PRC ordinary passport holders need a visa for Spain, whether they are travelling as tourists, on business, visiting family or moving there. Spain is in the Schengen area: short stays require a Schengen (type C) visa, while stays of more than 90 days require a Spanish national long-stay (type D) visa, followed by a foreigner identity card after arrival. Schengen visa fees, border registration and Spain’s residence rules all changed in 2025–2026, so check the latest requirements before you apply.
This guide is written for residents of mainland China. It follows the order “choose the right visa, prepare the documents, then apply”: visa types, documents, fees, where to apply in China and common reasons for refusal, plus long-stay visas for work, study, family reunification and digital nomads, and the path from a visa to long-term residence and citizenship.
Do Chinese citizens need a visa for Spain?
Yes. PRC ordinary passports are not on the Schengen visa-free list, so you need a valid Schengen visa or Spanish national visa. A valid Schengen visa issued by another Schengen country also lets you enter Spain within its validity and permitted days, but you must apply to the country of main destination (where you spend the most time), or to the country of first entry if the stays are equal.
Recent changes to note:
- Higher visa fee: since June 2024 the Schengen visa fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6–12. The Spanish Consulate General in Beijing’s September 2026 fee list sets RMB 700 for adults and RMB 350 for children aged 6–12.
- EU Entry/Exit System (EES): rolled out from 12 October 2025 and fully operational since 10 April 2026, replacing passport stamps. On your first entry, border guards take your fingerprints and facial image and record your entry and exit dates electronically.
- Golden visa abolished: investment-based residence visas, including property purchases, stopped accepting new applications on 3 April 2025.
- New Immigration Regulation: in force since May 2025, it changed the rules on student work, post-study job search and “arraigo” (settlement) residence; check official Spanish guidance for details.
The EU’s ETIAS travel authorisation applies only to visa-exempt travellers. Chinese citizens who hold a Schengen visa do not need ETIAS, despite claims online that Chinese tourists “must get ETIAS”.
Visa types at a glance
| Type | For whom | Length of stay | Fee | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schengen short-stay visa (C) | Tourism, business, family and friends, trade fairs | Up to 90 days in 180 | €90 (RMB 700); age 6–12 €45; under 6 free | Spain visa application centre (BLS) |
| Airport transit visa (A) | Certain travellers changing planes in a Spanish airport’s international zone | No entry | See consulate notice | Spain visa application centre |
| Non-lucrative residence visa (D) | People living on savings or passive income who will not work | First permit 1 year, renewable | See consulate notice | Spanish consulate for your district |
| Employee / self-employed work visa (D) | Employees and self-employed people with a work authorisation | Matches the authorisation | See consulate notice | Spanish consulate |
| Highly qualified, EU Blue Card, intra-company transfer | Managers, engineers, researchers | Usually 1–3 years | See consulate notice | Consulate or the competent authority in Spain |
| Remote work (digital nomad) visa | People working remotely for companies outside Spain | Visa 1 year; up to 3-year permit in Spain | See consulate notice | Consulate or the competent authority in Spain |
| Student visa (D) | Degree, language-course and exchange students | Matches the course | See consulate notice | Spanish consulate / visa centre |
| Family reunification visa (D) | Relatives of legal residents in Spain | Matches the sponsor’s permit | See consulate notice | Spanish consulate |
Spain sets long-stay visa fees on a reciprocity basis and they can change, so check your consulate’s current fee notice before applying. Visa centres charge a separate service fee.
How to apply for a short-stay visa
- Choose where to applyConfirm Spain is your main destination, then pick the consular district and visa centre for your hukou or place of residence.
- Book onlineRegister on the Spain visa centre website and book an appointment; in peak season (summer, around Spring Festival) book 4–8 weeks ahead.
- Prepare documentsPassport, form, photo, itinerary, accommodation, insurance, funds and employment proof.
- Submit and give fingerprintsApply in person at the visa centre, pay the fees and give fingerprints; children under 12 are exempt.
- Wait for a decisionThe standard processing time is 15 days, extendable to 45 if more documents are needed; track it online.
- Collect your passportPick it up or have it couriered, then check the name, validity and number of days on the visa.
You can apply up to 6 months before your trip and no later than 15 days before departure.
Document checklist
The visa centre’s published checklist is what counts, but the usual requirements are:
- passport issued within the last 10 years, valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area, with at least 2 blank visa pages; previous passports if any;
- Schengen visa application form, signed;
- recent passport photo on a white background meeting ICAO standards;
- return flight reservation and detailed itinerary;
- hotel bookings or an invitation letter (with a copy of the host’s ID for private visits);
- travel medical insurance covering the whole Schengen area and all travel dates, with at least €30,000 cover for emergency treatment, hospitalisation and repatriation;
- proof of funds: bank statements for the last 3–6 months, deposit certificates, etc.;
- employment letter (position, salary, approved leave), a copy of the business licence for business owners, enrolment certificate for students, retirement certificate for retirees;
- copies of your household register (hukou) and ID card; minors also need a birth certificate and notarised parental consent.
Almost all long-stay visas require a criminal record certificate. Since the Apostille Convention took effect for China on 7 November 2023, Chinese notarial certificates can be apostilled instead of going through consular legalisation. See the Police Certificate Guide and the Apostille Guide.
Fees and processing times
| Item | Amount / time |
|---|---|
| Schengen visa fee (adult) | €90; RMB 700 in the Beijing district (September 2026) |
| Schengen visa fee (age 6–12) | €45; RMB 350 in the Beijing district |
| Children under 6 | No visa fee |
| Visa centre service fee | Charged separately; see the visa centre |
| Schengen processing time | Usually 15 days, up to 45 |
| National long-stay visa processing time | Depends on the visa; for non-lucrative residence the legal decision period is 3 months, longer if an interview or extra documents are requested |
Translation, notarisation, apostille and insurance costs come on top. If your passport is close to expiry, renew it in China first; see the Passport Guide.
Work and long-stay visas
To work in Spain, your employer normally applies for a work authorisation at the local foreigners’ office first; once it is approved, you apply for the work visa at the Spanish consulate in China. For ordinary jobs the employer usually has to show that the post cannot be filled locally, so the bar for Chinese applicants is high.
More realistic routes include:
- Highly qualified professionals and the EU Blue Card: for senior managers, engineers and researchers, processed centrally by the large-companies unit in Spain and relatively fast; requires a degree or professional experience and a salary above the threshold.
- Non-lucrative residence: for people with enough savings or stable passive income who will not work in Spain. The funds requirement is 400% of the IPREM public income index; with IPREM at €600 a month in 2026, that is at least €28,800 a year (€2,400 a month) for the main applicant, plus 100% (€7,200 a year) for each dependant, together with a clean criminal record, a medical certificate and private health insurance without co-payments. You may not work in Spain on this permit.
- Self-employment and start-ups: requires a business plan, proof of funds and relevant qualifications; innovative companies can use the entrepreneur route under the Start-ups Law.
After arriving on a long-stay visa you generally have one month to book an appointment at the police foreigners’ office, give fingerprints and collect your foreigner identity card (TIE).
Student visas
Studying in Spain for more than 90 days requires a student visa. Basic documents include the admission letter, proof of tuition payment, proof of funds and private health insurance; courses longer than 6 months also need a criminal record certificate and a medical certificate.
Under the regulation in force since May 2025, students may work part-time as long as it does not interfere with their studies, and graduates can apply for a period of job-search or business-creation residence; check the Spanish government’s latest rules for exact limits. For student health cover, see the Spain Insurance Guide.
Family reunification
Foreign residents who have lived legally in Spain for a set period and whose permit has been renewed, or can be renewed, may bring a spouse or partner, minor children and eligible parents. The sponsor must show sufficient income and suitable housing, usually certified by a housing report from the local authority. Once the sponsor’s application is approved in Spain, the family members apply for reunification visas at the consulate in China; Chinese marriage and birth certificates must be notarised and apostilled.
If the sponsor is a Spanish or other EU citizen, the EU family-member rules apply, with a different procedure and documents.
Investor, digital nomad and retirement visas
The golden visa is gone. Spain used to grant residence to investors, for example buyers of property worth €500,000 or more, but Organic Law 1/2025 abolished investment residence visas and no new applications have been accepted since 3 April 2025. Be very wary of anyone still selling “residency through buying property in Spain”.
Digital nomad (international remote work) visa: for remote workers employed by companies outside Spain or serving mainly foreign clients. The usual conditions are a university degree or at least 3 years’ relevant experience, a working relationship of at least 3 months with the foreign employer or client (which must have operated for at least a year), and monthly income of at least 200% of the Spanish minimum wage (SMI). With the 2026 SMI of €1,221 a month in 14 payments, that is about €2,849 gross a month; add 75% of the SMI for the first family member and 25% for each additional one. A visa issued by a consulate in China is valid for 1 year; once in Spain you can apply for residence of up to 3 years.
Retirement: Spain has no separate retirement visa. Retirees normally apply for non-lucrative residence, using pensions and savings to prove their means.
Where to apply in China
Spain has an embassy in Beijing and consulates general in Shanghai and Guangzhou, plus a consulate general in Hong Kong. Schengen applications usually go through the Spain visa application centres run by BLS International. The centre’s website (October 2026) lists four locations: Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou. A 2023 notice from the Spanish Consulate General in Beijing also mentioned centres in Jinan, Shenyang, Xi’an, Wuhan and Chongqing, but these cities are not in the website’s current list, so check it before booking.
Apply in the consular district of your hukou or place of residence. District boundaries, centre addresses and opening hours change, so check the visa centre and the Spanish consulates’ websites. Some national visas must be submitted directly to, or booked with, the consulate, so read the instructions for your visa type first.
Common refusal reasons and tips
- Weak ties to China: thin proof of employment, income, family and assets. Provide a stable employment letter and social-insurance or tax records.
- Doubtful funds: large deposits just before applying, or statements that don’t match your income. Plan ahead and keep normal account activity.
- Unclear itinerary or purpose: itinerary, hotels and flights don’t match, or Spain is not the main destination.
- Inadequate insurance: cover below €30,000, or not covering every day and the whole Schengen area.
- False documents: forged or exaggerated documents can lead to refusal and a record that affects all future Schengen applications.
After a refusal you can appeal within the deadline in the refusal letter, or reapply with stronger documents.
From visa to permanent residence and citizenship
After 5 years of continuous legal residence in Spain you can apply for long-term residence (residencia de larga duración), which puts you broadly on a par with Spaniards for work and renewals. For citizenship, Chinese nationals generally need 10 years of legal, continuous residence and must pass a Spanish language exam (DELE A2 or higher) and the constitutional and sociocultural knowledge test (CCSE).
Note that the PRC Nationality Law does not recognise dual nationality, so becoming Spanish means losing Chinese nationality, with consequences for your hukou, social insurance and property in China. See the Spain Residency Guide for renewals and long-term residence, Dual Nationality and Chinese Nationality Law for nationality questions, and the Spain Moving and Living Guide for everyday life.
FAQ
Do Chinese citizens need a visa for Spain?
Yes. PRC ordinary passport holders must obtain a Schengen visa or Spanish national visa in advance; there is no visa on arrival or e-visa.
How long does a Spain visa take?
Schengen visas are usually decided within 15 calendar days, or up to 45 days if further checks are needed. National long-stay visas vary by type; for example, the legal decision period for a non-lucrative residence visa is 3 months, so start at least 3 months ahead.
Can I visit other Schengen countries with a Spanish visa?
Yes. A valid Schengen visa lets you travel throughout the Schengen area within its validity and permitted days, but you must declare your itinerary honestly and Spain should be your main destination. The common Schengen rules are explained by the European Commission’s Schengen visa page.
Is a Spanish or a Portuguese visa easier to get?
Short-stay visas for both are Schengen visas with the same rules; long-stay visas differ. Compare with the Portugal Visa Guide.
Sources
- European Commission – Applying for a Schengen visa (accessed October 2026)
- European Commission – Entry/Exit System (EES) (accessed October 2026)
- Consulado General de España en Pekín – Lista completa de tasas consulares (septiembre de 2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Consulado General de España en Pekín – Servicios consulares (visados) (accessed October 2026)
- Consulado General de España en Pekín – Comunicado visados Schengen (centros BLS, 13 de julio de 2023) (accessed October 2026)
- BLS International – Spain Visa Application Centres in China (accessed October 2026)
- BOE – Ley Orgánica 1/2025, de 2 de enero (supresión de los visados por inversión desde el 3 de abril de 2025) (accessed October 2026)
- Observatorio Permanente de la Inmigración – Extranjeros con documentación de residencia en vigor a 30 de junio de 2025 (accessed October 2026)
- Consulado General de España en Los Ángeles – Visado de residencia no lucrativa (400% IPREM, seguro sin copagos, plazo de resolución 3 meses, TIE en 1 mes) (accessed October 2026)
- BLS International (Consulado de España en Washington) – Visado de residencia no lucrativa: 28.800 €/año en 2026 (IPREM 600 €/mes) (accessed October 2026)
- Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (Ministerio de Inclusión) – Información y documentación: teletrabajo de carácter internacional (200% SMI) (accessed October 2026)
- INAP – Real Decreto 126/2026, de 18 de febrero, por el que se fija el salario mínimo interprofesional para 2026 (1.221 €/mes) (accessed October 2026)
