The following family members of citizens of the European Union or of the States of the European Economic Area (EEA: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) or Switzerland are entitled to a visa for family members of EU/EEA/CH citizens, if they are travelling with the citizen of the EU/EEA/CH or are on the way to joining them:

• The spouse (provided that there has been no annulment or divorce) or registered partner with whom they maintain a union similar to a married couple (provided that such registered partnership has not been legally terminated) registered in a public registry or recognized by the authorities of any EU country;
• their direct descendants (children) and those of their spouse or registered partner who are under 21 years old (or over that age if they are dependent or disabled);
• their direct ascendants (parents) and those of their spouse or registered partner who are their dependent and live under their care.

If the applicant does not meet all the requirements, he/she must apply for a general tourist Schengen visa application.

You can apply at this Office if you are a permanent resident of the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia or North Carolina. Please ensure you have checked the consular jurisdiction before submitting your application.

You can apply at this office if Spain is the main destination of your travel. Please note that if you plan to visit different Schengen States, you must apply in the consulate of the country of your main destination, depending on the purpose of your trip and the length of stay, or of the first country of entry if it is the same length of stay in the different Schengen States.

Application for visa must be submitted in person with no more than 180 days in advance to your trip and at least 15 days before. Applications with more than 180 days in advance to your trip will not be accepted.

Travel Insurance is not mandatory to apply for this type of visa. However, we recommend always traveling with a travel insurance. You can get a travel insurance from any authorized insurance company/agent or you may Click here if you wish to avail it now from Europ Assistance.

Schengen visa application form. Each applicant must complete and sign a visa application. Visa applications can be filled out electronically or handwritten in capital letters.

1 photograph. Glued or clipped onto visa application form. Photo specifications: Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance, passport-size, color photograph, printed on matte/glossy paper, taken against a white, light, clear, uniform background, facing forward, without dark or reflective glasses, or any garments concealing the applicant’s full oval of the face.

Passport or official travel document. Original and a photocopy of the page or pages of the passport that contain biometric data. Passport should be no older than 10 years and be valid for 3 months from the expected date of exit from the EU. Please make sure your passport has at least two blank visa pages.

Proof of legal residence in the United States. Non-U.S. citizens must also submit proof of legal residence in the United States: U.S. Resident Card (Green card) or valid U.S. long term Visa. Original and 1 photocopy.

• Holders of B-1 and B-2 US visas cannot apply for a visa in the United States; they must apply in their country of residence or country of origin.
• Applicants holding student visas must also submit their I-20 with the endorsement on the back, and their F1 visa.

Proof of residence in the consular district. The applicant must be a legal resident in our consular jurisdiction (Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina). Residence must be proved by one of the following, valid documents: U.S. driver’s license, state ID. Original and photocopy.

Confirmed reservation of the airline tickets (for the applicant and for the EU/EEA/CH citizen) with a booking reference number. Just a flight reservation is required. It is highly recommended not to buy the tickets until you get your visa.

If they are not flying together but the applicant will join the EU/EEA/CH citizen in Spain instead, it must be indicated in the cover letter.

Cover Letter / Proof of stay: Letter from the EU/EEA/CH citizen indicating that the applicant is going to stay with him/her. The letter must include the address in Spain and must be signed and dated.

Documents required of EU Citizen: EU/EEA/CH passport or Spanish ID (DNI). Original and photocopy.

Documents proving relationship to EU Citizens: (In English, in Spanish or with a certified translation)

• Spouse:Marriage Certificate or Spanish Family Book (Libro de Familia)
• Registered partner with whom they maintain a union similar to a married couple: certificate of registration as an unmarried couple
• Children: Birth certificate. If the child is 21 years old or older: proof of dependence.
• Parents: Proof of the relationship by birth certificate and proof that they live at the expense of the relative who gives the right to reunion.

Processing time

Applications accepted at the Spain Visa Application Centre will be submitted on the next working day at the Consulate General of Spain.

Once the application has been submitted, the applicant can be further requested additional documentation in support of the same.

Please note as per the instructions received from Consulate General of Spain minimum processing time is 15 working days (It may delay depending on case to case).

All applications must be submitted at least 15 days prior to the proposed date of travel to accommodate any unforeseen processing delays.