schengen country.
- Means of Subsistence. You need to prove that you have enough money to support yourself while in Spain. If you will be staying 10 days or less you must prove you have about 575€. On the other hand, if plan to stay more than 10 days, you must prove you have 71€ for every day of planned stay in Spain. You can present the following as evidence:
- Your bank account statements.
- A letter of support, if someone else is going to finance your trip. They should submit their bank statements alongside with the letter.
- Hotel booking, which contains your name, the dates of stay, and the details of the hotel.
- Proof of civil status (marriage certificate, birth certificate of children, death certificate of spouse, ration card if applicable).
Note that according to your nationality, and your situation, you may be asked to submit additional documents. Try to submit these documents within the period given by the embassy.
Attend the Visa Interview
Once you have everything ready, you should wait for the day of your visa appointment. On this day, you will attend a short interview with a consular officer. The latter will ask you questions regarding your trip to Spain and your background. You will have to submit the documents you have collected to this person, who will check them all.
On the day of the interview, either before or after you meet the interviewer, you will also have your fingerprints scanned and your facial image taken. This procedure will not be required if you have already given your biometric info to a Schengen consulate within the last 5 years.
Complete the Visa Fee Payment
On the same day, you will also need to pay the fee for a Spain business visa, which is €80. Yet, due to visa facilitation agreements, the nationals of several world countries have to pay a lower fee of €35.
Check our full list of the Schengen visa fees for more information in this regard.
How Long Does it Take To Get a Business Visa for Spain?
You should receive an answer on your Spain business visa application within two weeks of application. Yet, there are two cases when this period may be extended.
- The Spanish authorities in your country are receiving too many visa applications at the time.
- You have a complicated case, and your application needs further assessment.
In cases like that, you may have to wait for about 30 days for an answer.
Spain Business Visa Validity
The validity of a Spain visa for business doing is decided by the Spanish embassy that processes your visa application. A visa can be issued with a maximal validity of 90 days within six months.
Usually, you will be granted with a visa that is valid for the period you required, if this period is shorter than three months within half a year. Yet, the embassy may grant you a visa that is valid for longer or shorter than the required period.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if my application is rejected?
If the Spanish authorities refuse to grant you a business visa, they will provide you with a letter with the reasons behind such a decision. If you believe that the decision has been taken by mistake or unjustly, you can always appeal it.
You can do so by writing a Schengen visa appeal letter, and submitting it to the authorities that processed your application.
Can I travel to other countries with a Spain business visa?
A Spanish short-stay visa permits you to visit other Schengen countries, as long as the visa is valid. Yet some of the visas may have limited territorial validity. This means you will be permitted to travel only to some particular countries in Schengen, and not to all of them.
You will have this information in your visa-sticker, so pay attention to it.
Can I work in Spain with a business visa?
No, you cannot work in Spain with a business visa. A business visa permits you to engage only in unpaid activities. To work in Spain, you should instead apply for a Spanish work visa.
What is the easiest way to get a Spain business visa?
The easiest way to get a Spain Business visa is to apply for one correctly. You should pay attention to the following:
- Apply on time at the right place.
- Collect all documents according to the criteria set.
- Do not be late at the interview, and prepare your answers beforehand.
If you do these three, then the chances that your application will be rejected are much lower.