Spain

Spain visa guide: all visa and residence types

16 visa types
checked 25 October 2026

How visas for Spain work

Spain issues Schengen (type C) visas for stays of up to 90 days and national (type D) visas for longer stays. You apply to the Spanish embassy or consulate responsible for your place of legal residence, which decides on the application; in some countries files are lodged through an external service provider. The standard fee is EUR 90 for both Schengen and national visas, with reciprocity amounts for some nationalities, and each mission publishes its own document list and payment rules.

Most residence visas need a prior authorisation issued in Spain: by the government delegation or subdelegation for ordinary work and family reunification, or by the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE) for the talent routes of Law 14/2013, such as highly qualified workers, intra-company transfers, entrepreneurs, researchers and international teleworkers. A new Regulation of the Aliens Act (Royal Decree 1155/2024) has applied since 20 May 2025.

Spain's residence-by-investment ("golden visa") route ended: Organic Law 1/2025 removed the investor residence provisions of Law 14/2013 with effect from 3 April 2025. Financial requirements for many permits are expressed as percentages of IPREM or of the minimum wage (SMI), for example 400 % of IPREM for non-lucrative residence and 200 % of the SMI for digital nomads.

Which visa do I need?

Holiday, family visit with a police "carta de invitación", business or events up to 90 days: Schengen visa.

Studies over 90 days: study visa with 100 % of IPREM a month; part-time work up to 30 hours a week is allowed.

Remote work for foreign employers or clients: international teleworking (digital nomad) visa with 200 % of the SMI.

Living in Spain without working, e.g. in retirement: non-lucrative residence with 400 % of IPREM.

Highly qualified job, Blue Card, intra-company transfer or innovative start-up: UGE authorisation under Law 14/2013 (decided within 20 days).

Joining a foreign resident: family reunification after the authorisation in Spain; joining a Spanish citizen: free family visa.

Visa types for Spain

Visits and short stays

Tourist visa Schengen visa (visado de estancia) for tourism
Holidays in Spain (or Gibraltar as main destination) of up to 90 days need a Schengen visa from the Spanish consulate responsible for your place of residence, lodged directly or through its external service provider.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
Family and friends visit visa Schengen visa for visiting family or friends (carta de invitación)
To visit relatives or friends in Spain you need an official invitation letter (carta de invitación) that your host obtains from the Spanish police, plus proof of the relationship and the usual Schengen documents.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period

Business and self-employment

Business visa Schengen visa for business trips
Business trips to Spain of up to 90 days require a Schengen visa supported by an invitation from the Spanish company, stating whether it covers your costs, and your employer's documents.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
Entrepreneur and start-up visa Entrepreneur visa (Law 14/2013, ENISA report)
Founders of an innovative business, or one of special economic interest for Spain, can obtain an entrepreneur authorisation from the UGE after a mandatory favourable report from ENISA, issued within 10 working days.
Validity: Visa one year; residence authorisation for entrepreneurs three years, renewable for two.

Study and training

Student visa National visa for studies (estancia por estudios)
Students admitted to an authorised Spanish institution apply for a national study visa at least two months before classes start.
Processing time: Apply at least two months before studies start; once the stay authorisation is favourable, the visa is decided within one month.
Researcher visa Researcher visa (Law 14/2013)
Researchers hosted under an agreement with a Spanish research body obtain a residence authorisation from the UGE and then a one-year visa from the consulate, which decides within 10 days.
Validity: Visa: one year, or the authorisation's validity if shorter; the visa itself proves residence and the TIE is optional. Residence authorisations under Law 14/2013 are renewable for two years at a time.

Work

Work visa Visa for employed work (trabajo por cuenta ajena)
For ordinary employment the Spanish employer first obtains an initial residence and work authorisation.
Validity: Up to 180 days for authorisations of up to six months, otherwise 365 days; seasonal contracts up to 270 days.
EU Blue Card Highly qualified professional with EU Blue Card (Law 14/2013, art. 71)
Spain grants the EU Blue Card as a residence authorisation for highly qualified professionals under Law 14/2013.
Validity: Visa: one year, or the authorisation's validity if shorter; the visa itself proves residence and the TIE is optional. Residence authorisations under Law 14/2013 are renewable for two years at a time.
Intra-company transfer visa Intra-company transfer visa (traslado intraempresarial)
Managers, specialists and trainees moving within the same company or group to Spain apply for an intra-company transfer authorisation from the UGE and then for the visa at the Spanish consulate responsible for their place of residence.
Validity: Visa: one year, or the authorisation's validity if shorter; the visa itself proves residence and the TIE is optional. Residence authorisations under Law 14/2013 are renewable for two years at a time.
Digital nomad visa Residence visa for international teleworking (digital nomad)
Spain's international teleworking visa lets qualified professionals live in Spain while working remotely for companies based abroad.
Validity: Visa up to one year; then a residence authorisation of up to three years, renewable for two.

Family

Family reunification visa Family reunification visa (reagrupación familiar, general regime)
Foreign residents in Spain can bring their spouse or partner, children and, under conditions, parents aged 65 or over.
Validity: Visa valid 365 days; TIE within one month of entry.
Spouse and partner visa Residence visa for family members of Spanish nationals
Spouses, partners, children under 26 and certain other relatives of Spanish nationals receive a free residence visa, decided within 15 days.
Validity: Visa valid 365 days.

Residence

Retirement visa Non-lucrative residence visa (residencia no lucrativa)
The non-lucrative residence visa is for people who want to live in Spain without working, such as retirees.
Validity: Visa valid for 365 days; apply for the TIE within one month of arrival; renewals are filed in the two months before expiry.
Permanent residence Long-term residence and EU long-term residence (residencia de larga duración)
After five years of legal, continuous residence in Spain you can apply for long-term residence, which lets you live and work in Spain indefinitely on the same terms as Spaniards.
Validity: The status is indefinite; the TIE card is first renewed after five years, then every five years until age 30 and every ten years after that.

Fast-track and priority services

Fast-track and priority visa services Fast processing by the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE)
Spain has no paid express visa service, but its talent routes under Law 14/2013 have a legal fast track: the UGE must decide within 20 days, and silence counts as approval.
Validity: Visa: one year or the authorisation's length if shorter. Highly qualified, entrepreneur and teleworker authorisations: up to three years, renewable for two.

Asylum and international protection

Asylum and international protection International protection in Spain (asylum and subsidiary protection)
Asylum in Spain is requested in person on Spanish territory or at a border post, at the latest within one month of entry.
Processing time: Border: admission decision within four days; inside Spain: within one month; regular procedure: six months, after which silence counts as refusal.

Frequently asked questions

Does Spain still have a golden visa?

No. Organic Law 1/2025 removed the residence-for-investors provisions of Law 14/2013 with effect from 3 April 2025, so new investor visas are no longer issued.

Where do I apply for a Spanish visa?

At the Spanish embassy or consulate responsible for your place of legal residence, or at the external service provider it uses in some countries. Spain must be your only or main Schengen destination for a short-stay visa.

In which currency are fees paid?

The standard fee is EUR 90 for Schengen and national visas. Order AUC/891/2024 allows payment in euros, US dollars or the local currency at the official exchange rate; the consulate tells you which applies, and an external provider charges its own fee on top.

How much money do I need for a Schengen visa?

EUR 122.10 per person per day, with a minimum of EUR 1,098.90 per person whatever the length of stay.

Can I appeal a refusal?

Yes: an optional appeal to the consulate within one month, or a court appeal to the High Court of Justice of Madrid within two months.