Spain visa requirements for Basotho citizens

BLS International in Pretoria (Centurion), on behalf of the Spanish Embassy in Pretoria

Basotho nationals need a Schengen visa. Spain has no embassy in Lesotho: the responsible one is the Embassy in Pretoria (South Africa). Applications are lodged by appointment at the BLS International office in Pretoria (first floor, Building B, West End Office Park, Centurion), which according to the Consulate General in Cape Town serves only residents of Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West, Free State and Lesotho, so applicants living in Lesotho have to travel to South Africa. The fee published by the Consulate is 1,689 rand for adults and 845 for ages 6 to 12, free under 6, plus 317 rand for the BLS service. The Embassy asks for bank statements covering the last six months, stamped by the bank and issued within the previous week, and proof of residence; applicants whose fingerprints are already on file may apply through an accredited representative or travel agent. Applications must be 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 →

What the visa centre can and can't do →

Fee

1,689 ZAR

Amount published by the consular post that handles this corridor; the country page may give another consulate's figure.

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 much money you need to show →

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 →

Why isn't your passport being stamped? The EES system →