Spain visa for green card holders allows them to temporarily enter and stay in Spain to pursue leisure or business activities. All US green card holders should note that having permanent residency in the US doesn’t qualify them for visa-free entry into Spain; only US citizens with US passports can enjoy such benefits. However, they can apply for a visa by visiting the Spanish embassy in their home country. Applying for a visa directly from the US is possible but quite difficult.
When A Green Card Holder May Not Require A Schengen Visa
Green card holders may not need a Schengen visa if they are originally from a visa-exempt country. Here are currently more than 60 nations on the Schengen visa-free list. If your country is on the list, you can visit Spain by nationality, not your green card. Simply apply for ETIAS approval before traveling to Spain with your passport.
Applying For A Schengen Visa
If you plan to get a Schengen visa, you must be strategic with your timing. It is not advisable to file your application at any time because the visa expires once approved, and processing takes time. The best time to submit your application to the Swiss embassy is at least two months before your planned trip or not later than three weeks before. This will give you enough time to sort out the documentation and filing and for the embassy to process the application. The last thing you want is to submit it early enough.
How To Get A Schengen Visa?
Now let’s review the steps to get a Schengen visa as a green card holder.
Pick The Visa You Want: The first step is to pick the visa you want before you proceed. Several Schengen visa options include transit, tourist, business visas, etc. You want to be sure of the right visa so you know which documents to prepare.
Choose Where To File It: Where do you plan to file it? At the Spanish embassy or through a licensed visa application agency? In some cases, this decision is not yours to make as some embassies don’t accept applications directly from applicants. Make your inquiries to know the filing process ahead of time.
Obtain And Fill out The Form:
Once you know the filing process, obtain the form online or from the visa application center or embassy and fill it out.
Be careful of your entries because the slightest mistake may lead to rejection.
Make sure every section is completed and the information provided is accurate.
Book An Appointment: The next step is to book an appointment with the embassy. This may require contacting the embassy in person, booking the appointment online, over the phone, or through agents.
Collect The Documents: Find the documents you need for the particular visa you want and gather them into a single file for easy access.
Show Up For The Visa Appointment: On the day communicated to you, show up for the visa appointment with original and photocopies of your documents and present them to the Consular officer when you are called over. The consular officer will carefully examine each document and ask questions about your trip before letting you go.
It will take a few weeks for your application to be processed, but you will be contacted once the visa is ready to return to the embassy to pick it up.
If You Are Visiting More Than One Country
If you plan to visit another Schengen country apart from Spain, you must take a different approach. If Spain is the country where you will spend the most time, then file your application with the Spanish embassy, but if you plan to spend more time in a different country, file your application in their embassy instead. However, if you plan to spend an equal number of days in each country, applying in the first country you land will be the right move.
Consider your itinerary before submitting your application.
Spain Schengen Visa For Green Card Holders
Here are the documents for US green card holders
Visa Application Form: A visa application form duly filled and signed. Print two copies of the form and sign them at the end.
Valid Passport: A valid passport issued by your home government. The passport must have at least three months of validity beyond the departure date from Spain and two empty pages, and it must be issued at most 10 years prior.
Identical Photos: Two identical photos at most three months. They must fulfill Schengen photo requirements.
Travel Health Insurance: All visitors coming to the Schengen Area must have active travel health insurance with a minimum cover of €30,000 to cover medical emergencies and repatriation in case of their demise.
Proof of Accommodation: Documents to prove that they have accommodation waiting for them in Spain, like a rental or lease agreement, hotel booking, or a letter of invitation.
Flight Itinerary: Reserved flight ticket for the return trip.
Proof of financial means: Bank Statement to prove that they have the financial capacity to cover their expenses throughout their trip.