All about Spain tourist visa for Indians (Schengen visa): how to apply, documents required and fees

Is the Spain tourist visa for Indians same as Schengen visa?
Where should I apply for Schengen visa for Spain?
What are the Spanish tourist visa requirements? Is it the same for the Schengen visa for Indians?
What is the Schengen visa fee for Indians? Is it the same for all Schengen countries including Spain?

Get answers to all these questions with my own experience of getting a Spain tourist visa from India. Prepare yourself with the handy tips on applying for Schengen visa for Spain as well as other countries. The blog post includes detailed information on all the documents required for the visa process, where you need to apply, processing time, fees involved and more. 

With the famed Bollywood movie- Zindagi na milegi dobara, Spain has been steadily climbing up the travel bucket list charts of many Indians. The picturesque cobblestone streets, the magic of Alhambra and Alcazar of Seville, the blue hues of the Spanish coast – they make a lovely Spanish holiday for all kinds of travelers. If you are getting ready for this, then the first step is getting a Spain tourist visa – viz- Schengen visa for Spain. And that is how I started my prep for the epic Spain trip.

My research for the Spain tourist visa started with a doubt – was this visa the same as the Schengen tourist visa? Google this and you get a BLS visa application site with two headings – short-stay visa and national visa. Go further in, it says tourist visa and takes you to a Spanish website that seems to offer Schengen visa. It took me a few readings on various websites to realize that the Spain tourist visa was the same as Schengen visa for Indians.     

My first visit to Europe took me across several countries and involved a multiple-entry Schengen visa that I got through the French embassy and VFS Global. With Kuoni travel involved, it seemed like a breeze – all I had to do was to follow the documentation requirement that the tour agency gave me and voila – Visa granted! This time around, I chose to apply on my own – solely through the Spanish consulate and BLS India. There were several doubts and clarifications that I sought but in the end – it was a success with me getting my Schengen visa for Spain in less than a week.

This blog post is all about helping you figure the maze of applying for a Schengen visa for Spain from India. I will be taking you through the entire process, explaining the Spain tourist visa requirements, how and where you need to get your appointments and what to keep in mind for a successful visa stamp from Spain. The post also, includes the costs and the details on the Schengen visa fee for Indians.

This post is also for those who are looking to apply for Schengen visas to visit other European countries. 90% of the Spanish Schengen visa formalities are the same for all the countries in the EU (European Union). In this Schengen visa guide, I have also, included information and tips to help you apply for Schengen visa to these other countries. There is a complete section at the end only on the common queries of a Schengen visa for Indians – most of which are through VFS Global and not BLS International. So let’s get going.

About Schengen Visas and countries included

As I discovered Spain tourist visa is the same as a Schengen Visa. You will see me use these two terms interchangeably throughout this article. That said – I feel it is prudent to start with a quick introduction to what exactly are Schengen visas and where exactly are they valid.

There are 28 countries in the Schengen visa list. These countries have an understanding of border control or rather seamless borders. Obtaining a Schengen visa allows you a short visit of 90 days in these Schengen states (all to be done within a 180 days period). Here is the list of these Schengen visa countries –

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria (recent addition)
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania (recent addition)
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland

Where can you get Spain tourist visa for Indians?

For most countries, the application for Schengen visa in India is through VFS Global. In fact, for my first Europe trip in 2014 – 15, I applied for my Schengen visa at VFS Global. At that time, even Spanish visa for Indians was done through them.

However, that has changed for Spain Schengen visa and this time, I had to apply through BLS International.

The BLS India visa application centers for Spain visas are in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Puducherry, Chandigarh and Jalandhar. You need to book an appointment at any of these centers by clicking through this link.

Alternatively, you have an option to book a Doorstep service where the documents, application and biometrics can be collected from your home or office. There is an additional charge for this and you need to get in touch with BLS through their contact form found here. I honestly, do not know how this works as I went ahead with an appointment at the physical office in Bengaluru.

A tip here is to book a Schengen visa appointment at least a month prior to your travel dates to buffer any unforeseen delays owing to improper documentation or even public holidays. There are limited slots per day. Also, keep sufficient time – say around 5 days to gather all your documents for the BLS visa application for Spain. In my case, I had over a week from the time I booked my BLS Spain visa appointment to the actual submission and trust me, this really helped get all my documents in place.

P.S: This is the same if you are applying through VFS Global for any other Schengen visa. Keep at least a week’s buffer to gather the documents and book your appointment at least a month prior to your travel dates.  

What are the Spain visa fees for Indians? (Cost of Schengen visa)

The cost of a Spain Schengen tourist visa for Indians in 2024 is INR 7275 per passport. This is the base fee that is similar to almost all Schengen visas. In addition to this fee for Spanish visa for Indians, you will need to be prepared to spend on the following –

• BLS Visa service fee – INR 1537 per passport
• Courier Fee – INR 600 per passport (if you wish, you can avoid this and pick up your passport at the BLS international center)
• SMS Fee – INR 200 per passport (optional, the SMS intimates you on the status of your passport, visa and courier. You can also, track this online for free)
• Call back service (STS) – INR 350. I am not sure if this is mandatory but I wasn’t asked for an option and it was added to my bill
• Courier Assurance – INR 145. Again not sure if this is required but it was added to the bill.

The total cost of Schengen visa from India for Spain came up to INR 10107 per passport. This amount has to be paid at the counter in BLS International when you submit your documents. Note that this payment for Spain tourist visa can only be made in cash. They do not accept cards or UPI payments.

Once you pay, don’t forget to collect your receipt with the barcode. This barcode number is your Schengen visa tracking ID – used to track or refer to your application.

Spain tourist visa requirements (Key documents for Schengen visa application from India)

To be honest, this is where your maximum time and focus will be when applying for a Schengen visa for any country. The first time around too, I spent time gathering this list. Every document in the list needs to be printed or photocopied – which honestly is a huge waste of paper.

In my case, since we were applying for a family Schengen visa, the amount of paperwork was triple. Note that you have to follow this document list for every single passport that you are submitting. There is no shortcut to this.

While the Schengen visa requirements for Indians are almost the same across the countries, you must always check the specific country website for the finer details. The Spain tourist visa requirements clearly state that they would like the photocopies to be printed in a front and back manner. (Thank heaven! Less use of paper). The Netherlands visa on the other hand, I believe requires you to fill the Schengen form online.

Here are the key documents required for the Spain Schengen visa for Indian tourists. Every document in the list below is mandatory.

1. Schengen Visa Application form – downloaded from the Spain consulate website

The Spain tourist visa form will have the headings in English and Spanish. Do not use any other country’s Schengen visa form.

Fill in the details exactly as they are in your passport. There is a section on whether you have family in any of the EU nations. Fill this only if you are visiting them or are being sponsored by them. Else skip it.

I recommend a dummy form to be filled out first so that you do not make mistakes in the final form. I also, suggest that you fill this form right at the end – after you have gathered all your documents so that the particulars included are clear.

Use this link to download the Schengen visa form for other countries.

2. Recent and unexpired passport

Your Indian passport should has a validity of at least 6 months after your planned date of departure from Spain. A minimum of 2 blank pages has to be there. Take a copy of this for your reference before you submit the original to BLS.

3. Copies of past travel visas or stamps

If you have traveled in the past, you should take photocopies of those visas and travel stamps. Include your old passport if required – especially if you have had a UK, Schengen or US Visa included It adds weight to your application for the Spain tourist visa.

Along with the copies of the old stamps, please carry your last expired passport with you. For both my Schengen tourist visa applications (old and the most recent one), the officer attached the old passport along with my new passport and sent it for processing.

4. The Latest Photograph clicked in a specific format

Schengen passport-sized photographs require a non-smiling face with a full face cover against a white background. If you are wearing spectacles, you will have to remove those or ensure they do not have reflective glass. You need only one – which has to be pasted on the Schengen visa application for Indians.

5. Travel medical insurance

One of the mandates for the Spain tourist visa for Indians is travel medical insurance. In fact, they have two recommended options for the best Schengen visa travel insurance – TATA AIG travel insurance and Reliance. Make sure your policy covers repatriation costs for medical reasons or death, as well as for urgent healthcare and/or emergency hospital treatment fo​r the entire stay.

A key requirement for the Schengen visa for Indian tourists is that the insurance coverage is at least €30,000 or an equivalent amount in Indian rupees.

6. Flight bookings

You have to include a copy of your flight bookings in this docket of Schengen visa documents for Indians. To quote the line from the Spain tourist visa website – “It is advisable not to buy the air ticket until the visa has been granted.” This essentially means that you can get dummy tickets for your trip.

Dummy tickets are air tickets that are blocked in your name for a few days. However, they are not confirmed till you pay for them. A Dummy ticket will have a relevant PNR number and can be issued by a travel agent.

When I sought these tickets, I came by conflicting suggestions where one travel agent said that your visa can get rejected. This is when I called the BLS Spain tourist visa helpline and confirmed with them that the Dummy tickets could be included in the Schengen visa application. I went ahead with the same as it reduced the risk of losing money in case my visa did not come on time.

Alternately, you can book refundable fares (which cost slightly higher) and submit the proof of travel.

7. Proof of stay – hotel vouchers or resident address.

Hotel vouchers or Airbnb bookings are absolutely fine. You can use Booking.com to book at zero advance for the hotels and submit the vouchers for the purpose of Schengen visa for Spain or any other country.

Also, note that you have to show hotel bookings for the entire duration of the stay. In my case, my rough itinerary included at least three places and hence, I had to book three hotels to show the same. If you are visiting any other Schengen country from Spain or before Spain, then you need to show hotel vouchers in that country.

In case you are staying with relatives, you need to get an invite letter from them. Note though that the invitation letter has to be issued by the Spanish police. Other Schengen countries have similar mandates. Do check the relevant websites for this particular case scenario.

8. Financial documents to be included for the Schengen tourist visa for applicants.

Spain or any of the Schengen countries need you to show that you are economically sound enough to handle the expenses of the trip and return back home. For this, you need to include the following –

8.a) Bank statements

You need six months of your savings account statement – duly stamped and sealed by the bank. Most banks like ICICI bank and HDFC bank are happy to stamp and seal your printouts. Alternately, you can just go to the bank and ask them to provide the same.

You also, need to ensure that you have a minimum balance of INR 1,00,000 in your account for a 10-12 day trip. This is per person.

In case you are going as a family or have a sponsor, besides your statement, you need to attach a similar statement from your sponsor (stamped and sealed). For a family travel, between your statement and that of your better half, you need to ensure that the balance showcased in your statements covers the entire family. (kids or parents included)

Note that for the Spain tourist visa, they only accept savings account statements. They were not interested in the fixed deposit statement or proof.

8.b) Income tax returns (ITR-V or Form 16) for the last two years

If you have a sponsor, ensure you include their statement as well as yours.

8.c) Photocopy of the Permanent Account Number (PAN) card

For kids and students who do not have this, some Schengen countries ask for school or college ID cards along with a letter from the school stating that they are a student there and are going on a vacation with their parents. I took this for my daughter but the Spain tourist visa application did not need it.

8.d) Salary slips for the last three months

This is pretty straightforward for the salaried individual. In fact, during my first Europe trip I was working as a full time employee and it was a breeze. This time around, being a freelancer landed me in a tricky situation.

Given that I do not have a registered company, I did not want to declare myself as a business owner. A business owner would have to provide GST details, company registration etc. I could have declared myself as a travel writer in the cover letter with proof of invites and work for various tourism boards. However, since this was a self-funded vacation and not a sponsored tour, I decided to keep it simple and easy  I just declared myself as a dependent and added my hubby as a sponsor. This is where the next document came handy for both me and my daughter.

8.e) Sponsor letter to be included in the application of Schengen visa for Indians

Here is a copy of the letter that I submitted with my application as well as that of my daughter. It was signed by my sponsor (hubby in my case). As you can see, it details out the relationship, purpose of travel, sponsor finance arrangements and itinerary. You can edit the same based on your requirements.

This sponsor letter format can be used across all Schengen applications.

8.f) Letter of employment and leave

If you are a salaried employee, you need to get a letter from your organization on their letterhead stating that you have been employed in the organization from x date and are going on leave for a visit to Spain.

I got a similar one done from my daughter’s school and also, included her ID card as proof of student. While the BLS visa for Spain took only her ID card copy, I am told that the French consulate insists on the letter.

9) Copy of payment of Schengen visa fee for Indians

This will be provided by the BLS team when you submit the documents.

​​10) Cover letter

Last but not least in the Spain tourist visa checklist, is a strong cover letter that details your purpose, itinerary and the documents that you are including in your Schengen visa application. The above image is the cover letter that I included in my visa application for Spain. You can use the same and edit as required for your purpose.

This cover letter is mandatory for all Schengen visa applications from India.

Tips for the Spain tourist visa appointment

Having done my Schengen visa appointment twice, here are some handy tips that you need to keep in mind while booking and preparing for the same.

• Book for a date at least a month before you travel date. I have already covered details on why this is a better option.
• When booking a Schengen visa appointment, you can apply as an individual or a family. Picking a family Schengen visa appointment ensures that all the passports and documents are presented in one single bundle.
• Every appointment slot is for 15 minutes. Make sure you are at the BLS center 15 minutes prior to your slot.
• There is a Spain tourist visa appointment fee you need to pay. This is around INR 1500 per person. The payment has to be made online while booking your slot
• There is a privilege counter which includes a one-on-one service. You can book this VIP appointment and you get access to photocopy machines, internet etc along with guidance. This is charged higher. If you have all your documents in place, then I don’t think you should opt for this. It has no bearing on whether you get your Spain tourist visa or not
• Keep a gap of at least five days before your appointment to gather your documents.
• Prepare a proper docket for every passport that you are submitting. I kept a Spain tourist visa checklist in front of me and arranged the documents in an order. While stapling the pages of your photocopy, keep each document separate. That is staple only the copies of the passport together, do not staple them with your tax documents.
• Carry a small stationery kit with a stapler, glue stick and a pen
• Don’t forget to carry cash for your Spain tourist visa fees to be paid at BLS International.
• After your documents are cleared, you have to go to biometrics section where they will take a photo of you and register the fingerprints of both hands.
• After the submission of documents, make sure you have the Schengen visa fee receipt with you. This will have a barcode to check your Schengen visa status online.

What is the typical Spain tourist visa processing time?

If your documents are in order, you should be able to get your tourist visa for Spain within 15 working days from the date of submission. I, in fact, got it within five working days. In case there is something missing or needs clarification, then the consulate will either email or call you.

15 business days are typically the Schengen visa processing time from India for most countries.

Visiting other Europe Schengen Visa countries

It is common to combine a visit to Spain with a few other European countries. As long as they belong to the Schengen union, you do not need a separate visa for these. Note though – there are rules to decide which country and consulate you have to apply to for Schengen visa in India.

• The country where you are going to spend maximum time will take priority. It does not necessarily have to be the port of entry. The first time I applied for a Schengen tourist visa, I was visiting 8 countries and though my first entry was The Netherlands, I applied for my visa through the French embassy as I had maximum stay here. I could have applied to Switzerland or Italy as I had the same number of days in these countries but this is where rule two below comes into play.
• If you have the same number of days in more than one country, then the first country that you are visiting in that list will be the one where you have to apply for your visa. In the order of my journey during the first Europe trip, it was France, then Switzerland and Italy.

Types of Schengen tourist visa for Indians

Schengen tourist visas are of four types

• Type A Visa is the Schengen transit visa that you will need if you are transiting through Schengen nations. These only allow you to disembark at the airport but not leave the airport.
• LTV visas or Limited Territorial validity visas allow you to visit limited Schengen countries that you have applied for within a 180 day period for a maximum stay of 90 days in total.
• Type C Schengen Visa allows you to travel across all Schengen nations for a maximum period of 90 days – within a 180-day period. This is what I got for both my trips.
• Type D Visas are long stay visas for beyond 90 days. Used by students or business travelers. This is not in the scope of our discussion on how to get Schengen visa in India for visiting Europe on a holiday.

Besides this, your Europe tourist visa from India will have another stamp that mentions single entry or multiple entry. Multiple-entry visa means you can enter any Schengen states multiple times within the 180-day validity period. Single entry is only for one single entry during the stipulated time.

Both times, I got a multiple-entry Schengen visa. Your Schengen visa form usually has an option to choose this. Also, there is no difference in the Schengen visa multiple entry cost and single entry cost. Even the Schengen visa processing time for Indians for either of these is the same.

How long is the Schengen Visa for Indians valid?

Usually the validity of the first-time Schengen Visa is between one month to six months – depending on your itinerary. For me, the first Schengen visa was valid for six months as I was visiting multiple countries. This time around for the Spain visa for Indian tourists, I was given a validity of one month as I had a clear itinerary of only one country.

You can get longer Schengen visas provided you have used the short-stay Schengen visas multiple times in subsequent years. For example, 1-year multiple-entry Schengen visa is granted if you have applied for and used your short-stay visas at least three times in the last two years. Remember this does not include three Schengen stays using the same 90-day stay period. You should have applied afresh thrice and used each visa once in the last two years.

Similarly, if you have applied twice for your one-year visa in the last 2 years, you get an extended Schengen permit of 3 years or more.

Isn’t UK a part of the Schengen visa scheme?

No, United Kingdom is not a part of the Schengen nations. You have to get a separate visa for entering UK

Is it possible to cancel or reschedule the Spain tourist visa appointment at BLS International?

If for some unforeseen situation, you have to change your appointment date, you can reschedule it for free on the BLS website. You can even cancel your appointment but if you do so, you will not be refunded the Visa appointment fee paid already.

Which is the easiest Schengen visa country to apply for as an Indian?

France and Switzerland are believed to be the easiest Schengen visa countries. I did not have any issues with a Spain tourist visa either. You just need to have the right paperwork to get your visa through.

What if I want to go to UK and Spain or any other Schengen countries in the same trip?

This was exactly my situation during my first Europe trip. I planned a visit to both – UK and the rest of Europe. Since I was entering UK first, I applied for UK tourist visa first and only after I got the same, I applied for Schengen Visa through France.

Whichever is your port of entry first, (UK or Schengen), you need to apply for that visa at the earliest. Remember to buffer enough time for both the visa applications. The average Schengen visa processing time from India is 15 days. UK visas for Indians on the other hand, might take a little more time.  

I will keep updating this blog post regularly to give you the latest on Spain visa for Indians and other Schengen visas. Do share the post if you find it useful and feel free to ask any queries that you might have in the comments below.

Before you go, pin this

You might also like these posts –

• Things to do in Seville, Spain
• Best of Barcelona Attractions
• Things to do in Granada
• Things to do in Munich
• Visiting Keukenhof: Essential Tips for a Memorable Experience (2024 guide)
• Amsterdam vs Rotterdam: Which Dutch City Should You Explore?