Airport transit Visa

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GENERAL INFORMATION​

Nationals of the following countries require a visa to transit through the international area of any airport located in the territory of the Schengen States in order to take a connecting flight to a country outside the Schengen area:

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Dem​ocratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka

In addition, nationals of the following countries require a visa to transit through the international area of any airport located in Spain in order to take a connecting flight to a country outside the Schengen area: 

Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti (this requirement applies to holders of ordinary passports issued by Haiti from 1 September 2021), India, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Yemen. Holders of passports issued by the Palestinian Authority also require a visa​ 

Nationals of the States included on the foregoing lists do not require an airport transit visa:

• If they have a Schengen visa, another type of visa, or a residence card permitting their return, issued by a Member State of the European Union or of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, or;
• ​If they have a residence card issued by Andorra, Canada, the United States of America, Japan, San Marino, any of the overseas countries and territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, or;
• ​If they are a diplomatic passport holder;
• A family member of a citizen of the EU or of the EEA, or;
  
• A flight crew member of a State that is party to the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The Schengen area encompasses 27 European countries without border controls between them: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. 

The airport transit visa enables transit through the international area of airports located in the Schengen area but does not permit entry into the territory of the Schengen States. When a connection entails a change in airport terminal that requires going through a border control, it will be necessary to apply for a Schengen visa (see Schengen visa​​ tab​). ​

Applications for short-term Schengen visas (including airport transit visas) must be submitted in person by appointment only to the BLS Spain Visa Application Center in Washington DC.​

To find more information and schedule an appointment for Schengen visas at BLS Spain Visa Application Center in Washington DC, please follow the link: BLS Spain Visa Application Center​​

1.- One Schengen Visa Application form: Each applicant must complete and sign an application form, filling in each of its sections. If the applicant is a minor, one of their parents must sign the application. Visa applications can be filled out electronically or handwritten in capital letters. 

2.- One photograph: Glued ​or clipped (not stapled) onto visa application form. Photo specifications: Passport-size, color photograph, recent (taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance), printed on matte/glossy paper, taken against a white, light, clear, uniform background, facing forward, without dark or reflective glasses, or any garments concealing the applicant’s full oval of the face. 

Photos with a dark background or with objects or people that can be seen behind your head will not be accepted. Photographs of babies must not show any part of the adult holding them.​​

3.- Valid, unexpired passport or official travel document. Original and a photocopy of the page or pages of the passport that contain biometric data. The passport must be valid for a minimum of 90 days after your expected departure date from the Schengen area. The passport must have at least two blank visa pages. Passports issued more than 10 years ago are not accepted.

If the passport does not meet the requirements, it must be renewed before applying for the visa.

4.- Proof of legal residence in the United States. Non-U.S. citizens must also submit proof of legal residence in the United States: U.S. Resident Card (Green card) or valid U.S. long term Visa. Original and a photocopy.

The document proving legal residence in the United States must be valid to re-enter the US after your expected departure date from the Schengen area.

B1/B2 visa holders do not qualify to apply for a visa at this Consular Office. They must apply for a visa in their country of residence or country of origin.

5.- Proof of residence in the consular district.  The applicant must be a legal resident or be enrolled in in-person studies within our consular jurisdiction (Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina). 

Residence must be proved by one of the following, valid documents: U.S. Driver’s License, State ID, University Student ID. Original and a photocopy.

If you do not have a US Driver's License or State ID it is possible to prove residence in our consular district through other documents, e.g. a copy of a lease agreement or utility bill.​

6.- Documents concerning the continuation of the journey onto the final destination following the planned transit. Applicants must provide proof of the journey they are taking that involves an international layover in an airport in Spain or a country represented by Spain, as well as of the necessary entry permits for the country of destination and any other layovers. 

7.- Documents corroborating the applicant's intention not to enter the territory of any Member State. Flight ticket reservations.

8.- Payment of the visa fee. In 2024 the amount of the visa fee is $88 for people aged over 12 and $44 for children of ages 6 to 11. Children aged 5 and under are exempt from the fee. Reciprocity fees apply for nationals of Gambia aged 12 or more: $131​. 

Visa fees are revised quarterly according to current exchange rates and can be subject to changes. 

9.- Disclaimer form. ​

When necessary to assess the application, the Consular Office may request additional documents or data and may also ask the applicant to come in for a personal interview. 

PROC​EDURE​

This Consular Office is competent to accept visa applications from third-country nationals who reside in the consular district and who plan to transit through the international area of an airport located in Spanish territory. 

Who can apply for a visa: This Consular Office is competent to accept visa applications from individuals residing in the consular district: Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. 

​Place of submission: The application must be submitted in person by appointment only to the BLS Spain Visa Application Center for Spain in Washington DC. 

Please be sure that you have all required documents before scheduling an appointment, as only complete applications with all requirements will be admitted.

Every applicant (including minors) must come to the BLS Office to submit the application in person.

Visa application period: Visa applications must be submitted between 6 months and 15 days before the scheduled date of travel. Seafarers may apply for the visa up to 9 months before the date of travel.   

Biometric data capturing: The applicant's facial image and fingerprints will be captured during the visa application procedure. Applicants under 12​ and applicants whose fingerprints have been taken in the last 59 months are exempt from fingerprint taking. However, in the latter case, if the applicant's prints are of poor quality, the Consular Office will request to have their fingerprints retaken. 

Rectifying the application: The Consular Office may ask the applicant to submit any missing documents, or to provide additional documents or data that are necessary for a decision regarding the application. The applicant may also be called in for a personal interview. 

​Decision period: The legal period for reaching a decision is 15 calendar days as of the day after the submission date of the application, a period which may be extended to 45 calendar days when an interview or additional documents are requested. This time period cannot be expedited. 

Visa applications submitted by nationals of certain States require consultation with the central authorities that could affect the duration of the visa procedure. 

The Consular Section does not provide information about the status of a visa. If extra documents are needed you will be contacted.​

​Return of passport and other documentation: The applicant must collect the visa and/or other documents in person at the BLS office once BLS notifies the applicant (via SMS text) that the visa or documents are ready to be picked up.  

Permission granted by the visa: The visa does not entitle the holder to enter the Schengen area; rather, it only permits the holder to transit through the international area of airports in the Schengen area. 

Visa refusal: Visa refusals will always be notified in writing, setting forth the grounds on which the decision adopted was based. 

Appeals: If a visa is refused, the applicant may submit an appeal for reconsideration to this Consular Office within 1 month of the day following the date on which notification of the refusal is received. An application for judicial review may also be filed with the High Court of Justice of Madrid within the 2-month period beginning the day after the date on which the applicant receives notification of the visa refusal or of the dismissal of the reconsideration appeal. 

Complaints or suggestions regarding the service received or the visa application procedure can be submitted online through t​his website. They may also be submitted in writing to this Consular Office.

The processing of personal data of visa applicants is done in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation. 

Persons wishing to exercise their rights of access, rectification and erasure of their personal data in the Visa Information System (VIS) may do so by addressing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation: 

Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación

Inspección General de Servicios

Postal address: Plaza de la Provincia, 1, Madrid, España

Email: dpd@maec.es 

The following forms may be used to do so: 

• Right of access (Spanish-English version).
• Right to rectification (Spanish-English version).
• Right to erasure (Spanish-English version). 

Persons whose visa application has been refused because they are banned from entering the Schengen area may exercise their rights of access, rectification and erasure of their personal data in the Schengen Information System (SIS) by addressing the Ministry of the Interior. 

To obtain more information on your rights and duties and on how to exercise your rights of access, rectification and erasure of data included in the SIS, please refer to the website of the Spanish Data Protection Agency