Spain Schengen visa for Indians: the EUR 90 fee, EUR 122.10 a day in funds, BLS International filing, 15-day decisions and the multi-entry cascade

Key facts

• Visa type: Schengen short-stay visa (type C), single or multiple entry
• Government fee: EUR 90 adult; EUR 45 children 6 to 11; free under 6; paid in INR at BLS
• Stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area
• Processing: 15 calendar days by law; up to 45 in peak season
• Funds: EUR 122.10 per person per day in 2026 (10 per cent of the SMI); minimum EUR 1,098.90 per trip
• Insurance: EUR 30,000 medical cover valid in all Schengen states
• Cascade: 2-year multiple-entry visa after 2 visas in 3 years, then 5 years
• Verified: 29 October 2026 against exteriores.gob.es and BLS Spain India

Overview

Indian citizens need a Schengen visa for Spain. The type C visa costs EUR 90 per adult (EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11, free under 6), is lodged at a BLS International centre in India and is decided by the Embassy in New Delhi or the Consulate General in Mumbai within 15 calendar days, extendable to 45. Spain sets the funds to show at 10 per cent of the monthly minimum wage per person per day, EUR 122.10 in 2026, with a minimum of EUR 1,098.90 for the trip, and the visa allows 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area.

The short version with the price card and checklist is on the Spain Schengen visa route page. This article is the long version: the funds rule and how it is calculated, the documents Spanish consular officers weigh, the realistic timeline from India and the refusal reasons that recur.

Do Indians need a visa for Spain?

Yes. The Spain visa for Indians on a short trip is the Schengen type C visa, required for tourism, business meetings, trade fairs, conferences, visiting family or friends and medical treatment of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. A visa issued by Spain is valid in all 29 Schengen states, but Spain must be the main destination by number of nights, or the first point of entry when the nights are equal. A traveller spending six nights in Barcelona and Madrid and three in Lisbon applies to Spain; one spending a week in Portugal and two nights in Seville applies to Portugal.

Study over 90 days, work, family reunification and remote work use national type D visas, covered in the Spain student visa guide, the Spain work visa guide and the Spain digital nomad visa guide. A type C visa cannot be converted into a residence permit inside Spain except in narrow cases, although Spain's digital nomad route does allow a legally present visitor to apply to the UGE from inside the country.

How much does a Spain visa cost for Indians?

Fees follow the EU Visa Code and rose from EUR 80 to EUR 90 on 11 June 2024. Vistolane charges the EUR 90 fee at the official rate, books the BLS appointment and shows its service separately on the Spain destination page.

How much money do I need to show for a Spain visa?

Spain publishes the funds rule every year by order of the Ministry of the Interior, tied to the minimum wage (SMI). With the 2026 SMI at EUR 1,221 a month, the daily amount is 10 per cent of that figure, EUR 122.10 per person per day, and the minimum for any trip is 90 per cent of the SMI, EUR 1,098.90, however short the stay.

A couple on a two-week trip therefore shows about EUR 3,400 between them on top of flights and hotels already paid. Officers read three months of bank statements, the last three salary slips and the income tax return or business documents, and they look for a steady pattern rather than a closing balance; a lump sum credited days before the appointment is the most common reason for a means-of-subsistence refusal. A sponsor in India adds their own statements and a signed declaration of support, and a host in Spain adds a carta de invitación issued by the police for private stays.

What documents does the Spain Schengen visa need?

Identity and forms. A passport valid three months beyond the return date, issued within the last ten years, with two blank pages; previous passports with old visas; the Schengen application form, signed; one photo 35 by 45 mm on a white background taken within six months.

Trip. A return flight reservation within the visa validity, hotel bookings for every night or the host's carta de invitación, travel insurance with EUR 30,000 medical cover across Schengen for the whole stay, and an itinerary showing Spain as the main destination. Business visitors add the Spanish company's invitation and the Indian employer's letter; visitors to relatives add the relationship documents and the host's residence card (TIE).

Funds and ties. Three months of bank statements meeting EUR 122.10 a day, the last three salary slips and the income tax return (or GST and business registration), the employer's leave letter with designation, salary and dates, and evidence of return such as property, family or school enrolment. The travel document checklist helps you tick these off before you book BLS.

How does the application run?

• Check the funds rule for your dates and build the itinerary with Spain as the main destination.
• Complete the Schengen form, choose the New Delhi or Mumbai jurisdiction for your state of residence and book BLS International.
• Lodge the file at BLS: fingerprints and photo (unless taken within the last 59 months), form, passport, documents, the EUR 90 fee and the BLS fee.
• Wait for the decision, 15 calendar days by law and up to 45 in peak season; the consulate may request documents or call you for an interview.
• Collect the passport and travel, entering through Spain or declaring Spain as the main destination; carry bookings, insurance and proof of funds for the border.

Fingerprints are stored in the Visa Information System for 59 months, so a repeat applicant within that window can lodge through a representative at BLS.

How long does a Spain visa take from India?

Summer and Easter are the slowest periods, and Indian school holidays in May and June coincide with the Spanish peak, so book BLS as soon as the flights are chosen. Applications can be lodged up to six months before travel and should be in at least 15 working days before departure; the processing times page tracks the current turnaround.

What happens at the border and during the stay?

Officers at Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El Prat check the passport, the visa, the return ticket, accommodation and funds, and record the entry; the EU Entry/Exit System replaces passport stamps with a biometric record. The 90-in-180 count covers all Schengen states, so days in Portugal or France on the same visa count toward the total; the Schengen visa step-by-step guide explains the calculator. Visitors may attend meetings, conferences and trade fairs but may not work or be paid in Spain, and an overstay recorded in the Entry/Exit System weighs on every future Schengen application.

Why are Spain Schengen visas refused, and what fixes each reason?

Purpose or conditions of stay not justified. Bookings missing for some nights or inconsistent with the flights. Book every night, align the dates and attach a day-by-day plan.

Insufficient means of subsistence. Funds below EUR 122.10 a day or the EUR 1,098.90 minimum, or a late lump sum. Show three months of statements meeting the rule from the first page, and add a sponsor's declaration where your own income is modest.

Intention to leave not established. Weak employment or family ties, long gaps in travel history or a first Schengen trip of several weeks. Add the employer letter, income tax return, property and family evidence; consider a shorter first trip.

Insurance inadequate. Cover under EUR 30,000 or not valid in all Schengen states. Buy a Schengen-compliant policy for the whole stay before the appointment.

Wrong main destination. More nights in another Schengen state than in Spain. Apply to the country where you spend the most nights. The Schengen refusal and reapplying guide covers the free recurso de reposición within one month and when a fresh application is quicker.

How Vistolane files it

Vistolane prepares the file against the funds rule, books the BLS International appointment for your jurisdiction, charges the EUR 90 fee at the official rate and shows its service separately. Start with the free eligibility check or the Spain Schengen visa route page. Travellers comparing Schengen options can read the Italy Schengen visa guide and the France Schengen visa guide.

Questions, answered