If you are from a member-country of the Schengen agreement - Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, plus Iceland and Norway (which are not EU members)- you do not need a passport to enter Spain. An official national ID card will suffice.
Citizens from EU countries that do not form part of the Schengen agreement must carry a valid passport to enter Spain. These are the UK and Ireland, as well as new members of the EU that do not yet participate in Schengen are Cyprus (joined in 2004) and Bulgaria and Romania (joined in 2007).
If you are from any of the aforementioned countries, Switzerland or member-countries of the European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland & Liechtenstein), you do not need a special visa to enter or reside in Spain. If you are planning to stay for more than 3 months, however, you need to apply for a residence card.
Spain visas for non-Europeans
Citizens of the following countries do not need a visa to stay in Spain for less than 90 days, only a valid passport: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong & Macao (China), Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Singapore, South Korea, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.
If you are from any of these countries and desire to stay in Spain to work or study for more than 3 months, you must solicit the corresponding visa. Agreements and processes vary by country, so it's best to consult the Spanish consulate closest to you.
Obtaining a student visa for Spain is not difficult, as long as your school provides the necessary paperwork. Apart from an official invitation letter you will need a certificate of good health, clean police record and proof of funds to pay for private insurance while in Spain.
Obtaining a work and residency visa is much more complicated and laws are constantly changing. The company in Spain must present the necessary paperwork to the Ministry of Labor here, including proof that no Spanish resident is capable of filling the position. The law now states that no illegal alien may solicit a work visa from within the country.
While most embassies are locatd in Madrid, there are a number of country consulates located right here in Malaga. Here is a list of some of them:
Country Contact Details
Country | Address | Telephone |
Austria | ALMD COLON 26, 29001 Málaga | 952600267 |
Belgium | CL COMPOSITOR LEHMBERG RUIZ 9, 29007 Málaga | 952399907 |
Brazil | PL MALAGUETA 2, 29016 Málaga | 952211069 |
Canada | PL MALAGUETA 3, 29016 Málaga | 952223346 |
Chile | CL PALMERAS DEL LIMONAR 17, 29016 Málaga | 952224426 |
Denmark | CL CORDOBA 6, 29001 Málaga | 952211797 |
Ecuador | AV PRIES 7, 29016 Málaga | 952218137 |
Finland | CL BLASCO DE GARAY 7, 29001 Málaga | 952212435 |
France | CL DUQUESA DE PARCENT 8, 29001 Málaga | 952226590 |
Germany | CL MAURICIO MORO PARETO 2, 29006 Málaga | 952363591 |
Greece | CL DOCTOR MANUEL PEREZ BRYAN 3, 29005 Málaga | 952225689 |
Haiti | CL MONTE MIRAMAR 10, 29016 Málaga | 952212339 |
Hungary | AV ANDALUCIA 26, 29007 Málaga | 952308393 |
Italy | CL PALESTINA 3, 29007 Málaga | 952306150 |
Luxemburg | CL MARIN GARCIA 10, 29005 Málaga | 952857197 |
Monaco | CL ARQUITECTO BLANCO SOLER 6, 29005 Málaga | 952215144 |
Norway | CL BLASCO DE GARAY 7, 29001 Málaga | 952210331 |
Panama | PSO MIRAMAR 34, 29016 Málaga | 952290594 |
Philippines | CL BOLSA 1, 29015 Málaga | 952222757 |
Portugal | CL CAÑIZARES 15, 29002 Málaga | 952347677 |
Saudi Arabia | CL MAURICIO MORO PARETO 2, 29006 Málaga | 952310358 |
Sweden | ALMD COLON 26, 29001 Málaga | 952604363 |
Switzerland | CL SAN LORENZO 4, 29001 Málaga | 952217266 |
United Kingdom (Great Britain and Ireland) | CL MAURICIO MORO PARETO 2, 29006 Málaga | 952352300 |