You live in the UAE and you plan a family trip to Spain. Your child needs their own visa file, even a baby. This guide shows you how a Spain Visa for Children works, in plain words.
Bolo Asan checked every fact in this guide on the official BLS Spain UAE pages. BLS is the firm that takes Spain visa files in the UAE. The Spanish Embassy in Abu Dhabi decides each file. Bolo Asan updates this guide when BLS changes a rule or a fee.
Quick Answer: A Spain Visa for Children needs its own file for each child, and both parents sign the form. A child aged 6 to 12 pays AED 194, and a child under 6 pays no visa fee. Children aged 12 and above go to the BLS centre in person for fingerprints and a photo.
Who Needs a Visa
Your passport decides if your child needs a visa. Most passports from India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Egypt, and many other countries need one. Your UAE residence visa does not change this rule. It only shows where you live and where you apply from.
Important: Children with an Emirati passport need no visa for Spain. An Emirati passport lets your child stay in Spain for up to 90 days without a visa. This guide is for children who hold other passports.
Spain is in the Schengen area. The Schengen area is a group of 29 European countries with one shared short-stay visa. A Spain Visa for Children is a short-stay Schengen visa. It lets your child stay in Spain and the other 28 countries. The stay can last up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
ETIAS is not running yet, and it does not apply to visa files. ETIAS is a new online travel check for people who need no visa. Your child needs a visa file, so ETIAS does not concern you now.
Every child needs their own file. A baby needs a passport, a form, and a photo, just like an adult. One family trip means one file for each person who travels. Bolo Asan has a full Schengen guide for UAE residents, with the shared rules for all 29 countries.
How Much Does It Cost
The fee for a Spain Visa for Children depends on the child’s age. BLS lists the fee in dirhams, and the fee follows the exchange rate. The fee can change, so check the BLS page before you pay. You pay in cash or by card at the centre.
| Who | Visa fee | BLS service fee |
|---|---|---|
| Child under 6 | AED 0 | AED 73 |
| Child aged 6 to 12 | AED 194 | AED 73 |
| Adult | AED 388 | AED 73 |
Good to Know: A child under 6 pays no visa fee. BLS still charges its AED 73 service fee on the child’s file. The service fee covers the work BLS does on each file.
The visa fee for a child aged 6 to 12 is half the adult fee. The adult fee is AED 388, and the child fee is AED 194. The service fee stays the same for every age, at AED 73.
Add the two fees to get your total. A child aged 6 to 12 costs AED 267 in all. A child under 6 costs AED 73 in all. An adult costs AED 461 in all.
Warning: BLS does not give the fee back when the Embassy says no. Check every paper with care before you pay, because a weak file still costs the full fee.
Papers You Need for Your Child
A Spain Visa for Children needs two sets of papers. The first set proves who the child is. The second set proves that both parents agree to the trip. The parent who pays for the trip adds the money papers. Bolo Asan lists the papers below from the BLS tourist checklist.
Checklist: You need the child’s passport, a photo, the form, and the birth certificate. Add both parents’ passports and the sponsor’s bank papers. Tick each item before you book your BLS visit.
Your Child’s Own Papers
- Your child’s passport must stay valid for at least 3 months after the trip ends. It must have at least 2 blank pages, and it must not be older than 10 years.
- Your child’s UAE residence visa must stay valid for at least 1 month after the trip ends.
- Bring one recent photo of your child, on a white background. The photo must not be older than 6 months. For a child under 3, the photo must not be older than 1 month.
- Bring copies of the passport pages with the child’s photo and UAE residence visa. Add copies of old Schengen, US, UK, Canada, or Japan visas when your child has them.
Papers That Prove the Family Link
- Bring the child’s birth certificate. Get it in English or Spanish when it is in another language.
- Bring copies of both parents’ passports, with the photo pages. BLS asks for these to prove who the parents are.
- Both parents sign the form and the checklist. A parent who cannot come to the centre must still sign.
- If the parents hold different nationalities, bring the marriage certificate in Spanish or English.
Money Papers
- The parent who pays for the trip is the sponsor. BLS asks for the sponsor’s salary paper and bank papers from the last 3 months.
- The salary paper must show the job, the pay, and the start date. The bank papers must show the pay coming in each month.
- BLS does not take bank papers printed from the internet. Ask your bank for the papers.
Travel Papers
- Bring a hotel booking, or the papers for a home you rent or own in Spain. A private invite needs the official letter, and the Spanish police stamp it.
- Bring a signed letter with your trip plan, and your return ticket booking.
- Bring travel insurance for your child, with at least €30,000 of cover.
Both Parents Must Agree
Spain asks both parents to agree to the trip. This rule guards children, and BLS checks it on every file for a child under 18.
Key Point: Both parents sign the form, the checklist, and the consent letter. One parent cannot sign for the other. BLS asks for the original passports of both parents to check the signatures.
A consent letter is a short letter that says the parent agrees to the trip. Write the child’s name, the trip dates, and the country in the letter. Both parents sign it, and each parent adds a copy of their passport.
Example: A mother flies with her 8-year-old son, and the father stays in Dubai. The father signs a consent letter, and he adds a copy of his passport. The mother takes the letter to the BLS centre with the child’s file.
The same rule holds when a grandparent or another adult flies with the child. Both parents sign the consent letter, and each parent adds a copy of their passport.
A court may give one parent sole care of the child. Then that parent decides alone, and the court paper proves it. Bring the court paper with the file.
Fingerprints and Photos
Children aged 12 and above go to the BLS centre in person. BLS takes their fingerprints and a photo there. BLS calls this step biometrics.
Note: BLS asks only children aged 12 and above to come in person. A younger child gives no fingerprints, so the parent hands in the file.
The photo rules are strict. The photo must show the full face, with no smile, no dark glasses, and no hat. A head cover for faith is fine. Stick the photo on the form, or use the photo booth at the centre.
How to Apply Step by Step
Here are the five steps for a Spain Visa for Children. Do them in this order, and check each step before you move on.
- Book a slot on the BLS Spain UAE site. The slot is free, and you book it yourself. BLS does not take slots from agents, and its staff never ask for cash for a slot.
- Fill the form in English or Spanish. Both parents sign the form and the checklist. Add the consent letter and the birth certificate.
- Gather every paper from the lists above. Check each paper twice, because BLS takes only full files.
- Go to the BLS centre in Dubai or Abu Dhabi with the file. Children aged 12 and above must come with you. Pay the fee in cash or by card at the centre.
- Wait for the decision. BLS sends the file to the Embassy on the next working day. The Embassy sends the passport back to the centre, and you pick it up there.
Pro Tip: Book the slot first, then gather the papers. The slot date tells you how much time you have for each paper.
Bolo Asan has a full guide to the Spain visa appointment, with the booking steps in detail.
How Long Does It Take
The Embassy needs at least 3 weeks to decide. The 3 weeks start on the day after BLS takes your file. BLS sends the file to the Embassy on the next working day.
Send the file at least 3 weeks before you travel. A file with a short time left may need a short form from BLS. The form says you know the time is short.
The Embassy must decide within 3 months at most. Most files take far less time than that. The Embassy gives no news on the phone or by email while it decides.
Apply early when you can. You can apply up to 180 days before you travel, and an early file leaves room for a delay.
Travel Insurance for Your Child
Every child needs travel insurance, just like an adult. The insurance must cover the whole trip and all Schengen countries. It must cover at least €30,000, and it must cover a flight home for medical care.
Buy the insurance from any firm that BLS accepts. A medical cover that comes with a credit card does not count. BLS lists this rule on its own page, so check the cover before you pay.
The insurance must show its cover in writing, on the policy or on a separate letter. BLS checks this paper with the file.
Where to Apply in the UAE
BLS runs two centres in the UAE, one in Dubai and one in Abu Dhabi. You can use the centre that suits you best. Bolo Asan lists the two BLS centres below.
| Centre | Place |
|---|---|
| Dubai | I Rise Tower, 27th Floor, Office C-13, Barsha Heights |
| Abu Dhabi | Tamouh Tower, 13th Floor, Office 1311, Al Reem Island |
The centres open Monday to Friday, from 9 in the morning to 5 in the evening. BLS takes new files from 9 to 3, and it gives passports back from 3 to 5. The centres stay shut on Saturday and Sunday, and on Embassy holidays.
Call BLS on 043875660, or write to info.uae@blshelpline.com. BLS answers questions in 2 working days.
Book the slot yourself on the BLS site. The slot costs nothing. BLS gives no new date for a booked slot. Cancel it and book a new one when your plans change.
If the Embassy Says No
The Embassy sends a letter when it says no. The letter states the reason. You can appeal, and an appeal asks the Embassy to look at your file again.
You can appeal at BLS Dubai with new papers, and you need no booked slot for it. You can also send a fresh file with full papers instead. The fee does not come back with an appeal or a fresh file.
Common Mistakes: Do not send a file with a missing paper. Do not send bank papers printed from the internet. Do not forget the consent letter when one parent stays home. Each of these can end in a refusal.
Bolo Asan has a full guide to the Spain visit visa, with the full adult checklist.
A Long Stay Needs a Different Visa
This guide covers a short visit, for up to 90 days. A child who moves to Spain to live with a parent there needs a different visa. That visa starts with a permit from Spain, and the child applies only after Spain grants it.
Do not use a short visit visa for a move to Spain. The short visa covers a holiday, not a new home. Ask BLS which long-stay paper fits your child.
Key Takeaway: A Spain Visa for Children needs its own file for each child. Both parents must sign the form. Children aged 12 and above must visit a BLS centre. The fee is AED 194 for a child aged 6 to 12, and no fee for a child under 6. Apply at least 3 weeks before you travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Spain Visa for Children?
A Spain Visa for Children is the short-stay Schengen visa for a child under 18. It lets the child stay in Spain and the other Schengen countries. The stay can last up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The child needs their own file, and both parents sign the form.
How much does a Spain Visa for Children cost?
A child aged 6 to 12 pays AED 194, and a child under 6 pays no visa fee. BLS adds its AED 73 service fee to each file. An adult pays AED 388 plus the same AED 73 service fee. BLS does not give any fee back when the Embassy says no.
Does my child need to go to the BLS centre?
Children aged 12 and above must go in person, because BLS takes their fingerprints and a photo there. A younger child gives no fingerprints, so the parent can hand in the file. Every child still needs their own photo and passport.
What papers does my child need?
Your child needs a passport, a recent photo, the form, and a birth certificate in English or Spanish. Both parents sign the form, and each parent adds a copy of their passport. The parent who pays adds a salary paper and bank papers from the last 3 months.
What if only one parent travels with the child?
The parent who stays home signs a consent letter, and adds a copy of their passport. The travelling parent takes the letter to the BLS centre with the child’s file. Both parents must sign the form, every time.
How long does a Spain visa for a child take?
The Embassy needs at least 3 weeks to decide. Send the file at least 3 weeks before you travel, and apply up to 180 days before you travel. The Embassy gives no news on the phone or by email while it decides.
Official Sources
- BLS International, Spain Tourist Visit Visa from UAE
- Embassy of Spain to the UAE, Checklist for Tourist Visa
- BLS International, Contact, Spain Visa Application Centres in the UAE
- Spain.info, Visa and passport, Entry requirements for Spain
Disclaimer: Bolo Asan is an independent guide. It is not the Spanish Embassy and not BLS International. Visa rules and fees can change, so check the official BLS page before you apply. This guide gives general facts only, and it is not legal advice. The Spanish Embassy in Abu Dhabi makes the final call on each visa.
Last Updated: 7 November 2026