Entry rule for your passport
Schengen visa normally required for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. A valid Schengen residence permit or long-stay visa can remove that requirement; other entry conditions still apply.
Official sources: Consular Section of the Embassy of Spain in Washington DC.
Who this covers: Ordinary Indian passports for short tourist visits to Spain. The application example is for residents in the New Delhi consular district; other residences use their responsible consulate. Existing Schengen status and European family routes need separate checks.
Check your circumstances
Read these conditions alongside the entry rule. Where official guidance does not state a condition, that is not confirmation that no condition applies.
- Passport type Conditions to check
- India appears on Spain’s visa-required list. This guide covers ordinary passports; diplomatic, official and other travel documents need separate checks.
Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain.
- Trip purpose Confirmed for this scope
- A Schengen short-stay visa covers tourism. It is not a general residence or employment permission.
Official sources: Embassy of Spain in New Delhi.
- Age Conditions to check
- New Delhi requires extra parental documents for applicants under 18. Children under 12 are exempt from visa-application fingerprints, not from the application itself.
Official sources: Embassy of Spain in New Delhi.
- Residence Conditions to check
- Apply through the consulate responsible for your legal residence. Spain must be the appropriate destination under the itinerary rules.
Official sources: European Commission.
- Other visas or residence permits Conditions to check
- Spain states an exception for a valid Schengen residence permit or long-stay visa. Do not assume that a US, UK or other non-Schengen visa supplies the same permission.
Official sources: Consular Section of the Embassy of Spain in Washington DC.
- Carrier and arrival route Conditions to check
- An airport-transit visa only covers the international transit area and cannot be used for a Spain holiday. Check transit permission separately from admission for tourism.
Official sources: European Commission.
- Stay and visa validity Conditions to check
- Check the visa’s validity dates, entry allowance and permitted duration. The Schengen short-stay ceiling is 90 days in any 180-day period, even for a longer-validity multiple-entry visa.
Official sources: European Commission.
Apply through the responsible consulate
For several Schengen destinations, apply to the country where you will stay longest. If stays are equal, use the first country visited. Apply through the consulate responsible for your legal residence.
New Delhi requires an appointment and in-person submission through its designated BLS visa center. Apply between six months and 15 days before travel. Further documents or a personal interview may be requested; an online step does not promise an interview-free decision.
Official sources: European Commission; Embassy of Spain in New Delhi.
Follow the local document checklist
New Delhi’s checklist currently asks for a passport valid six months beyond planned Schengen departure, with two blank pages, issued within the previous 10 years. This is its application checklist, distinct from Spain’s general three-month border-validity rule.
Prepare the application, photo, travel medical insurance, accommodation, round-trip reservation, funding evidence and proof of residence. For under-18 applicants, follow New Delhi’s instructions for both parents’ or guardians’ signatures, notarized authorization and passport copies. Use the responsible consulate’s current checklist if you live elsewhere.
Official sources: Embassy of Spain in New Delhi; Consular Section of the Embassy of Spain in Washington DC.
Read the permission before traveling
If you already hold a Schengen visa, check that it covers Spain and that its dates and remaining entries cover this trip. A multiple-entry visa allows repeat entries only within its conditions. Its expiry date does not mean you can remain until then regardless of the permitted duration or your earlier Schengen stays. An airport-transit visa is not tourist entry permission.
Carry your accommodation, funding and return-travel evidence for border checks. A valid visa does not guarantee admission. If you hold a Schengen residence permit or long-stay visa, confirm the separate short-visit route before applying for another visa.
Official sources: European Commission; Consular Section of the Embassy of Spain in Washington DC; Embassy of Spain in New Delhi.
Check the linked authorities again before travel; Spain makes the final entry decision.
Approved by TravPa Editors.