Spain visa requirements for Congolese citizens
Congolese 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: 2 October 2026
How this visa is processed
Consular Section of the Spanish Embassy in Kinshasa
Congolese nationals need a Schengen visa, and for Spain the application is lodged in person at the Spanish Embassy in Kinshasa itself, not at the European Visa Centre run by Belgium, which does not handle visas for Spain. Before booking an appointment you must register in the system by emailing emb.kinshasa.citasvis@maec.es with the subject CITA VISADO EST, a clear photo of the applicant holding the passport with the details legible, the application form with photo, the flight reservation and the health insurance, and in the body of the email the name as shown in the passport, the passport number, the planned travel date and EST, separated by semicolons, in capitals and without accents. Each applicant, including minors, sends their own email, with attachments of no more than 1 MB, and registrations by third parties are not accepted. Do not resend within 14 days, as that can delay the appointment by up to two months. With the username and password you receive, you book the appointment at citaconsular.es; each applicant can request one appointment every two months and cancel it up to three days before. The fee is 90 euros, 45 for ages 6 to 11. Applications are made between six months and 15 days before travel, and the legal deadline for a decision is 15 calendar days, extendable to 45.
Official application site →Application details verified on 2 October 2026. Sources: exteriores.gob.es (Spanish Embassy in Kinshasa: "Visado de estancia (visado Schengen)", with documents, fee, lodging at the Consular Office and deadlines; and "Procedimiento de solicitud de cita previa para agendas de visado", with email registration and appointment rules); cev-kin.eu (European Visa Centre in Kinshasa, "États représentés": list of States it handles, which does not include Spain) (checked 2 October 2026).
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)
- Funds of €122.10 per person for each day of your stay, subject to a floor of €1,098.90 per person even on a shorter trip (10% and 90% of the 2026 Spanish minimum wage, set at €1,221 per month by Royal Decree 126/2026)
- Proof that you actually hold that money: cash, certified cheques, traveller's cheques, or a credit card together with a bank statement or an up-to-date passbook. The rule does not accept statements printed from online banking (Order PRE/1282/2007, Art. 2)
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?
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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.
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This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of Spain need an electronic visa to enter the Democratic Republic of the Congo. See the Spain → DR Congo page.
All 9 passports from Middle Africa that VisaRadar tracks need a visa to enter Spain. Same result as the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
With a passport from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the rest of Southern Europe you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Albania; you need a visa for Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia and Vatican.
A passport from the Democratic Republic of the Congo ranks 180 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 41 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 Congolese 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).
Where do Congolese nationals apply for a Spanish visa?
In person at the Consular Section of the Spanish Embassy in Kinshasa. The European Visa Centre (CEV) does not handle visas for Spain.
How do I book an appointment?
First register by emailing emb.kinshasa.citasvis@maec.es with the subject CITA VISADO EST and the documents and details the Embassy asks for. With the username and password you receive, book the appointment at citaconsular.es.
Can an agency or relative register me?
No. The Embassy does not accept registrations by third parties: each applicant must send their own email.
What do Congolese passport holders need for the countries near Spain?
With a passport from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the rest of Southern Europe you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Albania; you need a visa for Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, 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.