Spain visa requirements for Chinese citizens
Chinese citizens need a visa for Spain and must apply for it before the trip at a consulate or embassy.
- Consular fee
- €90
- Minimum passport validity
- 3 months after departure
How to apply for this visa: the step-by-step process →
How long it takes and how far ahead to book →
If it's refused: grounds and how to appeal →
Last verified: 7 September 2026
How this visa is processed
BLS International (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Chongqing and other cities)
Spain splits China into four consular districts: the Embassy in Beijing (the largest, covering 19 provinces and regions), the Consulates General of Shanghai and Guangzhou, and a Chengdu district opened on 7 April 2025. The Schengen visa is filed at the BLS centre for your place of residence within that district, with several centres per area (Beijing, Chengdu, Xi'an, Shenyang, Wuhan, Jinan and Chongqing in the Beijing district; Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Changsha, Fuzhou and Kunming in the Guangzhou one). Leisure tourism normally goes through the ADS scheme (EC-China Memorandum of Understanding, 2004): groups of at least five with a guide, handled solely by an accredited Chinese travel agency that files the applications by courier: not an individual application. Independent or business travellers do file directly at BLS.
Official application site →Application details verified on 7 September 2026. Sources: web.blscn.cn (centres by district and the ADS group visa page) and eur-lex.europa.eu (Memorandum of Understanding between the EC and China on visa and related issues concerning tourist groups, CELEX 22004A0320(01)) (checked 7 September 2026).
How many visas are refused in China
In 2025, the consulates of Spain in China received 310,436 short-stay Schengen visa applications and refused 9,822, 3.2 % of those decided. That is a rate lower than the average of all Schengen States worldwide, which was 14.6 %.
- Applications
- 310,436
- Refused
- 9,822
- Refusal rate
- 3.2 %
- Schengen average
- 14.6 %
This is European Commission data by consulate. It counts applications lodged in China, of any nationality.
Source: European Commission, short-stay visa statistics 2025. If it's refused: grounds and how to appeal →
Verified practical details
You'll need to apply for a visa at a consulate or embassy before travelling. Here are the practical details we've verified:
Fee
€90
The €90 is the short-stay Schengen visa fee, set by Article 16 of the Visa Code (Regulation (EC) 810/2009) as amended by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1415, in force since 11 June 2024. It is not a fee set by Spain: the same amount is paid at any Schengen consulate. Children from the age of 6 and under 12 pay €45, and children under 6 are exempt. Travellers entering without a visa pay no fee at all.
Processing time
Where the trip requires a Schengen visa, the consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of an admissible application being lodged. That period may be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, particularly where the application needs closer examination; in justified urgent individual cases the decision is taken immediately (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 23). An application may not be lodged more than six months before the intended trip and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before it; where the consulate requires an appointment, it is normally given within two weeks of being requested (Art. 9).
Required documents
- A valid passport or travel document, issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a))
- Evidence of the purpose and conditions of your stay: a booking for your accommodation or, if you are staying at a private address, a letter of invitation that your host files with the Spanish National Police (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(c))
- A return or round-trip ticket, issued in your name, non-transferable and with a fixed date (Order PRE/1282/2007, Art. 2)
How much money you need to show
€122.10 per person per day, with a minimum of €1,098.90 per person even on a shorter trip
They are 10% and 90% of Spain's 2026 minimum wage (€1,221 a month, Royal Decree 126/2026), under Order PRE/1282/2007, so they change when the minimum wage goes up. The daily figure is multiplied by the days of your stay and by the people travelling as your dependants. You show it with cash, certified or traveller's cheques, or a credit card together with a bank statement or an up-to-date passbook. Statements printed from online banking are not accepted.
What each Schengen country asks for →Source: European Commission, Annex 25 to the Practical Handbook for Border Guards (reference amounts notified by each State), version of 8 June 2026, and Spain's Official State Gazette (Order PRE/1282/2007 and Royal Decree 126/2026). Checked on 1 November 2026.
Health insurance
Mandatory to apply for the Schengen visa: minimum coverage of €30,000, valid across the whole Schengen area and for the entire length of the stay (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 15).
Which policies meet the €30,000 requirement →
Staying with a host instead of a hotel? Spain's letter of invitation →
When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓How long you can stay
Schengen rule: a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area.
Calculate your available Schengen days →More Spain rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the Spain page:
Official portal: https://www.exteriores.gob.es. Destination data verified on 13 August 2026. Sources: exteriores.gob.es; travel-europe.europa.eu/etias (official ETIAS portal, including the official confirmation of the €20 fee and the "not in operation" status quoted verbatim by Euronews on 12 August 2026); eeas.europa.eu; europa.eu/youreurope (cash/EU customs); eur-lex.europa.eu, Directive 2007/74/EC, Arts. 8 to 10 (alcohol and tobacco allowances, checked 27 September 2026); boe.es, Organic Law 4/2000, Arts. 53, 55, 57 and 58 (penalties for unlawful stay, checked 27 September 2026); eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/810/oj (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 15: €30,000 medical insurance required for the Schengen visa application, not for visa-exempt entry) (checked 12 August 2026).
Insurance for the Schengen visa
The consulate asks for a policy with at least €30,000 of medical cover, valid across the whole Schengen area and for the entire stay. Check those terms in the policy before you pay.
See IATI's international site →IATI sells its policies according to the country you live in. Where do you live?
If your country isn't listed, try IATI's international site.
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Things to see and do in Spain
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Seeing the featured activities here needs advertising cookies. In the meantime, you can open them directly:
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This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of Spain can enter China visa-free. See the Spain → China page.
Of the 8 passports from Eastern Asia that VisaRadar tracks, for travel to Spain 5 enter visa-free and 3 need a visa. Same result as China: Mongolia and North Korea.
With a passport from China, in the rest of Southern Europe you can enter Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia visa-free; you need a visa for Andorra, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia and Vatican.
A passport from China ranks 108 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 77 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Chinese citizens need a visa for Spain?
Yes. You must apply for the visa in advance at the relevant consulate or embassy.
How long does it take to get the entry permit?
Where the trip requires a Schengen visa, the consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of an admissible application being lodged. That period may be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, particularly where the application needs closer examination; in justified urgent individual cases the decision is taken immediately (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 23). An application may not be lodged more than six months before the intended trip and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before it; where the consulate requires an appointment, it is normally given within two weeks of being requested (Art. 9).
What minimum passport validity is required?
At least 3 months of validity beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area, and issued within the previous ten years (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a)).
Do I need travel insurance to apply for the Schengen visa?
Yes, to apply for the visa: travel medical insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000, valid across the whole Schengen area and for the entire length of the stay, is mandatory (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 15).
Can a Chinese tourist apply for the Spain visa on their own?
Leisure tourism is normally handled as an ADS group (at least five people with a guide) through an accredited Chinese agency. Independent or business travel is filed directly at the BLS centre for your district.
Where do I apply if I live in southwest China?
Since 7 April 2025 there is a separate Chengdu consular district; before that this area was under Beijing. The specific BLS centre depends on your province of residence.
How much money do Chinese passport holders need to enter Spain?
The reference amount is €122.10 per person per day, with a minimum of €1,098.90 per person even on a shorter trip. They are 10% and 90% of Spain's 2026 minimum wage (€1,221 a month, Royal Decree 126/2026), under Order PRE/1282/2007, so they change when the minimum wage goes up. The daily figure is multiplied by the days of your stay and by the people travelling as your dependants. You show it with cash, certified or traveller's cheques, or a credit card together with a bank statement or an up-to-date passbook. Statements printed from online banking are not accepted.
How many Schengen visas do the consulates of Spain refuse in China?
In 2025, the consulates of Spain in China received 310,436 short-stay Schengen visa applications and refused 9,822, 3.2 % of those decided. That is a rate lower than the average of all Schengen States worldwide, which was 14.6 %.
What do Chinese passport holders need for the countries near Spain?
With a passport from China, in the rest of Southern Europe you can enter Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia visa-free; you need a visa for Andorra, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia and Vatican.
Related pages
See Spain requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.