Types of visas in Spain: everything you need to know

If you want to enter a country like Spain, either temporarily or for a specific duration, the government must grant you a permit. Therefore, it is very important that you know the types of visas in Spain so that you can apply for the one that best suits your needs and requirements, otherwise you may encounter bureaucratic problems in the country.

Which visa do I need to go to Spain?

When we are about to apply for the ideal type of visa in Spain, we must take into account two aspects; the purpose of the stay and the time.

As for the purpose of the stay, it will be one of the reasons that you should know more because, although there are different types of duration, each of them has subtypes according to the objectives with which the applicant wants to acquire his visa in Spain.

As for the time, this is the main reason for the classification of these, since to a large extent, you must apply for type A, B, C or D depending on the time the applicant will be in the country. In addition, this will be the requirement to obtain the final objective of much, to obtain an indefinite visa.

What visas exist and what are their requirements

Knowing what each type of visa consists of and above all, what their requirements are is key to being able to choose the right visa.

Type A: transit visa

As its name indicates, this is a visa intended merely for passengers who transit the country for transit purposes, but do not intend to carry out any other activity in the country or stay longer than necessary.

For example, for airport transit passengers, they will only be able to move around the airport area in the country where they make a stopover. There are also visas for sea or land transit.

Type B: transit visas are becoming less and less common.

This type of visa is becoming less common as it has been replaced by the type C visa. In this case, the difference is that transit in the Schengen area is allowed for a maximum duration of 5 days.

Type C: short-stay visa

Unlike the previous one, this is a visa that allows transit through the Schengen area with a maximum duration of 90 days in 6 months. There are 3 subtypes within the type C visa:

• C visa with single entry: in this case the applicant is only allowed to enter the country once, regardless of the fact that in this visit he/she does not consume the 90 days allowed by the type C visa.
• C visa with double entry: the applicant may make two visits per year, always respecting the number of days allowed.
• Visa C with multiple entry: the visa holder may make multiple entries and exits from the country, again respecting the number of days allowed by the visa.

Type D: long-stay visa

This is the visa that allows a longer stay in the country, but it also depends to a great extent on the purpose for which the person applies for the visa.

• D visa for non lucrative residence: this is a visa that is granted to people who are not going to work in Spain, but only want to live.

Important: the applicant must have private medical insurance and a minimum of 27.000€ in the bank account.

The visa is for 1 year with a two-year extension if the above conditions are met.

• D visa for work: unlike the previous one, this applicant needs the visa in large part to be able to work. Within this objective, we can find self-employment or employment.
• D visa for family reunification: many foreigners enter Spain for a first stay so that once they have a life plan, they can be reunited with their family. In this case we will differentiate two types of visa for family reunification:
  • Does not belong to the EU: this must have been here for at least one year and their family members will start with long-term visas.
  • Belongs to the EU: in case they belong to the EU, the family members will have access with a 5-year residence card.

In both cases, the reunification family members must be dependents of the already resident, i.e. spouse, minor children or children over 65 years of age.

• D visa for investors: this visa is gaining importance in recent years due to the increase of investment in the country. This visa is called Golden Visa for Investors.

The purpose of this visa is clear, to invest in the country, either in real estate, stocks or bonds with a minimum capital of 500,000 euros.

• Long Term Visa: this is the longest duration visa since it allows an indefinite stay in the country, acquired by being legally registered for more than 5 years.

If you want to apply for your visa quickly, safely and without any worries, do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to start the way to your stay in Spain.