Here’s How To Apply For A Tourist Visa To Spain

La España is a beautiful exotic country in the European continent that shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal towards the western part of the Mediterranean Sea. It has a relaxed lifestyle like Italy, spectacular cuisine, and a vivacious night scene. It is home to various cultural heritages like the cathedrals of Serville, the grand mosque in Córdoba, Granada, fossilized dinosaur tracks in La Rioja, and lush fauna and flora in Tenerife.

It is also famous for its festivals like the “Running of the Bulls”, Cascamorras festival, La Tomatina, and the Cadiz carnivals. Its vibrant cities include Barcelona, Madrid, Ibiza, Valencia, and Malaga. It is the perfect destination for a fun weekend.

Spain is a member of the European Union and the Schengen agreement, so as a Nigerian citizen, you’ll need a Schengen tourist visa from Spain to tour the country. Although, if you have a general Schengen visa, you might not need one, you can just include Spain as a destination when applying.

Spanish Visa

A Spanish visa is an official stamp endorsed on your passport by the consulate officials of Spain which allows you to visit Spain. When trying to get a Spanish visa, you must be honest about your true intentions for a visit, so that the consulate officer doesn’t think you intend to be an illegal immigrant in the country. There are different types of Spanish visas available for Nigerian citizens based on the purpose of your visit and the length of your visit.

Types of Spanish Visas Available are as follows:

• Travel visa: This visa type is granted to anyone traveling to Spain for vacation, tourism, and recreational activities or seeing friends and family who reside in Spain. This highest visa duration is usually 90 days.
• Business visa: This is granted to foreign visitors, who intend to speak with business associates, negotiate terms of a business agreement, attend a scientific, educational, professional, or business meeting, retreat, or conference, and settle an estate in Spain.
• Transit visa: This is a travel permit granted for transit through Spain for 72 hours if you’ll need to enter Spain on your travel to a different country via car, or train or if you are traveling to join a ship as a member of the crew. You might not need to submit an application for this visa.
• Student visa: This is granted to international students who intend to study at a Spanish educational institution for short or long-term courses.
• Work Visa: This is issued to expatriates who intend to work legally in Spain. This can either be long or short-term.

If you’re wondering how to apply for a Spanish tourist visa from Nigeria, you’ll have to apply using the Spanish Visa Application center (VFS global), it is practically like applying for a Schengen visa but for only Spain, which is your major and only destination.  

This is a detailed guide on how to go about it. These are the necessary documents for your Spanish Schengen visa application:

1. First of all, download, complete, and sign the Schengen visa application form. You can also electronically fill in the form for a Schengen Spanish Visa and print it out.
2. One passport photo is to be attached; the photo must have the following format 35-40 mm full-face capture, recently taken, and white background.
3. Nigerian International passport as well as copies of your previous expired or valid visas to the US, UK, Asia, or Australia, entry and exit stamps. A passport must be valid for at least 6 months prior to your departure and must be less than 10 years old. The passport must have at least three blank pages. 
4. Three Clear color photocopies of your international passport bio-data page.
5. Travel insurance policy that covers any medical emergency with hospital care and travels back to Nigeria in adverse cases. This health insurance policy has to cover expenses up to €30,000, the sum has to be valid in all Schengen countries and it must be purchased before picking up the visa.
6. A copy of your round-trip flight reservation ticket for the time intended to be traveling.
7. A copy of your accommodation details if you’ll be staying in a hotel.
8. Documents to prove your current financial status and ability to afford the trip, transportation, accommodation, and spending costs. Your last 6 months’ bank statement will be preferred.

NOTE: In a case where you don’t have a bank account or don’t possess enough funds to cater for your total expenses during the trip and you’re visiting friends or relatives, you may ask them to sign an “official affidavit of support” issued by the competent authorities in Spain. If the sponsor is not a citizen, please include a residence permit. Ensure that you carry the original document when applying for the visa.

A Bank Draft in Convertible Currency

1. A formal invitation by a relative/friend residing in Spain.
2. A detailed description of your trip’s itinerary, the purpose of traveling, the duration, and intended tourist visits with dates written down in a letter.
3. Your Personal Income Tax returns for the last three years.
4. A reference letter from the employer if any.
5. Proof of physical address. A utility bill can cover this.
6. Social media pages if applicable.
7. Police clearance certificate to prove that you have no legal issues pending or a criminal record.
8. Receipt of Visa Application Fee and VFS Global service charges where applicable (This is collected at the GT bank counter in the visa application center).
9. Applicants below the age of 18 years must provide a copy of his/her birth certificate, parent’s letter of consent, and a National Identity card.
10. Other documents, specified by the consular officer of Spain.

Visa Application Fees

The approved standard visa application fee for the Spanish Schengen visa is €80 for Adults and €40 for Minors under the age of 12 years.  The payment is made at the GT bank counter at the VFS global office. Take note that you might be charged extra for biometric data collection for The Visa Information System and visa application center extra services.

Visa Application Process

The visa applications are submitted at the visa application centers in Lagos and Abuja. Applications submitted will be assessed by The Consulate General of Spain, located in Lagos. 

Note that a personal interview with the consulate immigration officer may require at The Consulate General of Spain in Lagos before a decision can be made on your visa application. The Visa Application Centre will assist you to place an appointment for this interview.

To complete your visa application process, you must bring along your Spanish Schengen visa application form and all necessary supporting documents mentioned above to the visa application center between 08:00 AM to 14:00 PM on Mondays – Fridays for submission, except on Nigerian and Spanish public holidays.

Collection of passports back from the VFS Visa Application Centre is from 11:00 AM to 16:00PM on Mondays – Fridays as well. If you want a representative to collect your passport on your behalf, you must include a letter of authority at the submission counter while submitting your visa application documents.

Biometric Data Collection

Biometric details will be collected from you at the visa application center for the visa information system; this helps to ascertain your identity and travel status. This is done in a quick, discreet process that captures a facial image with a digital camera and a 10-digit fingerprint scan with a digital finger scanner.

Your face must be clearly visible for a photograph to be taken. If you wear a head or neck covering for religious reasons you must ensure your face is clearly visible, from the bottom of your chin to above your eyebrows including both cheeks. You may also need to remove your glasses when the photograph is taken.

Covid 19 Requirements to Travel to Spain

To gain entry into Spain, you can present one of the following documents:

• Proof of Vaccination: After receiving the final dose, proof of vaccination will be accepted from the relevant authorities of the issuing country, as long as it has been at least 14 days since the final dose was administered and not more than 270 days have passed. Proof of vaccination for individuals under 18 years of age has no expiration date.
• Negative COVID Test: You can present a negative Nucleic Acid Amplification test (such as PCR, TMA, LAMP, NEAR, etc.) taken within 72 hours of departure for Spain or a negative Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) taken within 24 hours of departure for Spain.
• Proof of Recovery from COVID: If you have recovered from COVID, you can present documentation issued by relevant government authorities or a physician, which should be a minimum of 11 days after the initial positive result via NAAT or rapid antigen test. This documentation will be valid for 180 days from the date of the initial positive test result.

Visa Processing Time

The Spanish Schengen visa application process takes a duration of 30 working days. You can track your visa application with your full name and visa receipt fee number via this link

Spain Visa Application Centre, Lagos

Amazing Grace Plaza,

Plot 2E-4E Ligali Ayorinde St,

Victoria Island 311110, Lagos.