Short-stay visa (C) — tourism & visiting: Chinese citizen in United States → Spain
Chinese citizens living in the United States need a Schengen short-stay visa for Spain — apply at the Spain visa application centre in the United States 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 assigns you by US state — e.g. New York covers New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Apply at the BLS International centre for your consular jurisdiction.
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
- Visa application form — Typed or handwritten, filled in correctly, with the applicant's original signature in blue or black pen. ✓ verified
- Proof of jurisdiction — Government-issued State ID or driver's licence showing you reside in this consulate's states (NY, NJ, CT, DE, PA for New York). ✓ verified
- Valid passport — Ordinary passport issued in the last 10 years, at least two empty pages, valid for 3 months upon re-entry into the United States. ✓ verified
- Proof of US residence — Green Card or a US residence visa valid for re-entry. IMPORTANT: B1/B2 tourist-visa and EAD holders must apply in their HOME country, not the US. F1 → copy of I-20; J1 → DS-2019. ✓ verified
- Photograph — One colour passport photo, 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), matte/glossy, white or off-white background, taken in the last 6 months. (US spec — larger than the 35×45mm used elsewhere.) ✓ verified
- Cover letter — Stating applicant details, purpose of travel, dates of travel and return information (and any accompanying persons). ✓ verified
- Proof of travel — Confirmed return airline reservation (US round-trip covering all Schengen destinations) — don't buy tickets until the visa is issued. ✓ verified
- Proof of stay — Detailed hotel reservation for the whole stay (dates matching your flights), or an original Spanish 'Carta de Invitación' from the Policía Nacional. ✓ verified
- Proof of sufficient funds — Last 3 months' personal bank statements (checking/savings, all pages incl. blank). US banks only; sponsor docs if funded by family. ✓ verified
- Travel medical insurance — Visa certificate from the insurer, 0$ deductible, covering the full Schengen stay incl. repatriation of remains; minimum €30,000 (USD equivalent); applicant's name on it. ✓ verified
- Proof of employment — Sealed, signed company letter (employment length, position, salary, vacation) + last 3 paystubs. Self-employed: tax returns + corporate statement + licence. Retirees: SSA letter. Students: enrolment + I-20/ID. Business: US-company + Spanish-company letters. ✓ verified
- Documents for minors — Form signed by both parents, birth certificate, legal-custody/divorce decree if applicable, and a notarised (apostilled) authorisation from non-accompanying parent(s). ✓ verified· If the applicant is under 18
Where you'll apply
Where you'll apply in United States
Apply in your districtWho runs the centre: BLS International (Spain's provider in the USA)
You must apply to the Spanish consulate covering your US state of residence, through its BLS centre. Example: the Houston consulate covers Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Check your state's consulate before booking.
Application centres: New York · Washington DC · Chicago · Houston · Los Angeles · San Francisco · Miami · Boston · San Juan (PR)
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
- You apply where you legally reside (the US) — but a Chinese national in the US on a B1/B2 tourist visa or EAD must apply in their HOME country, not the US; only Green Card / valid US residence-visa holders can apply here.
- BLS US assigns you by state: the New York centre covers NY, NJ, CT, DE and PA — apply at the centre for your state.
- Photos are US spec (2×2 inch), bank statements must be from US banks, and all documents must be in English or Spanish. Full BLS checklist: https://usa.blsspainvisa.com/nyc/assets/pdf/checklist.pdf