General information
Family members of citizens of the European Union or of the States of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland are entitled to a preferential free-of-charge visa, provided that they are travelling with the citizen of the European Union, the EEA or Switzerland or are on the way to joining them.
Nationals of third countries listed in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
require a Schengen visa for stays of up to 90 days (in any 180-day period).
Nationals of the three countries in our consular district require a visa to travel to the Schengen area. The visa is requested from the consular authorities of the single or main destination member country. If there is no country of main destination, it is requested from the country of first entry.
The following can obtain a visa for family members of a citizen of the Union:
- The spouse, provided that there has been no annulment or divorce.
- The partner registered in a Member State of the European Union or EEA or Switzerland, provided that such registered partnership has not been legally terminated.
- Direct descendants of the Union citizen or of their spouse or registered partner (provided that there has been no annulment or divorce or legal termination of the registration) who are under the age of 21 and above that age if they are dependent or disabled.
- Direct relatives in the ascending line of the Union citizen or of their spouse or registered partner (provided that there has been no annulment or divorce or legal termination of their registration) that are their dependants.
- Family members other than the above who, in their country of origin, live with the citizen of the Union or are their dependants.
- Exceptionally, other family members when serious health grounds or disability strictly require their personal care by the Union citizen.
- The unregistered partner, provided that stable cohabitation for a minimum period of one year can be duly attested. When there are children in common, it will be sufficient to ascertain stable cohabitation.
The visa for family members of a Union citizen entitles the holder to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. It also allows transit through the territory and airports.
Family members of Union citizens who wish to remain in Spain beyond 90 days must, once in Spain, submit an application with the competent authorities for a residence card as Union citizen family member.
The Schengen area encompasses 26 European countries without border controls between them: Austria, Belgium, 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.
Required documents
1. Schengen visa application form. Available in español, english, français. Each applicant must complete and sign an official application form, filling in each of its sections. If the applicant is a minor, one of their parents must sign the application.
1.1. In the case of minors who are not traveling with one of their parents: authorization must also be provided by the parent who is not accompanying the child. It must specify what it authorizes (to visit, to reside...). It is done at the police station and then must be legalized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) and at this Embassy. Accompanied by a copy of the authorizing parent's identity document.
2. Photograph: A recent, passport-size, colour photograph, taken against a light background, facing forward, without dark or reflective glasses, or any garments concealing the oval of the face. Photographs of minors must not show any part of the adult holding them.
3. Valid, unexpired passport: Original and a photocopy of the page or pages of the passport that contain biometric data. The passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned departure date from the Schengen territory. It must also contain at least two blank pages. Passports issued more than 10 years ago will not be accepted.
3.1 Photocopy of the national identity card (CNI). Failing this, a photocopy of the receipt (récépissé) will be accepted.
3.2 Photocopies of all previous and current visas (Schengen, USA, UK, Canada, Japan, Australia), if any.
4. Documents proving family relationship with a citizen of the Union or a State of the European Economic Area or Switzerland: Civil registry certificates (birth or marriage, accordingly), certificate of registration as an unmarried couple or any other document proving that the partnership is analogous to a marital relationship. Birth certificate and/or marriage certificate (depending on the family bond with the reunitor). In each case:
Regrouping of children: Birth certificate of the member legalized in the Ministère des Relations Extérieures and then verified and legalized in the Embassy of Spain.
Regrouping of spouses: Spanish marriage certificate and Spanish family book. Birth certificate of the reunited spouse.
Regrouping of dependent ascendant: Birth certificate of the regrouped legalized in the Ministère des Relations Extérieures and then verified and legalized in the Embassy of Spain.
Important: Birth/marriage/death certificates, obtained by default or by reconstitution, do not comply with the guarantees required by the Spanish legal system (Art. 23 of the Civil Registry Act and 85 of the Civil Registry Regulations) concerning the veracity of the registered act nor do they present guarantees comparable to those required in the Spanish civil registries. That is why these documents must be accompanied by other evidence of authenticity accepted by law.
There is the possibility to do a DNA test voluntarily to confirm the family relationship between regrouped and regrouped. The costs of the DNA test are borne by the applicant. If you wish to take this test, the Consular Office will give you instructions once the visa application has been filed.
5. In the case of descendants over 21, ascendant relatives or other relatives, documents proving they are in the care of a citizen of the Union or a State of the European Economic Area or Switzerland or, if applicable, their state of health.
6. Documents proving that the applicant is travelling with a citizen of the Union or a State of the European Economic Area or Switzerland, or is traveling in order to join him/her.
6.1 Proof that the EU citizen lives in Spain (Volante de empadronamiento) or proof that the EU citizen is traveling togheter with the visa applicant.
6.2 Notarial Declaration (Declaration of Statements) in which EU citizen indicates that they want to regroup or that they want to receive the invited person. Accompany your identity documents: DNI or Residence Card. It is done before a Spanish notary, of the place of residence of the regroup. It must then be sent to Cameroon and presented among the documents that make up the file. It is not necessary to make this document if the EU citizen is going to travel with the visa applicant.
7. Proof of residence in the consular district. For foreigners: resident card.
Very important: Before applying for the visa, the verification and legalization process of the Cameroonian civil registration records (or of another foreign country in your case) showing the family link must be completed. In our Embassy this verification and legalization process lasts at least 3 weeks. See full instructions to legalize on our website or consult
Incomplete and walk-in (without appointment) files will not be accepted.
We accept documents in Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, French and English. Documents in other languages must be accompanied by a translation.
The entire dossier must be submitted in duplicate. That is, the application consists of:
- Application Form.
- Complete file folder containing the original documents.
- Photocopied complete file folder.
The folder of originals is retrieved together with the passport at the end of the procedure. The photocopies remain at the Embassy.
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.
Only those applications meeting the requirements specified in sections 1, 2 and 3 will be accepted.
The visa is free of charge.
PARTICULAR CASES
Spouse regrouping. Marriage held in Cameroon: Before applying for a family reunification visa under community regime, the marriage certificate of the Cameroonian Civil Registry must be transcribed to the Spanish Civil Registry (or to the Civil Registry of the country of the spouse who is a Community national). For the case of Spain, the transcription of marriages celebrated in Cameroon can be requested in this Embassy or in the Central Civil Registry of Madrid. The next steps are :
- To verify and legalize here at the Embassy the Cameroonian marriage certificate and the birth certificate of the Cameroonian party. See legalization instructions on our website or consult emb.yaunde@maec.es.
- Register the marriage in the Spanish Civil Registry. See instructions on our website or consult emb.yaunde@maec.es.
- With this they obtain the family book and the Spanish marriage certificate. From that moment on, they can take an appointment to apply for a visa.
Regroupment of a person under 21 years of age or over 21 years of age who proves economic dependence, or of an ascendant who proves the economic dependence of the Spanish/UE citizen.
- Verify and legalize the Cameroonian records that prove the relationship of kinship.
- To apply for the visa, make an appointment with emb.yaunde.vis@maec.es. In the required cases, the economic dependence must also be justified.
Visas for family members of Union citizens with destination Portugal: If the trip is made for the purpose of staying to reside, the visa is free. If the trip is for the purpose of stay, the general fee of 59,000 fcfa must be paid.
FAQ:
What does economic dependence mean? To be able to regroupate a family member who is in charge of the Community citizen, it must be justified that without the help of the Community citizen the regrouped could not be maintained in their country. Continued economic dependence must be demonstrated for at least one year and it must be possible to prove that the applicant has no or insufficient other sources of income. The indicator used to estimate the minimum amount of income needed to cover their basic needs in Cameroon is 51 per cent of GDP per capita annually.
The applicant must present the documents proving his real economic, social and family situation :
- Sources of income available to him.
- Your status as unemployed, student or other, as the case may be.
- Existence of other family members, and their situation, to prove whether they contribute or can contribute to the maintenance of the applicant.
- Date from which the applicant is financially responsible, justification of the circumstance that motivates him, and what were his means of subsistence before.
- Existence of a regular relationship with the community citizen (visits, communications, etc.) with whom they request to meet in Spain.
Procedure
This Consular Office is competent to accept visa applications from third-country nationals residing in the consular district who are travelling to Spain as their main destination.
Citizens resident in Chad and the Central African Republic who require a Schengen visa for a stay in Spain apply for a visa at the French Embassies in N'Djamena and in Bangui respectively, representing the Spanish authorities in the area of issuing Schengen visas in these two countries.
Also in this Embassy we process Schengen visa applications for residents of the consular demarcation who travel to Portugal or Slovenia within the framework of representation agreements. These agreements apply only to Schengen visas. To apply for a national (residence) visa, you must contact the authorities of those countries directly.
Travelers whose destination is Eslovenia or Portugal need to take a visa appointment following exactly the same instructions as travelers whose destination is Spain. : Instructions to take a visa appointment.
- Who can apply for a visa: Applications must be submitted in person. If the applicant is a minor, the application must be submitted by their legal representatives.
Appointments are given several months in advance, given the current high demand for visas. Although this category of visas is a priority and it is normally possible to give you the appointment within one month, we recommend requesting the appointment as far in advance as possible.
- Visa application period: Visa applications must be submitted between 6 months and 15 days before the scheduled date of travel.
- Proof of receipt: When a visa application is submitted, the Consular Office will provide the interested party with proof of receipt of the application with a code that enables them to check the status of the dossier through the following link: https://sutramiteconsular.maec.es/Home.aspx
- 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 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 to be reached 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. Also in the case of additional checks. The Consular Office shall process the application on a preferential basis.
Visa applications submitted by nationals of certain States require consultation with the central authorities that could affect the duration of the visa procedure. This does not affect citizens of Cameroon, Chad or the Central African Republic. It affects citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries.
- 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.
- Permission granted by the visa: A visa does not automatically entitle someone to enter the Schengen area. The traveller must meet all legal entry requirements (see section "Conditions for entry into Spain").
- 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.
How to make an appeal: It can be filed any day from Monday to Thursday from 13:30 to 14 hours at the Embassy window. The appeal file consists of:
- Letter of appeal SIGNED. Specify passport number.
- Optional: passport.
- Optional: New supplementary documents (originals and photocopies).
It is not necessary to resubmit the same documents that were already submitted in the denied application.
ATTENTION TO THE PUBLIC SCHEDULE:
Monday to Thursday from 13:30 to 14 hours without appointment for:
Please do not come to withdraw before you have been notified or you checked in sutramiteconsular.maec.es that the application has already been resolved.
New visa applications can only be deposited with an appointment.
WITHDRAWAL OF DOCUMENTS We return the documents only to the interested party or to a person authorized by the interested party; who must provide the power of attorney (procuration) together with the original and photocopy of the identity document of the authorized person.
WITHDRAW GRANTED VISA When withdrawing check that there are no errors in the visa label (for example, misspelled name). Check the number of days of validity of the visa, the number of entries and the dates. It is the responsibility of the traveler to check and comply with sanitary conditions. It is advisable to travel with the documents that have justified the visa, in hand luggage.
RESOLVE DOUBTS AND OBTAIN INFORMATION The only way to contact the visa section is by e-mail: .
No emails will be answered requesting information that is already contained on this website. The visa section has no hotline, and the ticket window is reserved only for depositing and withdrawing documents.
PROVIDE COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTS FOR YOUR VISA APPLICATION FILE : It’s possble to provide complementary documents only in case that the consular agent asks you to do so. In case of request, please send them to: . If it’s necessary to bring the original document, this office will ask you to do so. Please always provide your passport number or name+birth date, in order to let us find your application.
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:
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:
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
- Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States.
- Royal Decree 240/2007 of 16 February, on the entry, free movement and residence in Spain of citizens of Member States of the European Union and of other States parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area).
- 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).