I'm planning a trip to Spain for a month. I've never applied for a Schengen visa before, so I have no idea where to go or what documents to gather. I heard that now you're supposed to go to visa centers instead of consulates. How does this work and how long does it take?
Are you from Russia, or from another country? It matters because the process and requirements can differ depending on your citizenship.
Generally speaking, here's how it works: a visa center is basically a middleman that collects your documents, takes your biometrics (fingerprints and photo), and sends everything to the consulate of the country you need. You go there, hand over your documents, pay the fee to both the visa center and the consulate separately, and get your passport stamped - usually within a week or two if there are no complications. The main thing is to find the Spain visa center in your city (there are several in major cities), book an appointment online for a specific time, and show up with all your documents.
The basic package includes: a passport, a visa application form (you fill it out on the consulate website), a 3.5×4.5 photo, a hotel booking confirmation or invitation, round-trip tickets, a bank statement or sponsorship letter (to prove you have the money), and travel insurance. If you're employed, you'll need a letter from your employer; if not, income documents. For a first visa they're especially strict about properly filled-out paperwork because they can reject you. I'd recommend checking the Spain consulate website for your region in advance - there's usually an exact checklist of documents and a list of visa centers there. You should give yourself about a month with some buffer time for the whole process.
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