Spain is a sunny country that travellers are keen to visit. Getting into the Kingdom is now fairly difficult, because you need a visa. You can travel to Spanish cities via Istanbul or other routes. But you need to take into account the current rules and restrictions that apply to Russian citizens.
How do you get permission to enter? Which documents do you need to prepare? Can you enter the country directly from Russia? You do not need to search travel forums for the answers. After reading this article you will know all the ways to visit the country this year. This is about a trip. If your goal is to stay, the procedure is different, and it is covered in our article on moving to Spain.
Do you need a visa?
Spain is part of the EU, so you cannot visit the country without a Schengen visa. The European Union grants the right to enter the Schengen area only after the relevant document has been issued, in the form of a special printed sticker in your international passport. A Schengen visa opens the borders of all European countries, with a wealth of tourist destinations for Russian travellers. Lengths of stay, the 90/180 rule and the document package are covered in detail in our article on the Schengen visa.
For study, employment or buying property you need a national visa, which is a category D permit. This document allows you to apply for a residence permit and settle in the country, later obtaining permanent residence (long-term residence). There are several grounds for such a national visa (study, work, business, remote income), and they are summarised in our guide to residence statuses in Spain.
Whatever the purpose of your visit to Spain, you will need to obtain the appropriate type of visa. The process takes a long time, so it is best to submit your documents well in advance. Prepare the paperwork carefully and make sure the details are accurate, otherwise you will not get the stamp.
Is Spain issuing visas now?
Spain has resumed issuing visas to Russian citizens, so there should be no difficulties with the application. How to apply, appointment waiting times and typical reasons for refusal are collected in a separate article on the Spanish visa. What matters is meeting the requirements and preparing a complete set of documents. Russians rarely receive a negative answer, so with proper preparation almost anyone can obtain an entry permit valid for up to three years. Getting a five-year multiple-entry visa can be difficult, as people are refused quite often.
The conditions of entry include:
- Passing through border control. Entry takes place at a border checkpoint.
- An international passport. You must show the officer an international passport that remains valid for at least three months after you cross the Spanish border. The Schengen visa must also be valid.
- Insurance. Medical insurance is required for the entire period of the trip.
- The policy must provide cover of at least €30,000 and be valid throughout the Schengen area; what exactly the consulate checks is described in our guide to health insurance in Spain.
- Proof of the purpose of entry. At border control after your flight you may be asked for return tickets to your country of residence. Officers often ask for proof of payment for a hotel booking or an invitation from a private individual. A tourist may also be asked for a travel itinerary within the country or additional documents showing the purpose of the stay.
- Sufficient funds. As proof of funds, border officers ask to see a bank card that can be used in Europe. It is advisable to carry a statement confirming that there is a sufficient amount in your account.
- No previous violations. If you broke the rules on previous trips to the Schengen area, you may have problems getting a visa. People on sanctions lists will be refused.
Before visiting Spain you will need to pay the visa fee, gather the documents and submit them to the consulate for review. A decision is issued within 10–45 days.
Documents
To apply for a visa you need to gather documents that are sent to the consulate. You will need to prepare the following:
- Application form. A detailed application form about the applicant is filled in on the official form. It must be completed in English in clear block capitals.
- Consent to data processing. The application form is not accepted without your consent to the processing of your data.
- International passport. It must remain valid for at least 2 months after the end of the trip and have more than 2 blank pages for stamps and the visa.
- Photos. Photos must meet the official standard: colour photos measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm are accepted.
- Receipts. Before submitting the documents you must pay the visa and consular fees. The receipts are attached to the rest of the paperwork.
- Insurance policy. You cannot get a visa without medical insurance, so it is important to take out a policy with cover of more than €30,000. The policy must be valid until the end of the trip.
- Copies of your Russian internal passport. You need copies of every page of your Russian passport.
- Hotel or accommodation booking. You must confirm your hotel or apartment booking. You can provide a letter from the person inviting you.
- Air tickets. A foreign national must provide tickets both to Spain and back. You may present an itinerary describing your route within Spain and your return home.
- Financial guarantees. You can provide a letter from your employer stating your salary and confirming your leave. You can present proof of owning a business. If you have a sponsor, a sponsorship letter is prepared. The applicant must provide a bank statement confirming there is a sufficient amount in the account. A statement of account activity for the last three months is also required.
- Guarantees. As guarantees, you may provide documents proving your ties to your home country, for example a certificate of property ownership.
The consul may request additional documents, and the visa may be refused if they are not provided.
How to apply
You need to submit the documents in person. For applicants under 18, the documents are submitted by guardians or parents. You need to book an appointment well before visiting the consulate general. Sometimes the wait for an appointment is several months.
At your appointment you go to the visa centre to submit the prepared documents. Biometrics required for a Schengen visa are also taken there. The documents may be submitted by a third party with a power of attorney.
How to get there
Economic sanctions mean you cannot travel to Spain directly from Russia. But you can reach Spain with a connection via third countries. You just need to choose the route that suits you. It is important to enter the Schengen area through the Spanish border to keep a positive visa history. We explain which countries you can travel through to reach the Kingdom.
Yerevan
You can book a transit flight with connections from Moscow. Importantly, you can find cheap tickets this way. First you fly to Yerevan: within three hours you need to go through passport control and board a flight to Rome. From there the traveller flies on to Barcelona.
Bear in mind that when you first enter the Schengen area, passport control takes place in Rome. The flight from Italy to sunny Spain is domestic, so in Barcelona you can get off the plane and go straight into the city.
Istanbul
Changing planes at the Turkish airport is more comfortable for many travellers, because Istanbul receives flights from many Russian cities. Planes leave Moscow every day, which makes the journey as convenient as possible. From Istanbul you can fly to Barcelona, Málaga or Madrid.
Belgrade
You can fly to Belgrade, the capital of beautiful Serbia. Planes fly there from Moscow and other cities. After changing planes you can fly on a single ticket to Madrid or Barcelona.
Dubai
You can reach Spain via sunny Dubai, which you can fly to from Moscow, St Petersburg, Sochi and other cities. After the connection, travellers can fly on to Barcelona or Madrid. If Dubai is not a stopover for you but your current home, the route is completely different; it is covered in our article on moving from Dubai to Spain on a digital nomad residence permit.
We have explained how to fly to the sunny Kingdom without unnecessary difficulties. The Schengen area is open to Russian citizens, but there are still no direct flights into Europe. Today you can reach Spain via many countries accessible to Russians. All you need to do is prepare your documents, get a visa and choose your route.
There is one detail people only remember once they have arrived. If your connection is through a Schengen airport, as on the Yerevan → Rome → Barcelona route, you cross the Schengen border in Italy, your arrival in Spain counts as domestic, and nobody records your date of entry into the country. You have to declare it yourself within three days: how to do this is explained in our article on the declaración de entrada. On a direct flight from Istanbul or Dubai this is not required, because you cross the border in Spain itself.
Belongings that did not fit in your luggage are usually sent on by post or courier; timelines and rates are covered in our article on how to send a parcel to Spain. If you are flying with a cat or dog, you need to start preparing several months ahead: microchipping, a rabies vaccination and veterinary certificates are all required; see what you need to take a pet abroad.
