What do you need to travel to Spain from Colombia? We tell you if you need a visa

Traveling to Spain from Colombia in 2024 requires a series of requirements established by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These requirements are essential to guarantee a legal and safe stay in Spanish territory.

Documents needed to travel to Spain from Colombia

One advantage that Colombians have is that they can travel to member countries of the Schengen area, including Spain, without needing a visa. Only a passport is required, as long as visits are for up to 90 days.

However, there are other documents that you will need to present, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of that country:

• Valid passport or travel document: It must be in force and valid for at least three months after the planned date of departure from the Schengen territory. It must have been issued within the last ten years.
• Return ticket or continuation of trip: You must have a ticket that demonstrates the intention to return to Colombia or travel to another country outside the European Union after visiting Spain.
• Proof of accommodation: hotel reservation confirmation, invitation letter from a resident in Spain, or documents proving ownership of a home in Spain.
• Sufficient financial means: To ensure an adequate stay in Spain, travellers must prove that they have sufficient financial resources to cover their expenses during the time they plan to stay in the country. This means having a minimum of 113 euros (equivalent to approximately 461,000 Colombian pesos) for each day of the visit, or a total of 1,020 euros (approximately 4,160,000 Colombian pesos), regardless of the length of the stay. Funds may be presented in a variety of forms: cash, guaranteed checks, traveler’s checks, money orders or credit cards.
• For study trips, training, non-work placements or volunteering of up to 3 months duration, registration or admission test at a teaching centre or internship agreement or admission test in a volunteer programme.
• For travel for other purposes, invitations, reservations or programs or certificates of participation in travel-related activities, entrance cards or receipts.

“The competent authorities shall refuse entry to third-country nationals who do not meet the entry requirements or who are subject to an entry ban. Entry may also be refused for having exhausted the 90 days of authorised stay in the Schengen area within the 180 days. The refusal of entry is notified by means of a reasoned decision, which contains information on the appeals that can be lodged, in accordance with Spanish regulations. However, the presentation of an appeal does not suspend the effects of the refusal of entry,” the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs states.

For those who plan to stay in Spain for a period of more than 90 days and wish to engage in activities that do not involve paid employment, such as pursuing academic studies, conducting research, receiving training, contributing to educational initiatives, undertaking unpaid internships or participating in volunteer programsit is necessary to obtain a special type of visa that authorizes such activities.

This visa is different from the one used for short visits or tourism and is essential to ensure a legal stay in the country for an extended period of time.