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What documents do I need for a Spanish Schengen visa application?

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You need a signed application form, a recent photo, a passport issued within the last 10 years and valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen area, travel medical insurance of at least €30,000, the visa fee, and documents showing the purpose of the trip, enough money, accommodation and your intention to leave.

Key facts

What The law says Source
Application form Completed and signed; a parent signs for a minor Consulate General in London, “Required documents” 1
Photo Recent, passport-size, colour, light background Consulate General in London, “Required documents” 2; Commission: ICAO standard
Passport Valid at least 3 months after you plan to leave the Schengen area; issued within the last 10 years RD 1155/2024, art. 6(2); Commission guidance
Travel medical insurance Minimum cover €30,000, valid in all Schengen states, for the whole stay Visa Code, art. 15(3)
Visa fee Paid when you apply Consulate General in London, “Required documents” 5
Supporting documents Purpose of the trip, enough money, accommodation, intention to leave before the visa expires Commission guidance; Consulate General in London, “Required documents” 6
Fingerprints Taken at application; not for under-12s or if taken in the last 59 months Consulate General in London, “Procedure”

The core list

The European Commission’s guidance lists a valid passport, the application form, a photo meeting ICAO standards, medical insurance covering emergency care, hospitalisation and repatriation (including in case of death), and supporting documents about the purpose of the stay, your financial means and accommodation, and your intention to go home afterwards. Consulates may ask for more.

Passport rules

Spain’s immigration regulation, following EU law, says a passport used to enter must stay valid at least three months after the planned departure from the Schengen area and must have been issued within the previous ten years (RD 1155/2024, art. 6(2)). For multiple-entry visas, the Commission says the three months count from your departure from the last country visited. The Spanish Consulate General in London also asks for at least two blank pages and a copy of the biometric data page.

Consulate practice

The London consulate’s page, which is a Spanish consular office’s own guidance, says it accepts an application only if it includes the form, the photo, the passport and the fee. It may request missing or extra documents, or call you for an interview. It also asks for proof that you live in its consular district. Requirements for that last point differ by consulate, so check the page of the Spanish consulate that covers where you live.

Sources

  1. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs: Applying for a Schengen visa, section 'What documents are needed to apply?' (page dated 2 December 2025) checked 2026-10-25
  2. Consulate General of Spain in London: Schengen visas, 'Required documents' and 'Procedure' (page dated 6 September 2024) checked 2026-10-25
  3. Real Decreto 1155/2024, Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000 (immigration regulation), art. 6 (consolidated text, BOE) checked 2026-10-25
  4. Reglamento (CE) n.º 810/2009, Código comunitario sobre visados (Visa Code), art. 15, original text, DO L 243 of 15.9.2009 (Spanish edition, BOE copy) checked 2026-10-25
  5. Orden PRE/1282/2007, de 10 de mayo, on the financial means foreigners must prove to enter Spain (consolidated text, BOE) checked 2026-10-25
  6. Orden PRE/1283/2007, de 10 de mayo, on invitation letters from private individuals (consolidated text, BOE) checked 2026-10-25

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This is general information, not legal advice, and Lumen is not a law firm. Rules change and offices differ: check the official sources above before you act. Found something wrong or out of date? Write to support@lumen.observer.