Spanish Consulate Manila – 5 Easy Steps to Apply for Spain Schengen Visa

Spain is a popular Schengen country and a year-round destination, but if you’re looking to escape the crowds, try visiting in the winter. There is everything from gorgeous beaches of the Costa del Sol and Costa Brava to snowy mountains in the north perfect for skiing and hiking. If it’s the history you’re after, head to Toledo, Merida or Zaragoza or, if you want to party, jet off to the islands of Ibiza and Majorca! In this article learn more about how to apply for Spain visa at the Spanish consulate in Manila, Philippines, Spain visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Spain visa application center, flight itinerary for Spain visa, hotel bookings for Spain visa, Schengen travel insurance for Spain visa application, and Spain Visa Application Process at the Manila embassy.

Spain Schengen Visas

In 2018, there were 1,701,379 Spain Schengen visa applications received by Spanish embassies and consulates across the globe. 157,494 (9.3%) were not issued. The Consulate General of Spain in Manila received 19,411 and rejected 1,426 (7.3%).

Applying for a Schengen Visa from Manila

If you are a citizen of the following countries, you do NOT need to apply for a visa if you wish to travel to Spain:

If you are from any other country AND you currently live in the Philippines on a permanent basis, you DO need to apply for a visa to be able to enter and stay in Spain.

You can easily do this from the Philippines if you can prove that you have legal residence status. If you cannot do this, you need to apply for a visa from your home country.

You have to make sure you apply at the right Spanish embassy and consulate. If you live in Manila, The Embassy of Spain and the Consulate General of Spain have outsourced visa applications to BLS International in Manila, so you will submit your application to their office. It is still the consulate of Spain that makes the final decision about your visa.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Consulate General of Spain in Manila

There are different types of visas you can apply for and the one you need will depend on the duration of your trip and your reason for traveling to Spain:

1. Schengen visa type A: Airport Transit visa – if you are transiting through the international zone of a Spanish airport while you wait for a connecting flight
2. Schengen visa type C: Short-stay visa – for stays up to 90 days for the purposes of tourism, business, studies or visiting family/friends. This visa may be issued for one, two or multiple entries
3. National visa type D: Long-stay visa – for stays exceeding 90 days for the purposes of work, study or residence etc. This visa is issued for one or multiple entries

Schengen Visa Application Process at BLS International in Manila

Visa applications take around 4 weeks to be processed, so you should apply well in advance of your departure date. You may apply up to 90 days ahead, so don’t leave it too late.

There are 5 steps involved when you apply for your visa and you should follow them one-by-one to make the process easier.

Step 1: Make an appointment

Making appointments with the embassy or visa application center is generally free and can be done yourself. However, If you are running short of time or not sure which consulate to apply to or have no idea on how to get this done yourself then not to worry, we will make the appointment for you for a small service fee!

Booking a visa appointment using our services is pretty simple! All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the link to schedule the visa appointment
2. Submit the appointment details, visa you are applying for, consulate you need the appointment for, the country you need the appointment IN and make the payment
3. Receive appointment confirmation in email

You can also make an appointment on your own by following the steps below

You must make an appointment in order to submit your application. Walk-ins are not acceptable. If you are applying for a short-term Schengen visa, you will make your appointment at BLS International, but if you are applying for a long-stay National visa, you will make your appointment at the Consulate of Spain in Manila. However, you can use BLS’s website to make the appointment at either location.

1. Go to BLS International’s website and click on: “Book appointment” then choose the location – BLS International for short-stay applications or the consulate for long-stay applications. Then click on: ” Book your appointment”
2. Complete the information – select your center (Manila), appointment category (normal or prime), your phone number and email address
3. Request the verification code and continue
4. Book a convenient day and time (It is important to recheck all the details of your passport before confirming the appointment because once it has been confirmed it cannot be changed)
5. Receive confirmation of your appointment by email

You can also make your appointment with BLS International by contacting them by phone or email:

1. Telephone: +632 8162177
2. Email: info.mnl@blshelpline.com

If contacting them by email, please include the following information:

1. Your full name as shown in your passport
2. Passport number
3. Contact numbers
4. Preferred date and time of appointment

Step 2: Complete your application form

The application forms for short-term and long-term visas can be found on BLS International’s website. Click on: “Visa type” and choose the visa you are applying for:

Then, click on the “Download forms” tab:

You will then be able to download the form, print it and complete it. Don’t forget to sign to before you hand it over to BLS or the consulate.

1. Short-stay Schengen visa application form
2. Long-stay National visa application form

Step 3: Prepare your documents

There are document checklists available for short-stay visas and long-stay visas on BLS International’s website. If you submit an incomplete application, it could be rejected, so it’s worth spending the extra time to understand what documents you need to prepare for your visa application.

You need to prepare original and photocopies of everything, so don’t forget to do that!

Documents include:

1. Visa application form
2. 1 x recent passport-sized photo to be pasted on the application form (National visa application require 3 x photos)
3. Passport valid for a minimum of 3 months after the planned trip
4. 1 photocopy of the data page of the valid passport and all previous visas and stamps
5. Previous passports
6. Letter explaining the purpose of the intended trip
7. For spouses: marriage certificate issued no longer than 6 months ago
8. Minors: birth certificate and parental authorization 
9. Proof of economic means – bank statement for the last 6 months, payslips
10. For students: proof of enrollment
11. An invitation letter issued by the Spanish police and/or letter of sponsorship with the sponsor’s passport/residence permit
12. If employed: certificate of employment and authorization for leave of absence
13. If self‐employed: business permit, registration, company income tax return
14. For non‐Filipino applicants – ACR, ICR and re‐entry permit
15. Airline reservation
16. Detailed itinerary and confirmed hotel reservations
17. Schengen Travel health insurance – minimum coverage of €30,000. Recognized in all Schengen States and to cover the entire trip
18. Large brown envelope with your surname, name and contact number written in bold letters on the upper left corner. All of your documents should be put into the envelope

If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2.  Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 4: Attend your appointment

On the day of your appointment, remember the following things:

1. Arrive early – if you miss your appointment at BLS International or the consulate in Manila, you will have to reschedule it
2. Remember all your documents – don’t forget anything because your application cannot and will not be processed
3. Dress smartly – don’t turn up in shorts and a t-shirt if you want to make a good impression

The visa officer will examine your application and if they need any further information from you they may ask you questions like:

1. Have you ever been to Spain before or the EU?
2. What do you know about Spain?
3. Are you meeting anyone there?
4. What did you say you do in the Philippines?
5. How will you pay for your trip?

If this happens to you, just answer politely and be honest.

Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!

You will also pay the fee for your visa. You can pay in cash only. There is also a service fee, charged by BLS International which you must pay as well as your visa fee. These fees won’t be refunded, even if your application gets rejected.

You will also provide biometric data which is a scan of your fingerprints and a photograph. This information will be stored on the Visa Information System (VIS) for immigration purposes. If you have provided this data within the last 5 years, it can be reused.

Step 5: Receive your visa

Once you have submitted your application, you can track its progress. Go to BLS International’s website and click on: “Track application”:

Then, key in the requested information and you can find out what stage your application is at.

When a decision has been reached, you will be notified and you can either collect your passport from BLS International’s office in Manila or you can have it mailed back to you via courier. If you are collecting your passport make sure you take your receipt and acceptance proof.

There are 2 decisions:

1. Approved – if your visa has been approved, you will find it inside your passport
2. Rejected – if your visa has been rejected, it would have been for a reason

Common rejection reasons include:

1. Insufficient money to pay for your trip – you must be able to afford your trip and you must provide evidence that you can do so
2. Invitation letter not included – if you are being invited to Spain by a person or a company etc., you must provide an invitation letter as well as the host’s ID/residence permit
3. The wrong visa has been applied for – you must apply for the correct visa based on the duration of your trip and the reason why you are traveling to Spain (see above visa types)
4. Damaged or invalid passport – your passport must not be damaged and it should be valid (see above requirements). If not, then you should obtain a new one before applying for your visa

Contact details for BLS International in Manila

Address: Spain Visa Application Centre, 10th Floor Unit 1004 Liberty Center Building, 104 H.V. de la Costa corner Leviste Salcedo Village, Makati City, Philippines 1209

Telephone: +632-816 2177

Email: info.mnl@blshelpline.com

Hours: Passport Collection Time: 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm (Monday to Friday); Submission Time: 7.00 am to 11.00 am (Monday to Thursday) and 7.00 am to 9.00 am (Friday)

Contact details for the Consulate General of Spain in Manila

Address: 5th Floor, A.C.T. Tower. 135 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue, 1227 Makati City, Metro Manila

Telephone: 818 3561, 818 3581, 759 2970, 759 2971

Email: con.manila@maec.es

Hours: Mondays to Thursdays: 9.00 am to 2.00 pm and Fridays: 9.00 am to 12.00 pm

Conclusion

There are just 5 steps to follow when you apply for your Spain visa in Manila:

1. Make an appointment
2. Complete your application form
3. Prepare your documents
4. Attend your appointment
5. Receive your visa

Then, you can get excited about what lies in wait for you in Spain!

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.

See Also

Apply Schengen Visa From Philippines

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