Spain Schengen visa from the UK: who needs one and where to apply
Most people who search for a Spain visa from the UK do not need one. A British citizen travels to Spain without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180.
The Schengen visa is for UK residents who hold the passport of a country on the EU's visa list: Indian, Pakistani, Nigerian, Chinese or South African nationals living here, for example.
Spain does not take those applications at the consulate counter. They are lodged at BLS International, the company the Ministry uses, in the centre that matches the consulate of your district.
Which centre is yours
It follows the consular map. If you live in London, the south or the east of England, or in Jersey and Guernsey, it is the London centre on St Andrew Street. Wales, the Isle of Man and the middle and north of England go to Salford, for Manchester.
Scotland, Northern Ireland and the far north of England go to Leith, for Edinburgh.
Since 1 October 2023, London's consulate books every visa appointment through the BLS website only.
Fees, timing and fingerprints
The visa fee is set by the EU Visa Code at €90, which the consulates charge as £79.00; children aged 6 to 12 pay £39.50 and under-6s nothing. BLS adds its own service charge of £14.85 on the 2026 fee list.
Apply between six months and 15 days before you travel. The legal decision period is 15 calendar days, which can stretch to 45 if the consulate asks for more documents or an interview.
Fingerprints and a photo are taken at the centre, except for under-12s and anyone fingerprinted in the last 59 months.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Visa fee | £79.00 (€90) |
| Aged 6 to 12 | £39.50 |
| BLS service charge | £14.85 |
| When to apply | 6 months to 15 days before |
| Decision period | 15 days, up to 45 |
- Signed Schengen visa form
- Passport under 10 years old, valid 3 months after you leave, with 2 blank pages
- Recent photograph
- Travel insurance of at least €30,000
- Proof of the purpose of the trip and accommodation
- Proof of funds and of your intention to return
- Proof of your legal residence in the UK
What gets an application refused
The passport must be valid for three months after you leave the Schengen area, have two blank pages and be less than ten years old. Travel insurance must cover at least €30,000 for medical repatriation and emergency care across the whole area.
The purpose of the trip, the money for it and your intention to leave are compulsory proof, handed in with the application. Missing any of the first requirements makes the application inadmissible.
If it is refused
You can lodge an appeal for reconsideration with the consulate within one month of the notice, written in Spanish, with your details, the decision you challenge, your reasons and your signature. The other route is the High Court of Justice of Madrid, within two months.
Gibraltar follows the same rule. Edinburgh's Schengen page says that anyone who needs a Schengen visa also needs one to enter Gibraltar, that it is valid there for up to 90 days in any 180, and that if Gibraltar is the main destination, Spain issues the visa.
Your BLS centre is the one for your consular district, not simply the closest one.Related guides
Checked against the official pages on 10 November 2026.
spanishconsulates.co.uk is an independent guide to Spain's consular offices in the United Kingdom. We are not the Embassy, any Consulate General or the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
We do not book or sell appointments: consular appointments are free. Details are checked regularly and can change without notice.