Spanish Consulate NYC, New York – 4 Easy Steps to Apply for Spain Schengen Visa

Spain, similar to other Schengen countries, has a lot to offer and, whether you’ve been there before or not, there’s always something new to discover. Fabulous cities with everything from culture to a buzzing nightlife, miles, and miles of dazzling beaches and an eclectic mix of resorts to suit all tastes and budgets. Majestic mountains to rival the Alps or the Andes and charming villages full of traditional food and friendly locals. In this article learn more about how to apply for Spain Visa at the Spanish consulate in NYC, New York, Spanish visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Spanish visa application center and Spain Visa Application Process at the NYC consulate.

Schengen Visa

In 2017, the rejection rate for Spanish Schengen visas was 8.27%. This was based on a total of 1,624,276 applications received. The Spanish consulate in NYC, New York had a 0.3% reject rate with a total of 9,960 applications.

Applying for Schengen Visa from the United States

If you are a non-US citizen and have permanent residence status in the US you are able to apply for a Spanish Schengen visa from the United States. However, if you are in possession of a B1 or B2 visa you cannot do this, you can only apply for an Airport Transit visa from the country where you were born.

First of all, you have to make sure you apply at the right Spain embassy and consulate.  If you live in any of the following areas, you are free to apply at the Consulate of Spain in New York:

1. Connecticut
2. Delaware
3. New York
4. New Jersey
5. Pennsylvania

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Spanish Consulate in NYC

There are 2 types of visas available:

1. Short-stay (Schengen visa – valid for a maximum of 90 days and Airport Transit Visa)

These visas must be applied for through BLS Visa Service for Spain in New York. There are different Schengen visas depending on your reason for travel:

1. Tourism
2. Visiting relatives and/or friends
3. Cultural
4. Sports
5. Business
6. Family member of EU/EEA citizens (parents of children only)
7. Airport Transit
8. Transit visa for seamen

2. Long-Stay – valid for over 90 days

This kind of visa must be applied for through the Consulate of Spain in New York. The types of long-stay visas are:

1. Student
2. Au Pair
3. Residence:
4. Non-lucrative purposes
5. To work in Spain as an employee
6. Exempt from requesting the work permit
7. For investors of self employed
8. To reunite family members with the legal resident of Spain
9. To reunite family members with the citizen of Spain/EU member
10. Under the law of entrepreneurs

Each of these visas can be:

1. Single entry – Maximum of 1 entry during 90 day period
2. Double entry – Maximum of 2 entries during the 90 day period
3. Multiple entry – Unlimited entries during the 90 day period

Schengen Visa Application Process at the Spanish Consulate in New York

Step 1: Making an appointment

The thing you need to do is make sure you know which visa you require. It’s important to apply for the correct one otherwise you’re appointment will be cancelled and you’ll have to make another one.

All short-stay Schengen and Airport Transit visa appointments must be made through BLS Visa Service for Spain in New York.

Next, you should make an appointment. To apply for a Schengen visa, you need a confirmed appointment and it cannot be made by phone or in person. Rather, you need to use BLS’s appointment booking system.

It’s important to check that all your passport details are correct before confirming the appointment. The system does not allow you to change the details once it has been saved and you may have to cancel the appointment and book a new one.

Appointments for long-stay visas must be made through the Consulate of Spain.

If you have never used this system before you need to register otherwise input your username and password and you’ll be able to make your appointment. You must only book one appointment per person. Afterwards, you will receive a confirmation email which you must take to your interview.

Schengen and long-stay visas are usually processed within 15 days, but you must ensure you apply in time for it to be dealt with. You can apply from 2 weeks up to 12 weeks in advance.

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!

Step 2: Getting your paperwork ready

Next, you should begin to prepare your documents in time for your interview. Any foreign documents should be legalized. The documents required include:

1) Passport

– Valid for 3 months after the trip (depending on the type of visa, passports may have to be valid for 4 months past your trip. Check the consulate’s website to see if this applies to you)

– Issued within the last 10 years.

– 2 blank pages

2) Schengen/National Visa application form, fully completed and signed

3) Alien residence card (green card) or residence visa valid in the US. Visa must be valid for re-entry into the US

– Valid for a minimum of three months from the expiration date of your visa

4) 2 recent photos

– Passport-size, 2×2 in

– White background

5) Proof of stay

– Original local police letter of invitation

– Hotel booking

– Cruise/tour itinerary

6) Proof of financial means

– Latest credit card statement and/or 3 x bank statements

7) Proof of employment

– Employed: Employer letter stating job title, length of employment, salary and/or 3 x payslips

– Self-employed: Good Standing Certificate or business license and proof of paid taxes

– Financially dependent: a Notarized letter stating who is financially responsible, passport and 3 x bank statements

8) Return flight confirmation

9) Health insurance

– 30,000 cover for health/accidents, evacuation, and repatriation

10) Authorization letter with parental permission to travel (Minors under 18 years of age)

11) Birth and/or marriage certificate

– Must be legalized or state “Apostille of the Hague Convention”

12) Police record certificate

– State police/FBI issue

– Translated into Spanish

– Not older than 3 months

13) Residence permit authorization

14) Details of the type of business

15) Proof of family relationships

16) Medical certificate

– Translated in Spanish

– Must state “Apostille of the Hague Convention” or be legalized

17) Proof of participation

18) Acceptance/enrolment letter

19) Spanish citizen/EU member’s passport

20) Forms EX01/M790/C052

21) Financial guarantees (translated into Spanish)

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 3: The Schengen visa interview

Depending on the type of visa you applied for, on the day of your appointment, you should go to either BLS Visa Service for Spain for short-stay visas or the Consulate of Spain in New York for long-stay visas.

You may be nervous before your interview, but just remember to:

1. Arrive early
2. Take all your documents
3. Take proof of your appointment
4. Dress in formal clothing

It’s surprising how spending a few minutes beforehand helps you relax and gather your thoughts, so you can appear confident and make a good impression with the visa official.

Also, make sure that you provide original documents, but photocopy everything at least twice. Once set for the consulate and one set for you.

You may also be required to provide biometric data which includes a photo and fingerprints.

Schengen visa fees

BLS Visa Service for Spain charges an additional fee of $18.50. All fees can be paid in cash or by debit card. The Spanish consulate NYC accepts USPS money orders only made payable to the ‘Consulate General of Spain in New York.’

As part of this interview process, you may be asked extra questions, so the consular official can confirm the details you have stated in your application. The best thing to do is to answer honestly and provide the necessary answers to them. Some typical visa interview questions include:

1. Are you traveling alone?
2. How many times have you been to the Schengen area?
3. Do you know anyone living in Spain?
4. How will you pay for this trip?
5. What is your salary?

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

Step 4: Receiving your visa

You are able to track the progress of your visa application on BLS Visa Service for Spain’s website.

Once your passport is ready, you can collect it from BLS in New York. You must take your ICR and/or passport in order to collect it.

Hopefully, your passport will contain your Schengen visa, but there is a change that it may be refused. This could happen for a number of reasons.

1. Invalid passport
2. Incomplete documentation
3. Details not consistent
4. Intention of the trip wasn’t established
5. Incorrect letter of invitation
6. Not enough funds to support the trip

To avoid any of these happening to you, make sure all your documents are in order and you answer any questions to the satisfaction of the consular official. If your visa application is rejected you have the right to appeal the decision within 2 months.

Contact details for the Spanish Consulate in New York

Address: 150 East 58^th Street, 30^th Floor, New York, NY 10155

Email: cog.nuevayork@maec.es

Tel: 212-355-4080

Fax: 212-644-3751

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30 am – 2.00 pm

Contact details for BLS Visa Service for Spain in New York

Address: Suite 800, 55 West 39th Street, New York, US, 10018

Email: info.nyc@blshelpline.com

Tel: 1-201-366-6600

Hours:

Monday to Friday, 3.00 pm – 5.00 pm (passport collections)

Monday to Friday, 8.00 am – 4.00 pm (submissions/appointments)

Conclusion

Depending on whether you require a short-stay or long-stay visa determines whether you use the consulate of Spain or BLS in New York. However, both processes are the same and very easy. All you have to do is book your appointment, get your documents ready, and turn up to your interview on time. With any luck, you’ll receive your passport with your new Schengen visa in plenty of time for your intended trip to 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 and much more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.

See Also

How To Apply for Spain Schengen Visa at Spanish Consulate in Boston, Massachusetts
How To Apply for Spain Schengen Visa at Spanish Consulate in Chicago, Illinois
How To Apply for Spain Schengen Visa at Spanish Consulate in San Francisco, California