Spain Schengen Visa Cost UK: Complete Fee Breakdown 2026
Last updated: 27 August 2026. Every figure below is taken from the European Commission or from BLS International, the company the Spanish Consulate uses to receive applications in the UK. Fees and rules change, so check the linked sources before you pay anything.
Two numbers on most Spain visa cost pages are wrong, and one rule that costs people their appointment is usually missing. This guide gives the fee you pay to Spain, the fee you pay to BLS, what is genuinely optional, and the jurisdiction rule that decides which of the three UK centres will even accept your file.
If the paperwork is ready and the calendar is the problem, Visard watches the portal and messages you the moment a Spain visa appointment in the UK opens, cancellations included.
What a Spain Schengen visa costs from the UK in 2026
There are two separate payments and applicants routinely confuse them. The visa fee goes to the Spanish state and is fixed in euros by EU rules. The service fee goes to BLS International, which runs the application centres.
What you pay | Amount | Paid to | Mandatory? |
|---|---|---|---|
Schengen visa fee, adult | €90 | Spanish Consulate | Yes |
Schengen visa fee, child aged 6 to under 12 | €45 | Spanish Consulate | Yes |
Schengen visa fee, child under 6 | Free | Exempt | |
BLS service charge | £14.85 inc VAT, per application | BLS International | Yes |
Passport return by next-day courier | £29.99 inc VAT | BLS International | Optional |
SMS and email status notifications | £1.95 inc VAT | BLS International | Optional |
Travel medical insurance | Minimum €30,000 cover | Your insurer | Yes |
The €90 and €45 figures took effect on 11 June 2024, when the Schengen fee rose from €80 and €40. They are set at EU level, so they are the same whichever Schengen country you apply to.
Although the visa fee is set in euros, you pay it in pounds at the centre using the consular exchange rate on the day.
A worked example
Two adults applying together, choosing courier return, pay roughly: €180 in visa fees, plus £29.70 in BLS service charges, plus £29.99 for courier return, plus insurance. The courier fee is charged per application, so a family of four choosing it pays it four times.
One figure we could not verify
BLS publishes the courier return fee as £29.99 on its tourist visa page and as £24.95 in its own FAQ. We have not been able to establish which is current, so budget for the higher figure and ask at the counter. Charges for a premium lounge, for photographs taken at the centre, and for photocopying appear on many third-party pages, but we could not confirm them in an official source and have left them out rather than quote a number we cannot stand behind.
The rule that gets applications rejected at the counter
This is the part most cost guides leave out, and it is the one that wastes a whole appointment. Spain enforces consular jurisdiction. BLS states plainly that "your visa application will not be accepted if your place of residence is out of the consular jurisdiction of the Consulate where you intend to apply."
This is a real difference between Schengen states. France, for example, operates no consular area in the UK, so a UK resident may apply at whichever French centre is convenient. With Spain you cannot. If London is booked out and you live in Manchester's area, travelling to London does not solve your problem.
Centre | Covers |
|---|---|
London | Greater London, Essex, Kent, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and the other southern and eastern counties |
Manchester | Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, the Yorkshire areas, the Midlands and Wales |
Edinburgh | Scotland, Northern Ireland and north-east England, including Cleveland, Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear |
Check your county against the centre list before you book anything. The jurisdiction is decided by where you live, not by which centre has a slot.
When to apply, and how long a decision takes
Stage | Official position |
|---|---|
Earliest you can lodge an application | 180 days before your travel date |
Latest you should lodge it | At least 15 days before travel |
Legal decision period | 15 working days from the day after submission |
Extended period, if an interview or extra documents are requested | Up to 45 working days |
Peak season, in practice | BLS states a minimum of around 4 weeks |
The 180-day window is the single most useful number here. Applying five months out is allowed and removes almost all appointment pressure. The pressure appears when travel is weeks away and every slot at your assigned centre is taken. If that is where you are, read how to get a Schengen visa appointment fast in the UK, or see what to do when you cannot find a Schengen visa appointment.
Travel insurance: the figure is in euros
Cover of at least €30,000 for medical costs and repatriation is required under Article 15 of the EU Visa Code, and it must be valid across the whole Schengen area for the full trip. The threshold is in euros. A policy quoting £25,000 or £30,000 does not automatically satisfy it once converted, and this is one of the most frequent avoidable refusals.
How you pay
Fees are paid on the day of your appointment at the BLS centre. BLS states that "the visa fees can be paid by cash, credit/debit card." Optional services may be arranged at the same time.
Who does not pay the visa fee
Children under 6. Fully exempt from the visa fee.
Family members of EU, EEA and Swiss nationals exercising free movement rights.
School pupils on organised school trips, where they appear on an official list of travellers.
Researchers travelling for scientific purposes under the relevant EU provisions.
An exemption from the visa fee does not always remove the BLS service charge. Confirm your category at the centre.
Where the money actually goes wrong
Budgeting only for the visa fee. The BLS charge is per application, not per booking, so a family pays it once each.
Insurance quoted in pounds. Below €30,000 after conversion is a refusal, not a warning.
Applying at the wrong centre. Outside your jurisdiction the file is not accepted, and the appointment is gone.
Leaving it late. The window opens 180 days out and the decision period can run to 45 working days.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a Spain Schengen visa from the UK?
€90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to under 12, plus a BLS service charge of £14.85 including VAT per application. Children under 6 pay no visa fee.
Are Spain visa fees refundable if my visa is refused?
No. The visa fee covers the processing of the application, not its outcome, and the BLS service charge is not refundable either.
Do children still pay the BLS service fee?
Yes. The exemption applies to the consular visa fee, not to the service charge, which is levied per application.
Can I apply at any UK centre?
No. Spain enforces consular jurisdiction, and an application from outside a centre's area will not be accepted. This is different from France, which operates no consular area in the UK.
How far in advance can I apply?
Up to 180 days before your travel date, and no later than 15 days before it.
What if there are no appointment slots?
Slots are released continuously and cancellations reappear without notice. You can watch your assigned centre rather than checking it by hand, and Visard sends an alert the moment a Spain Schengen visa appointment slot in the UK opens. For the wider picture across destinations, see Schengen visa appointment booking for UK residents. For timings, read the Spain visa processing time from the UK.
Official sources checked for this update
European Commission, Schengen visa fee increase: the €90 adult and €45 child figures and the 11 June 2024 effective date.
BLS International, Spain tourist visa, London: the £14.85 service charge, £29.99 courier return, £1.95 notifications, the 15 and 45 working day decision periods, and the payment methods.
BLS International, Spain visa FAQ: the 180-day window and the 15-day minimum. This page also quotes £24.95 for courier return, which conflicts with the figure above.
BLS International, UK centres and jurisdiction: the three centres and the rule that an application outside a centre's jurisdiction will not be accepted.
Spain Schengen Visa Cost UK: Complete Fee Breakdown 2026
Last updated: 27 August 2026. Every figure below is taken from the European Commission or from BLS International, the company the Spanish Consulate uses to receive applications in the UK. Fees and rules change, so check the linked sources before you pay anything.
Two numbers on most Spain visa cost pages are wrong, and one rule that costs people their appointment is usually missing. This guide gives the fee you pay to Spain, the fee you pay to BLS, what is genuinely optional, and the jurisdiction rule that decides which of the three UK centres will even accept your file.
If the paperwork is ready and the calendar is the problem, Visard watches the portal and messages you the moment a Spain visa appointment in the UK opens, cancellations included.
What a Spain Schengen visa costs from the UK in 2026
There are two separate payments and applicants routinely confuse them. The visa fee goes to the Spanish state and is fixed in euros by EU rules. The service fee goes to BLS International, which runs the application centres.
What you pay | Amount | Paid to | Mandatory? |
|---|---|---|---|
Schengen visa fee, adult | €90 | Spanish Consulate | Yes |
Schengen visa fee, child aged 6 to under 12 | €45 | Spanish Consulate | Yes |
Schengen visa fee, child under 6 | Free | Exempt | |
BLS service charge | £14.85 inc VAT, per application | BLS International | Yes |
Passport return by next-day courier | £29.99 inc VAT | BLS International | Optional |
SMS and email status notifications | £1.95 inc VAT | BLS International | Optional |
Travel medical insurance | Minimum €30,000 cover | Your insurer | Yes |
The €90 and €45 figures took effect on 11 June 2024, when the Schengen fee rose from €80 and €40. They are set at EU level, so they are the same whichever Schengen country you apply to.
Although the visa fee is set in euros, you pay it in pounds at the centre using the consular exchange rate on the day.
A worked example
Two adults applying together, choosing courier return, pay roughly: €180 in visa fees, plus £29.70 in BLS service charges, plus £29.99 for courier return, plus insurance. The courier fee is charged per application, so a family of four choosing it pays it four times.
One figure we could not verify
BLS publishes the courier return fee as £29.99 on its tourist visa page and as £24.95 in its own FAQ. We have not been able to establish which is current, so budget for the higher figure and ask at the counter. Charges for a premium lounge, for photographs taken at the centre, and for photocopying appear on many third-party pages, but we could not confirm them in an official source and have left them out rather than quote a number we cannot stand behind.
The rule that gets applications rejected at the counter
This is the part most cost guides leave out, and it is the one that wastes a whole appointment. Spain enforces consular jurisdiction. BLS states plainly that "your visa application will not be accepted if your place of residence is out of the consular jurisdiction of the Consulate where you intend to apply."
This is a real difference between Schengen states. France, for example, operates no consular area in the UK, so a UK resident may apply at whichever French centre is convenient. With Spain you cannot. If London is booked out and you live in Manchester's area, travelling to London does not solve your problem.
Centre | Covers |
|---|---|
London | Greater London, Essex, Kent, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and the other southern and eastern counties |
Manchester | Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, the Yorkshire areas, the Midlands and Wales |
Edinburgh | Scotland, Northern Ireland and north-east England, including Cleveland, Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear |
Check your county against the centre list before you book anything. The jurisdiction is decided by where you live, not by which centre has a slot.
When to apply, and how long a decision takes
Stage | Official position |
|---|---|
Earliest you can lodge an application | 180 days before your travel date |
Latest you should lodge it | At least 15 days before travel |
Legal decision period | 15 working days from the day after submission |
Extended period, if an interview or extra documents are requested | Up to 45 working days |
Peak season, in practice | BLS states a minimum of around 4 weeks |
The 180-day window is the single most useful number here. Applying five months out is allowed and removes almost all appointment pressure. The pressure appears when travel is weeks away and every slot at your assigned centre is taken. If that is where you are, read how to get a Schengen visa appointment fast in the UK, or see what to do when you cannot find a Schengen visa appointment.
Travel insurance: the figure is in euros
Cover of at least €30,000 for medical costs and repatriation is required under Article 15 of the EU Visa Code, and it must be valid across the whole Schengen area for the full trip. The threshold is in euros. A policy quoting £25,000 or £30,000 does not automatically satisfy it once converted, and this is one of the most frequent avoidable refusals.
How you pay
Fees are paid on the day of your appointment at the BLS centre. BLS states that "the visa fees can be paid by cash, credit/debit card." Optional services may be arranged at the same time.
Who does not pay the visa fee
Children under 6. Fully exempt from the visa fee.
Family members of EU, EEA and Swiss nationals exercising free movement rights.
School pupils on organised school trips, where they appear on an official list of travellers.
Researchers travelling for scientific purposes under the relevant EU provisions.
An exemption from the visa fee does not always remove the BLS service charge. Confirm your category at the centre.
Where the money actually goes wrong
Budgeting only for the visa fee. The BLS charge is per application, not per booking, so a family pays it once each.
Insurance quoted in pounds. Below €30,000 after conversion is a refusal, not a warning.
Applying at the wrong centre. Outside your jurisdiction the file is not accepted, and the appointment is gone.
Leaving it late. The window opens 180 days out and the decision period can run to 45 working days.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a Spain Schengen visa from the UK?
€90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to under 12, plus a BLS service charge of £14.85 including VAT per application. Children under 6 pay no visa fee.
Are Spain visa fees refundable if my visa is refused?
No. The visa fee covers the processing of the application, not its outcome, and the BLS service charge is not refundable either.
Do children still pay the BLS service fee?
Yes. The exemption applies to the consular visa fee, not to the service charge, which is levied per application.
Can I apply at any UK centre?
No. Spain enforces consular jurisdiction, and an application from outside a centre's area will not be accepted. This is different from France, which operates no consular area in the UK.
How far in advance can I apply?
Up to 180 days before your travel date, and no later than 15 days before it.
What if there are no appointment slots?
Slots are released continuously and cancellations reappear without notice. You can watch your assigned centre rather than checking it by hand, and Visard sends an alert the moment a Spain Schengen visa appointment slot in the UK opens. For the wider picture across destinations, see Schengen visa appointment booking for UK residents. For timings, read the Spain visa processing time from the UK.
Official sources checked for this update
European Commission, Schengen visa fee increase: the €90 adult and €45 child figures and the 11 June 2024 effective date.
BLS International, Spain tourist visa, London: the £14.85 service charge, £29.99 courier return, £1.95 notifications, the 15 and 45 working day decision periods, and the payment methods.
BLS International, Spain visa FAQ: the 180-day window and the 15-day minimum. This page also quotes £24.95 for courier return, which conflicts with the figure above.
BLS International, UK centres and jurisdiction: the three centres and the rule that an application outside a centre's jurisdiction will not be accepted.
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