Visa for seaman

Required documents

Application form. Duly completed (full postal address, email address and telephone should not be omitted), dated and signed in blue ink by the applicant.
One photograph not older than 6 months of the applicant, 35-45 mm and on a white background, should be affixed on the application form.
Proof of residence in the consular district.
Payment of the visa fee. Click here for more information.
Passport of the applicant with at least two blank pages, valid for at least three months after the duration of the anticipated stay and issued in the last ten (10) years. Old passports can also be included. If there is any visa refusal in the latest 2 years, please provide the refusal notice or a written explanation about the reasons.
One copy of the pages of the passport with biographic data (in the case of an Indian passport, at the beginning and the end).
Seaman’s passbook (continuous certificate of discharge in India).
Proof of travel insurance with a minimum coverage of 30,000 Euros to cover any expense which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment. The insurance must be valid throughout the territory of the Schengen States and during the entire period of stay.
Letter of employment.
Flight bookings. It is advisable not to buy the air ticket until the visa has been granted.
If the applicant is not a national of India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal or the Maldives, evidence of his/her legal residence in any of these countries (residence permit).
A letter of invitation from the Spanish maritime agency (ship owner, agent or consignee of the ship) with the following information should be included:

name and surname of the seaman
date and place of birth
nationality, passport number, date of issue and period of validity
seaman’s passbook number, date of issue and period of validity
job position on the ship on which he will board (if there are various seamen this information should be included in a list, signed and stamped and attached to the letter of invitation)
date and port of entry in Spain
name of ship
flag of ship
port of boarding in Spain
duration of the stay on board
port of disembarkation
date of return to the country of origin
travel itinerary to Spain and return to country of origin
name and address of the agency responsible for the crew member in country of origin as well as agency responsible for the crew member in Schengen State.

The applicant should take the adequate steps to ensure that the Embassy receives the Schengen application form for crew members who need a visa (Annex IX of the Regulation (EC) 810/2009) issued, filled and stamped by the competent Spanish seaport authorities.

Procedure

Who can apply for a visa: Applications must be submitted in person.
Place of submission: Applications must be submitted at any BLS VAC with prior appointment through the following link.
Visa application period: Visa applications must be submitted between 9 months and 15 days before the scheduled date of travel.
Biometric data capturing: The applicant's facial image and fingerprints will be captured during the visa application procedure. If the applicant's prints are of poor quality, the Consular Office will request that they come back in 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 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 or Visa Application Centre will inform the applicant regarding the procedure for the return of the passport and any other original documentation.
Visa refusal: Visa refusals will always be notified in writing, setting forth the grounds on which the decision adopted was based.
Appeals

In case of refusal of a visa, the applicant can request reconsideration of decision by submitting in person an appeal letter at the Consular Section, as per the following instructions:

Appeal can be presented within one month from the date of notification of the rejection.
Appeal letter must be written in Spanish or in Spanish and English and must be duly signed by the applicant. In case of minors, appeal must be signed by the parents/legal guardians.
Appeal letter must mention a telephone contact and an email address.
In case of multiple applications, each applicant must present an individual appeal letter.
Original and one photocopy of the appeal letter must be presented in person in order to be properly registered.
Appeal letter can be presented on any day, except declared holidays, from Monday-Friday, between 9.00-13:00 hours, without any prior appointment.
Appeal letter cannot be sent by email or by post.
Maximum processing period of an appeal is one month. During the processing period, no status queries or requests for expediting the procedures will be entertained.
Once the appeal has been processed, the applicant will be contacted by email directly by the Consular office.

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.