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, Democratic 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, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti (this requirements applies to holders of ordinary passports issued by Haiti from 1 September 2011), India, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Nepal (from 21 April 2025), Palestine, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
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 29 European countries without border controls between them: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, 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 the “Schengen visas" section).
Please note that transits through Madrid Adolfo Suárez-Barajas airport from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4S do not imply entering the Schengen area. Only nationals holding passports from the list of countries who need a transit visa will be required to have a valid Schengen visa.
A transit visa allows transit of up to 24 hours and allows you to stay within the international transit area of the airport. For transit passengers whose baggage is not checked throughout the entire trip until the final destination, a valid Schengen visa is required. In that case, you will need to exit the boarding area, go through immigration and proceed to your airline's check-in counter to check in your baggage again.
Since there are some exceptions, we kindly urge that applicants who intend to transit the Schengen Area to forward a copy of the travel itinerary via e-mail (emb.kingston@maec.es) so that the Consular Section can confirm whether a visa is required.
This Consular Section processes Schengen transit visas nationals of countries that require it with legal residence in Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Dominica and St. Kitts and Nevis travelling through Spain, France, Greece, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic.
Please note that via a Visa Waiver Agreement between the Schengen Area and the countries of Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Dominica and St. Kitts and Nevis, citizens of these four countries no longer require a Schengen Visa (may spend up to 90 days in the Schengen Area sans visa).
Required documents
1.![https://www.exteriores.gob.es/_layouts/15/images/icpdf.png]()
Schengen visa application form duly completed, dated and signed by the applicant. If the applicant is a minor, one of his/her legal guardians must sign the application. Visa applications can be filled out electronically or handwritten in capital letters.
2. Photograph. A recent, passport-size, colour photograph, taken against a white background, facing forward, without dark or reflective glasses, or any garments concealing the oval of the face.
3. Valid passport. The passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned date of airport transit in the Schengen area. It must also have at least two blank pages. Where the passport has been issued less than one year, also present the previous expired passport.
4. Proof of legal residence. For passports other than from Jamaica, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis or The Bahamas, the corresponding resident and/or work permit is required. Original and photocopy.
5 Photocopy of passport data page.
6. Original job letter indicating date of employment, duration of contract, post in company, salary and number of vacation days. If self-employed, original and copy of the certificate of registration of the business.
7. Travel itinerary issued by airline or travel agency, indicating name of passenger (do not purchase ticket prior to the issuance of the visa)
8. If travelling on the invitation of a company, letter of invitation issued by the company in the country of destination stating the purpose of travel, the length of stay, place of abode and specifying who is covering the cost of the trip.
9. For minors, original and photocopy of birth certificate must be presented. When the minor child is travelling without one of his/her parents, an original letter authorizing travel from the absent parent together with the original and photocopy of that parent's official identification document, must be submitted.
10. Payment of the visa fee. The visa processing fee for adults and children 12 years and older is JMD 14,648.00. Children between 6 and 12 years old – JMD 7,324.00. For children under the age of 6 years, the visa is free of cost. Payment is to be made in cash only at this Consular Section upon submission of application. Visa fees are non-refundable. Please take exact change. DEBIT/CREDIT cards are not accepted.
Procedure
This Consular Section 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 or a country represented by Spain (see General Information).
Who can apply for a visa: Applications must be submitted in person at scheduled appointment. If the applicant is a minor, he or she must be accompanied to the appointment by a legal guardian.
To schedule an appointment, please visit the following link: https://app.bookitit.com/en/hosteds/widgetdefault/230e7d65d6ae72afb23d79799f9b4babb
Each applicant must reserve his or her own 20 minute slot. There are no joint/group appointments.
Only local contact numbers must be provided.
Utilize the comments section for any additional information you wish to provide. In the case of agents or family members scheduling on behalf of an applicant, please insert applicant's name and mobile number in the comments.
To cancel an appointment, please send your request via e-mail to emb.kingston@maec.es entitled “Cancellation".
APPOINTMENTS ARE FREE OF CHARGE!
Place of submission: Applications must be submitted in person at the Consular Office An appointment is necessary.
Visa application period: Visa applications must be submitted up to 180 days in advance of 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 the age of 12 are exempt from fingerprint collection.
Additional documentation: 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 of 15 calendar days as of the day after the application submission date, but this period may be extended to 45 calendar days if an interview or additional documents are requested.
Visa applications submitted by nationals of certain States require consultation with the central authorities that could affect the duration of the visa procedure.
Return of passport and other documentation: The Consular Office Centre will inform the applicant regarding the procedure for the return of the passport and any other original documentation.
Permission granted by the visa: The visa does not automatically entitle someone 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 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 about the service received or about the visa application procedure can be submitted online through this website. They may also be submitted in writing at this Consular Office.
Data protection
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:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation
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![It opens in new window]()
(Spanish-English version)
· Right to rectification![It opens in new window]()
(Spanish-English version)
· Right to erasure![It opens in new window]()
(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.
Basic legislation
Community Code on Visas
· Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code).
· Regulation (EU) 2019/1155 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 amending Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code).