Spain is unusually direct about flights. Both the Consulate General in Mumbai and the Embassy in New Delhi tell applicants, in so many words, not to buy the air ticket before the visa comes through. That settles the paid-versus-reserved question for most Indian applicants. The harder parts of a Spanish file are elsewhere: knowing which of the two posts covers your state (the split surprises people), meeting Mumbai's 15-day cut-off, and handing in exactly the papers listed and nothing more. Below we take each piece in turn, quote the official wording, and give our honest view on where a held reservation fits. EU-wide basics live in the Schengen visa reservation guide.
Spain visa key facts for 2026
| Topic | Spain's official answer |
|---|---|
| Flight wording (India) | "Flight bookings (roundtrip). Also include internal travel reservations."[3] |
| Should I buy a ticket? | No. Mumbai and New Delhi both say waiting until the visa is granted is "advisable".[3][4] |
| Who takes applications? | BLS International, for the Embassy in New Delhi and the Consulate General in Mumbai.[5] |
| Fees in India | Visa fee INR 9,599; children 6 to 12 INR 4,799; BLS service charge INR 1,802 including GST.[5] |
| When to apply | Between 6 months and 15 days before travel.[4] Mumbai-area centres take only files whose travel date is more than 15 calendar days after submission.[5] |
| Decision time | Legal period 15 calendar days, extendable to 45.[4] Mumbai quotes an average of 1 to 2 working days at the consulate, varying by case and location.[3] |
| Main destination | Apply to Spain if it is "the sole or the main destination" of your visit.[3] |
What do Spanish checklists say about the flight?
We read four official Spanish sources in October 2026. They agree that a booking is enough, though each phrases it differently:
- Consulate General, Mumbai: under "Details of the trip": "Flight bookings (roundtrip). Also include internal travel reservations." The same line then calls it advisable to wait for the visa before buying the air ticket.[3]
- Embassy, New Delhi: its Schengen page repeats the advice not to buy the air ticket before the visa is granted.[4]
- Consulate General, London: "Round-trip ticket booking (airfare, bus or cruise) stating the name of the applicant." Drivers show their licence, vehicle papers, insurance and ferry or Eurotunnel tickets instead.[8]
- Consulates General, San Francisco and Houston: "Printout of the Round Trip Flights reservation showing: Arrival and departure from the Schengen area".[6][7] San Francisco also asks for a hotel or apartment reservation for each city or country.[6]
Our reading: "booking" and "reservation" are the words Spain uses everywhere we looked, and India's two posts actively discourage buying. A genuine reservation held in your name meets that. Where a Spanish post elsewhere asks for a confirmed ticket or proof of payment, a held booking may not satisfy it, so ask the post or buy a refundable fare.
Describe it accurately in your cover letter: "return flight reservation, Mumbai to Madrid, 12 to 24 May", not "air ticket". That one line keeps the file honest.
Held reservation or paid ticket: how the wording compares
| Post | Words used | Extra condition | Held reservation? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai | "Flight bookings (roundtrip)" | Internal travel reservations too; advises not to buy | Fits |
| New Delhi | Advice not to buy before grant | Full list in the official form pack | Fits |
| London | "Round-trip ticket booking" | Must state the applicant's name; bus or cruise also accepted | Fits, if named |
| San Francisco, Houston | "Round Trip Flights reservation" | Printout must show arrival in and departure from Schengen | Fits |
If you are tempted to buy a cheap non-refundable fare "just to be safe", please don't. Spain's own posts tell you not to, and a refusal would leave you with a fare you cannot use.
Delhi or Mumbai: which Spanish post covers your state?
This is where Spain differs most from its neighbours. There are only two posts, and the dividing line does not follow north and south. BLS publishes the split:[5]
| Spanish post | States and territories |
|---|---|
| Embassy, New Delhi | Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi NCR, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar. Also Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. |
| Consulate General, Mumbai | Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana; Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Puducherry. |
So someone in Bhopal applies under Delhi, while someone in Chennai applies under Mumbai. BLS adds that what counts is where you have lived for the past six months, not where your passport was issued.[5] The Mumbai checklist asks for proof of residence within its jurisdiction.[3]
Besides Delhi and Mumbai, BLS lists centres in cities including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kochi, Kolkata and Puducherry.[10] Files reach the post the next working day from Delhi or Mumbai, and in about 2 to 4 days from other centres.[5]
When should you apply, and when should you book the flight?
The Embassy says applications go in between six months and 15 days before travel.[4] In the Mumbai jurisdiction BLS is stricter in practice: centres accept a file only when the travel date is more than 15 calendar days after submission, unless the consulate approved an exception by email beforehand. Anyone applying under 15 days must sign a declaration.[5]
Here is how we would plan it. Say your flight to Barcelona is on 10 December and you live in Pune. Book the BLS slot for mid-November at the latest, which leaves room for the 2 to 4 days of transit and any request for more papers. Book the flight reservation two or three days before that appointment. Spain's London consulate notes that once a file is in, dates cannot change unless "duly justified",[8] so settle the itinerary first.
On the decision itself: the legal period is 15 calendar days, which can stretch to 45 if an interview or more documents are needed.[4] Mumbai's checklist quotes an average of one to two working days at the consulate, adding that it varies by case and location.[3] Treat the short figure as an average, not a promise.
What else in a Spanish file must match the flight?
The Mumbai checklist is short and strict. It asks you not to staple papers and to "refrain from providing documents other than those mentioned".[3] Within that list, these items connect directly to your reservation:
- Hotel accommodation for the duration of the stay in Schengen, or, if you stay with family or friends in Spain, an invitation letter issued through the Spanish national police.[3] Night count must equal the gap between your flights. Our hotel booking for visa can cover open nights.
- Travel insurance of at least €30,000, valid in all Schengen states for the entire stay, from an approved Indian insurer.[3]
- A cover letter setting out the purpose of the trip.[3] Name each flight and hotel there so the officer can follow the route.
- Passport with two blank pages, valid three months beyond the stay, issued within ten years. Any refusal in the last two years needs the refusal notice or a written explanation.[3]
- Bank statements for six months, stamped and signed, ITRs for two years and three salary slips.[3]
Not flying? The London checklist shows that Spain does not insist on air travel. It accepts a round-trip booking by bus or cruise, and drivers instead show a licence, ownership papers, motor insurance and ferry or Eurotunnel tickets.[8] The principle carries over: whatever the mode, show a named, dated way in and a way out.
Is Spain your main destination?
The Mumbai list reminds you to apply for a Spanish visa only if Spain is "the sole or the main destination".[3] In EU terms, that is the country of longest stay or main purpose; with equal stays, the first country you enter.[1][2]
Example: Madrid three nights, Seville two, Lisbon three. Spain wins, five nights to three. Your reservation might fly Mumbai to Madrid and home from Lisbon, with a train or flight from Seville to Lisbon booked as internal travel. Swap it to Lisbon five nights and Madrid three, and Portugal becomes the right consulate. For more cases see which Schengen country to apply to and reservations across several Schengen countries.
Getting the flight part right, step by step
- Check your post using the table above, based on where you have lived for six months.
- Book the BLS appointment so that travel falls more than 15 days after submission.
- Fix the route, including any trains, buses or flights inside Schengen.
- Book a round-trip reservation close to the appointment. Our booking form shows the hold window before payment.
- Book hotels for every night between arrival and departure.
- Open the PNR on the airline's "Manage booking" page and compare names and dates with the form; our verification guide walks through it.
- Print, do not staple, and hand in only the listed documents.
Spain-specific slips to avoid
- Applying to the wrong post. A Kolkata resident goes to Delhi, a Kochi resident to Mumbai, whatever the nearest centre.[5]
- Booking travel inside 15 days of a Mumbai-area appointment without the consulate's prior approval.[5]
- A one-way booking. Every Spanish list we read wants a round trip.
- Leaving out the internal legs when you also visit Portugal, France or Italy.[3]
- Extra paperwork. Mumbai asks for the listed documents only, unstapled.[3]
- Silence about a past refusal. A refusal in the last two years needs the notice or an explanation.[3]
- A handwritten form. BLS stopped accepting them from 4 November 2024; fill it online and print it.[5]
Will the consulate check the booking?
Spain does not publish its verification methods. A real reservation can be opened on the airline's website with the PNR and surname, so it can be looked up. A made-up booking is a false document, which the Visa Code lists as a refusal ground.[2] We only issue genuine reservations; we do not create or alter tickets.
Applying for Spain from outside India
Spanish posts take applications from people living in their district. Chicago, for instance, deals with third-country nationals resident in its consular district for whom Spain is the only or main destination.[9] In the UK, London requires a UK residence permit valid at least 30 days beyond the visa's expiry and says holders of a UK visit visa cannot get a Schengen tourism visa there.[8] US consulates set their own lead times: Houston takes files 25 days to six months ahead, San Francisco and Chicago 20 days to six months.[6][7][9] In each case the reservation should leave from and return to the country where you live.
Spain visa flight reservation: common questions
Does Spain accept a flight reservation instead of a ticket?
Yes, in India and in the other Spanish posts we checked. Mumbai lists "Flight bookings (roundtrip)" and the Mumbai and New Delhi posts both advise not buying the ticket until the visa is granted. A genuine round-trip reservation in your name, with a live PNR and dates matching your hotels, is what the list describes.
I live in Bengaluru. Do I apply to Delhi or Mumbai?
Mumbai. Karnataka sits in the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Spain in Mumbai, even though Bengaluru has its own BLS centre. You can submit at the Bengaluru centre, and the file then travels to Mumbai, which BLS says takes around two to four days from centres outside Mumbai and Delhi.
Can I apply for Spain less than 15 days before travel?
In the Mumbai jurisdiction, centres accept files only when travel is more than 15 calendar days after submission, unless the consulate gave prior email approval. BLS also says applicants applying under 15 days must sign a declaration. Plan around the 15-day line rather than counting on an exception.
What are "internal travel reservations"?
They are bookings for journeys inside the Schengen area during your trip, such as a Madrid to Barcelona train or a Barcelona to Rome flight. The Mumbai checklist asks you to include them with the round-trip flight booking. A multi-city reservation or a simple rail booking for each leg covers it.
How much does a Spain visa cost in India?
BLS lists INR 9,599 for a tourist or business visa, INR 4,799 for children aged 6 to 12, and a BLS service charge of INR 1,802 including GST. Children under six are exempt from both. Amounts follow the euro rate, so check the BLS fee page on the day you book.
Should my reservation be one way or return?
Return, or round trip. Every Spanish list we read uses the word "roundtrip" or "round trip". If you fly into Spain and out of another Schengen country, show both international legs plus the internal leg that connects them, so the officer sees a complete loop back home.
Can I change my travel dates after submitting?
The London consulate says no changes in dates or conditions are admitted after submission unless duly justified. Indian posts do not publish a rule we could find, but the safe course is to fix dates before you apply. If plans truly change, contact BLS or the post instead of sending a new booking yourself.
Price and booking
We create a real reservation under each traveller's passport name, with a PNR you can open on the airline's site, for your chosen dates and route. It is a reservation, not a purchased fare, and it will not get you on a plane.
Each price is per traveller and covers a single or return journey; multi-city routes are charged per pair of legs, as explained on dummy ticket price. Payment goes through Razorpay by UPI, card or netbanking. The PDF normally reaches your inbox in about 10 minutes, and order tracking shows its status. Weighing this against holding a seat with an airline yourself? See flight reservation for visa. Other destinations: requirements by country; exit proof for visa-free trips: onward ticket.
Book your Spain visa flight reservation
Madrid, Barcelona or a loop through Portugal, with internal legs shown. ₹699 / $9 a traveller.
Please note: reserve the trip you actually mean to take. Only the Spanish post decides on your visa; a reservation cannot secure one.
Planning a different route? Compare the Italian checklists, the Dutch rules or the Greek requirements, or read how German and French posts handle flights. You can also start again from our home page.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, Applying for a Schengen visa.
- EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (Visa Code), consolidated text: Articles 5 and 32.
- Consulate General of Spain in Mumbai via BLS International, Tourism / private visit checklist (PDF).
- Embassy of Spain in New Delhi, Schengen visas.
- BLS International for Spain in India, Short term visa (maximum stay of 90 days): fees, jurisdictions, centres, processing.
- Consulate General of Spain in San Francisco, Schengen visas.
- Consulate General of Spain in Houston, Schengen visas.
- Consulate General of Spain in London, Checklist (Tourism) (PDF).
- Consulate General of Spain in Chicago, Schengen visa.
- BLS International for Spain in India, Contact us (visa application centre addresses).
Related: flight reservation for visa · dummy ticket price · requirements by country · hotel booking for visa · all visa guides.