Spain long-stay (Type D) visa
Required documents, fees and processing time for a Spain long-stay (Type D) Schengen visa when you apply from United Kingdom.
SCHENGEN · VISA C✈ DOCUMENTS
🇪🇸 Spain·····✈·····🇬🇧 from United Kingdom
To
Spain
Type
D · LONG STAY
Apply at
UK
Centre
VAC
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Action neededLong stay — national (Type D) · applying from United Kingdom.
Documents ready00 / 10
Competent authority
Consulate General of Spain in London (also Manchester, Edinburgh) by jurisdiction
Application centre
BLS International (London, Manchester, Edinburgh)
Recommended — commonly expected even when not on the official list
Cover letterA letter of introduction stating who you are and why you are travelling.
Travel itineraryA day-by-day plan of your trip to attach to the application.
Fees
Consular (Type C)
€90
Service fee
£14.85
Est. total (adult)
£95.85
Long stay (Type D)
€80
The short-stay (Type C) consular fee is harmonised at €90 for adults across all Schengen states; collected in GBP · centre: BLS International.
Fee notes
BLS International sole provider for Consulate General of Spain London since Oct 2023. Base service ~£14.85; premium add-ons raise to £35–£55. Type D ~€80 general.
Timeline
medium confidenceProcessing
15–45 days
End-to-end
4–10 weeks
Centre
VAC
Appointment wait
Notoriously long in summer. Slots typically need booking ~2-3 weeks ahead; peak season (May-August) stretches further. Apply 4-6 weeks before travel.
Application centre
BLS International. London (serves South/East England, Wales, N. Ireland) and Manchester (serves North England). Appointments mandatory; no walk-ins.
Timeline notes
Consulate/BLS-side ~10-15 working days, longer during summer peak. Summer 2026 backlogs expected. Official BLS pages returned HTTP 403 to fetch; corroborated via BLS-derived summaries.
Funds to show
high confidenceThe figures below are the short-stay (Type C) means of subsistence. A long-stay (Type D) visa sets its funds requirement nationally by purpose (study, work, family reunification, income) — check the consulate for the amount that applies to your case.
Per day
€122.1
Minimum
€1098.9
In EUR ≈
as shown
Floor
90% of gross national minimum wage (SMI) = EUR 1,098.90 per person, regardless of intended duration of stay (floor); the higher of daily x days or this floor applies
Notes
Order PRE/1282/2007 (10 May 2007). Per day = 10% of gross national minimum wage (SMI) = EUR 122.10, multiplied by number of days AND by number of accompanying dependents. Fixed minimum = 90% of gross SMI = EUR 1,098.90 per person. IMPORTANT: short-stay ENTRY amounts are tied to the SMI (Salario Minimo Interprofesional), NOT IPREM; IPREM is the benchmark for long-stay/residence visas, a separate regime. Amounts revise with the SMI.
Consulates apply discretion and may expect a buffer above this figure — treat it as a floor, not a guarantee.
Funds source ↗⚠ Special cases & caveats
- Study stays up to 90 daysNo study visa required (a short-stay Schengen visa may be needed depending on nationality).
- Stays of 90-180 daysCriminal record certificate generally not required; stays over 6 months require obtaining a TIE in Spain.
- All foreign public documentsMust be legalised (Hague Apostille) and accompanied by an official sworn translation into Spanish.