A Spanish business visa: meetings versus fairs and conferences

Short business trips use a Schengen visa; the Consulate General of Spain in Mumbai advises that you apply for a Spanish visa when Spain is the sole or main destination of the visit. A Schengen visa covers stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Applications are lodged through BLS International, and both a consular fee and a BLS fee are payable.

Spain’s New Delhi Consular Section and the Consulate General in Mumbai both handle visa requests, and the Mumbai checklist asks for proof of residence within that consulate’s jurisdiction — so check which office serves each traveller before the team books appointments.

The Mumbai checklist separates two cases. For business meetings it asks for an original invitation letter from the Spain-based company or companies, written in Spanish, stating the purpose and the existing commercial relationship with the applicant, plus the applicant’s name, passport number and travel dates. For conferences, business fairs or sports events it asks for an original letter of invitation from the organisers, stating the applicant’s name and passport number, the duration of the event, who pays travel and accommodation, and the applicant’s involvement in the event.

Spain: company pack and traveller pack (Mumbai checklist)

Group files go wrong when the employer side and the traveller side are prepared separately. Use this split as a working checklist; the exact list for your category and each traveller is confirmed by the visa centre and the inviting party.

Company / employer pack

  • Original invitation from the Spain-based company, in Spanish, covering the purpose, the commercial relationship and each traveller’s name, passport number and travel dates — or the organiser’s invitation for a fair or conference
  • For corporate participation: a cover letter from the applicants’ company naming the employees travelling to Spain
  • Sponsor letter detailing what the sponsor will cover, with proof of relationship, if a third party pays
  • Cover letter explaining the purpose of the visit

Each traveller provides

  • Application form completed, dated and signed in blue ink, with one photograph not older than 6 months (35 x 45 mm, white background)
  • Passport with at least two blank pages, valid for at least three months after the anticipated stay, issued within the last ten years, with a copy of the data pages
  • Travel insurance of at least €30,000 covering the whole stay in the Schengen States
  • Original, stamped and signed bank statements for the last six months
  • ITR-V or Form 16 for the last two years and PAN card copy; salary slips for the last three months where available
  • Round-trip flight booking (the checklist advises waiting for the visa before buying the ticket) and hotel accommodation for the stay
  • Proof of residence within the consulate’s jurisdiction; any refusal notice from the last two years, or a written explanation

Source note

The lists above follow the Business / Fairs / Conferences / Sports Events checklist of the Consulate General of Spain in Mumbai, published on the BLS Spain India site. It says the consulate may ask for additional information, asks for back-to-back pages and no stapling, and notes that time varies by case and location. The New Delhi Consular Section may publish its own variations, so confirm the list for each traveller’s office.

How we run a Spain file through BLS

  1. Choose the right file type. Business meetings need the Spanish company’s invitation (in Spanish); fairs and conferences need the organiser’s invitation plus a company cover letter naming the employees.
  2. Confirm the consulate. The Mumbai checklist asks for proof of residence in its jurisdiction; New Delhi may publish variations, so each traveller’s office is checked first.
  3. Assemble the finance pack. Six months of original, stamped and signed bank statements, ITR-V or Form 16 for two years, PAN copy and recent salary slips where available.
  4. Submit through BLS. Both a consular fee and a BLS fee are payable at submission; we advise holding air tickets until the visa is granted, as the checklist does.

Planning around a Spanish trade fair

Spanish events covered on this site:

Timing, fees and processing

Under EU rules a Spanish application may be lodged up to six months ahead and, as a rule, no later than 15 days before departure; the consulate normally decides within 15 days, a period that can stretch to 45 days when more checks are needed. The Mumbai checklist states an average processing time of 1 to 2 working days at that consulate, noting that time varies by case and applicant location — do not plan a delegation’s schedule around the shorter figure. The adult Schengen visa fee is €90, with a consular fee and a BLS fee both payable when you submit.

Fees and timelines

EU-level figures apply to the visa fee and decision period, and the consulate states its own average processing time (see above); both can change. A BLS service charge applies in addition. Decisions rest with the Spanish consulate and no outcome is guaranteed. Check the sources below, or ask us to confirm the current position.

What commonly delays a team application

Official sources

Last reviewed on 12 October 2026. Rules change — verify on the official sources before you apply.

Talk to our corporate team

Share your destination, travel dates and number of travellers and we will outline the route and document checklist for your team.

Email corporate@btwvisas.com or 9403460643 | 9730490449 | 9172791061.