Unavailability of appointment dates at Spanish consulate
I am an Indian citizen living in the USA. I have to travel to Spain on Nov 15 from San Francisco for a business trip. However, there are no appointment dates available at the consulate of Spain in San Francisco for the months of October and November.
What is the best way to get a Spanish business visa (Schengen-visa) by Nov 15? If not possible, what is the best way to enter Spain via another Schengen visa (Portugal, Germany etc)?
Best Answer
Althought this answer may sounds biased, the shortest answer for this is:
Spain has ongoing elections on november/december and almost every consulate and embasssy is fully dedicated to the elections,concretely, to prevent as many overseas-living people from voting, by not giving any type of help at all and blocking schedules.
Your best chances are trying to contact the embassy in whashington DC and apply for a schengen visa link , or better, contact any other consulate ( italy, france, germany, portugal) and get a schengen visa from them.
sources on my "blocking electoral process" claims:
late 2015 national elections re-run
Among them, the Spanish General Consul in Los Angeles Javier Vallaure said he did not receive the administrative forms in time, like many other citizens living in the U.S. In the end, only 400 Spaniards in Los Angeles were able to vote, out of 8,400 registered voters.
So good luck given the possibilty of a 3rd election re-run. i'd get a schengen visa from any other schengen state, it will be valid in spain and you don't have to spend all your time in your "main destination country"
The Schengen Agreement establishes a unified type of visa for short stays (up to 90 days) for the participant European countries: GERMANY, AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, DENMARK, SLOVAKIA, SLOVENIA, SPAIN, ESTONIA, FINLAND, FRANCE, GREECE, HUNGARY, ICELAND, ITALY, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, LUXEMBOURG, MALTA, NORWAY, NETHERLANDS, POLAND, PORTUGAL, CZECH REPUBLIC, SWEDEN AND SWITZERLAND. A Schengen Visa issued by an Embassy or Consulate of the aforementioned countries allows the holder to travel freely in all these countries. It will be issued by the Embassy or Consulate of the country of your main destination, the one where you will spend the longest period of time.
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How long does it take to get an appointment at the Spanish embassy?
All applicants who want to apply directly should write a letter, which can be delivered in person or by post, to the Spanish Consulate. An appointment will usually be given within 2 weeks after you apply if there are appointment slots available.How do I book an appointment at Spanish embassy?
All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:How long does it take to get a visa appointment Spain?
In most cases, you will be informed within 15 calendar days whether your application has been successful. Sometimes it can take up to 45 days in case it is necessary to make a more detailed exam of the application. Can the Spain Visa Application Centre prepare my application for me?How do I make an appointment with the Spanish Consulate in London?
To get an appointment to submit a Non-Lucrative Visa application at the Spanish Consulate in London, you must first send a request by email. Attached to your request you must provide a sworn translation to Spanish of your Police Certificate (ACRO report).Spain Tourist Visa Latest Updates | Spain Visa Appointment
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