You need a visa.
There's no visa-free travel between British passport holders and Spain for business. British citizens apply at the Spain embassy or visa application centre before travelling. Plan ahead — appointments and processing both take time.
ETIAS goes live for Schengen entry
From October 2026, visa-free travellers from ~60 countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, etc.) need an ETIAS authorisation before entering any Schengen country. €7, valid 3 years. Apply online before booking.
2 additional warnings are folded into the result card below.
The story of United Kingdom → Spain
British citizens travel visa-free to Spain under Schengen 90/180 (ETIAS from late 2026, EES biometric tracking from late 2025). Long-stay routes: Non-Lucrative Visa (UK pensioner-favourite, €2,400+/month proven passive income, no work), Digital Nomad Visa (€2,762/month proven income from UK remote employer — 2023 launch), Highly Qualified Worker (€40,000+ salary). Spain's post-Brexit handling of British residents was generous — those resident on 31 December 2020 retained rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. ~300,000 British citizens live in Spain (Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, Mallorca, Madrid).
Your visa options
13 routes availableUnique visa pathways
Do this next
application timelineWhat you'll need
Business visa for Spain
Specific to British passport holders.
Start ~0–3 weeks before your intended travel date.
Order these first — they have the longest lead time
Valid passport
Identity1–3 weeksMost countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your departure date, with two or more blank pages.
How: Renew at gov.uk/renew-adult-passport — 3 weeks standard, 1 week premium (£177).
Then gather these
Invitation letter
Purpose evidence1–3 weeksFrom a business contact, host, or sponsor in the destination country. Some embassies require it notarised or authenticated.
How: Issued by the host. Lead time depends on whether authentication is required.
Recent bank statements
Financial1–5 daysUsually 3–6 months of statements showing you can support yourself during the trip. Required for most embassy-issued tourist visas.
How: Download PDFs from your bank's online portal. Some consulates require originals stamped by the bank.
Passport-style photograph
Identity1–3 daysA recent biometric photo to the destination's specifications. Most consulates require their own dimensions, not your home country's.
How: Any high-street photo studio, or app-based services that meet ICAO 9303 spec.
Online visa application form
Application1–3 daysThe destination's online form (DS-160 for US, gov.uk for UK, IRCC portal for Canada, ImmiAccount for Australia, e-Visa portal for most others).
How: Apply directly on the destination government website — never via a third-party paid service.
Proof of accommodation
Purpose evidence1–3 daysHotel bookings, an AirBnB reservation, or an invitation letter from a host covering the dates of your stay.
How: Book refundable hotels (Booking.com Free Cancellation), or get a notarised invitation letter from your host.
Application fee payment
Application1 dayPayable to the destination government directly. Fees range from ~$25 (e-Visas) to $2,500+ (US EB-1).
How: Card payment on the destination's portal. Receipt required for the application.
Onward or return ticket
Purpose evidence1 dayProof you intend to leave the country before your permitted stay expires. Most short-stay visas and visa-free entries require this.
How: Book a refundable flight or use a 24-hour hold from an OTA. Border officers can check the booking.
Travel medical insurance
Financial1 daySchengen and many other tourist visas require €30,000 / $50,000 minimum medical cover for the duration of your stay.
How: Buy from any insurer that issues a Schengen-compliant certificate (€30,000+ medical coverage, evacuation included, no-deductible). Compare independently — we don't currently link to specific providers.
Where to apply in person
Find a Spain embassy or VAC near you
Most long-stay applications need an in-person appointment. We can't book it for you — but we can point you to the right physical place in one click.
Nearest embassy / consulate
Where you'll attend in person to submit documents and biometrics. Embassies handle long-stay visa applications directly.
Open in Google Maps
Visa application centre
Outsourced VAC (VFS Global, TLScontact, BLS International) that collects fees + biometrics for many embassies.
Open in Google Maps
Immigration medical clinic
Designated panel physician for Spain-immigration medicals. Required for most long-stay work, family, and skilled-migration visas.
Open in Google Maps
Passport photo provider
Walk-in pharmacy or photo shop that prints to Spain-spec dimensions and background colour.
Open in Google Maps
Need a curated provider list instead? See our biometrics directory, medical-check panel physicians, or passport-photo services.
For United Kingdom applicants specifically
Your documentation process at a glance.
What the generic requirements above actually mean for you in United Kingdom — the exact agency, fee, and processing time for each.
Police / background check
ACRO Police Certificate
ACRO Criminal Records Office
Fee: £59 (Standard, 10-day)
Processing: 10 working days standard; 2 working days premium (£99)
Covers Police National Computer + force records. Required for most Schengen long-stay, Australian PR, Canadian Express Entry, NZ residence, US adjustment of status.
Official site →Apostille / legalisation
Hague Apostille (single-step)
FCDO Legalisation Office (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)
Fee: £45 (Standard, 2-day) / £75 (Premium same-day)
Processing: 2 working days standard; same-day premium at Milton Keynes office
UK joined Hague Apostille 1965. Documents must be notarised by a UK solicitor / notary public FIRST, then sent to FCDO. Online tracking + courier return available.
Official site →Tax records / income proof
SA302 Tax Calculation + Tax Year Overview
HMRC
SA302s download free from HMRC online portal. Most consulates accept the SA302 + Tax Year Overview pair as proof of self-employment income for the last 3 years.
Official site →Certified translation
ITI / CIOL Member or sworn translator for the destination's legal system
Sworn / certified translator
For Spanish NLV, Italian Elective, Portuguese D7, French long-stay: use a translator on the destination consulate's approved list (consulado.uk / it.esteri.it / lisbon.gov.uk). For US: ATA-certified translator OR certified statement of accuracy.
Standard civil documents you'll often need: Full UK passport (not provisional) — issued within 10 years for Schengen entry; UK driving licence or BRP (Biometric Residence Permit) for non-UK-born residents; Council tax bill / utility bill in your name (address proof, within 3 months); Bank statements (UK high-street bank, certified copy if asked); Original birth certificate (long-form, with parents' details — for citizenship-by-descent applications); …
Fees on the destination's visa page are typically quoted in the destination currency. Your preferred currency for budgeting: GBP. Where to apply: Most embassies in London (Belgravia / Mayfair). Spanish + Italian + Portuguese have additional consulates in Edinburgh + Manchester. Australian + NZ + Canadian use VFS Global / TLScontact centres.
Post-Brexit British applicants are 'third-country nationals' for EU long-stay routes — no preferential treatment vs Americans, Australians etc. Some EU member states still offer streamlined processing for British applicants (Spain, Portugal, France in particular).
Alternative routes
If this visa doesn't work for you — adjacent passports, related destinations, second-best routes.
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Alternative routes
If this visa doesn't work for you — adjacent passports, related destinations, second-best routes.
Other visa types for this route
We also have data on these visa categories between GB and ES.
Tourism
2/10Schengen short-stay (Annex II — visa-exempt)
2 options · See details
Work
8/10Spain Digital Nomad visa (Ley 28/2022)
6 options · See details
Study
10/10Long-Stay Student Visa (Visado de Estudios) — Spain
2 options · See details
Family
10/10Visado de Reagrupación Familiar (Family Reunification) — Spain
2 options · See details
More for British travellers
Other places to go and other reasons to go to Spain.
Sources & verification
Every claim above traced to an official government source.
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Sources & verification
Every claim above traced to an official government source.
Sources & references
Every link below is a primary government source. We aggregate; the source is the authority. If anything on this page disagrees with a link below, the link wins.
Where this page's data came from
- Schengen Type C Business Visa — Spainexteriores.gob.es
- Schengen short-stay (Annex II — visa-exempt)eur-lex.europa.eu
- Visa-free (90 days)exteriores.gob.es
- Spain Digital Nomad visa (Ley 28/2022)exteriores.gob.es
- Non-Lucrative Visa (Visado de Residencia No Lucrativa) — Spainexteriores.gob.es
- Spain Golden Visa — REAL ESTATE ROUTE CLOSED 2025extranjeros.inclusion.gob.es
- Startup Law Entrepreneur Visa — Spainempresas.sepe.es
- Visado de Trabajo por Cuenta Ajena (Salaried Worker) — Spainextranjeros.inclusion.gob.es
- Long-Stay Student Visa (Visado de Estudios) — Spainexteriores.gob.es
- Visado de Estudios (Student) — Spainuniversidades.gob.es
Your country's foreign-affairs ministry
Independent travel advisories
While you're here
Practical next steps
Useful links for travel to Spain
Official government and authority links only. Commercial provider slots (travel insurance, international health insurance, passport photos, registered immigration advisers) are coming soon — we're shortlisting the first cohort. Get featured here →
Required vaccinations & shots
All providers →Up-to-date guidance from the CDC, NHS Fit for Travel, and other national health bodies on required and recommended vaccinations for your destination. Yellow Fever certificates are mandatory for entry from some routes.
NHS Fit for Travel (UK)
OfficialUK National Travel Health Network's country-by-country vaccination + malaria advice. Authoritative for UK residents; covers routine, recommended, and certificate-mandatory shots.
Australian Smartraveller
OfficialDFAT travel health guidance for Australians, with country pages covering required and recommended vaccinations plus health-system risk levels.
CDC Yellow Book (US)
OfficialAuthoritative US CDC guidance: required + recommended vaccinations and prophylaxis by destination, plus advisories on outbreaks, food/water safety, and traveller's diarrhoea.
Informational only. A valid visa permits entry subject to officer discretion at the border. Always verify with the destination's embassy or official source before travel, employment, or relocation.