Short-stay visa (C) — tourism & visiting: Chinese citizen in China → Spain
Chinese citizens need a Schengen short-stay visa for Spain — apply at the Spain visa application centre and give biometrics.
Uniform Schengen short-stay visa for tourism or visiting, applied for through Spain as the main destination.
- Validity
- The consulate decides how long it lasts. A first or occasional visa usually just covers your trip; the more you travel (with a clean record), the longer a multiple-entry visa you can get — up to 5 years (the EU visa cascade).
- Entries
- Single, double or multiple entry — shown on the visa as 1, 2 or MULT
- Max stay per visit
- Up to 90 days in any 180-day period — this cap applies even with a 5-year visa
When to start
Start 30 days–6 months before your travel date.
Apply to Spain only if it is your main destination (longest stay).
Submit at least 15 days before travel and no earlier than 6 months beforehand.
The Schengen visa fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6–12; a separate service fee applies.
Spain applications in China are submitted through BLS International centres, assigned by your consular jurisdiction (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou).
Attend the visa application centre in person to give your fingerprints and have your photo taken. Some categories of applicant are exempt.
Standard processing is about 15 days, extendable to up to 45 days if a closer look or extra documents are needed.
What you'll need
- Schengen visa application form — Completed in capital letters or typewritten (English or Spanish) and signed by the applicant; minors' forms signed by the legal guardian. ✓ verified
- Passport + copies — Signed, valid at least 3 months after your intended exit from the Schengen area, with at least 2 blank pages, plus a photocopy of all pages (two copies of the home page). ✓ verified
- Photographs — Two recent colour photos, white background, 26–35mm wide and 32–45mm long. ✓ verified
- Travel medical insurance — Covers urgent medical care, emergency hospitalisation and repatriation across the Schengen area; minimum cover €30,000 (or RMB equivalent). ✓ verified
- Employment / income proof — Employees: sealed copy of the company business licence + employer letter (company paper, stamped/signed/dated) with company address, the signing officer's name & position, and your position, salary & years of service plus leave approval. Retired: pension/income proof. Unemployed: spouse's employment+income & notarised marriage certificate, or other regular-income proof. ✓ verified
- Proof of solvency — Bank statements from the last 3 to 6 months (no deposit certificates). ✓ verified
- Travel programme & flight reservation — Documents showing your travel plan (transport booking, itinerary) and a confirmed return flight reservation — buy the ticket only after the visa is issued. ✓ verified
- Proof of accommodation — Covering the whole duration of the intended stay. ✓ verified
- Hukou (household registration) — Original (no translation) with photocopies of all pages — for Chinese nationals; non-Chinese submit a valid Chinese residence permit. ✓ verified
- Documents for minors — For applicants under 18: notarised travel-consent certificate from the non-travelling parent(s)/guardian and a notarised family-relation/guardianship certificate (MFA-legalised), plus student card and an original school letter. ✓ verified· If the applicant is under 18
Where you'll apply
Where you'll apply in China
Apply in your districtWho runs the centre: BLS International (Spain's provider in China)
In China, Spain applications are submitted at BLS International centres and decided by the Spanish missions per your consular jurisdiction — Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or Chengdu.
Application centres: Beijing · Shanghai · Guangzhou · Chengdu · Chongqing · Wuhan · Shenyang · Xi'an · Jinan · Hangzhou · Nanjing · Fuzhou · Shenzhen · Changsha · Kunming
Getting a slot — book early · community-reported, checked 2026-06-13
- Slots are released in batches with no fixed public schedule — most often early morning local time, on Monday mornings, and around the 1st of the month.
- For popular consulates (e.g. France, Italy and Spain in big cities), a fresh batch can be gone within minutes — be registered and logged in before you look.
- Cancellations free up slots throughout the day, so check daily even when it shows ‘no availability’.
- Because of this, apply as early as you are allowed — up to 6 months before travel. Waiting until 1–2 months out often means no slots are left at all.
Fees
Gotchas to watch
- Spain assigns you by consular jurisdiction in China — apply at the BLS centre for your region.
- Apply through Spain only if it is your main destination.
- This list follows BLS's official Tourism checklist; the Consulate may request additional documents. Full PDF: https://web.blscn.cn/beijing/assets/pdf/Tourism.pdf