Previous contract, signed between Spain and the BLS in December 2016 expired at the beginning of this and a new agreement was signed to continue the smooth processing of visa applications. But the case did not end there.
The said decision was subject to two appeals to the Central Administrative Contracts Court of Appeal, which resulted in the suspension of the award agreement with BLS on February 25.
The Council of Ministers had to intervene. He agreed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and considered it absolutely right to leave the processing of applications for Spanish visas to BLS.
Indeed, the delay in concluding a contract with BLS — the obvious risk of the collapse of consular services due to the physical impossibility of processing a large flow of applications.
Since Spain is the second country of the Schengen visa issuance agreement, the refusal to conclude a contract would deprive thousands of applicants of the opportunity to obtain their visas within the reasonable time limits established Schengen Visa Code.
During a meeting held on 20 March, the Council stressed that late issuance of visas will damage Spain's tourism industry and its image.
Spain is indeed the second most popular country after France. Schengen visa statistics for 2021 show that Spanish Embassies, Consulates and Visa Application Centers worldwide received 483,469 applications, of which 377,440 (84.5 percent) were granted.
Total number of applications Schengen visa applications worldwide in the same year was 2,926,104, down from 16 million applications in 2019, before the outbreak.
The procedures for obtaining a Schengen visa for Spain are the same , as for any other country in the Schengen area. The applicant needs to make an appointment and collect a set of documents, including filling out a visa application form, purchasing health insurance in the amount of 30,000 euros, providing proof of financial solvency and paying a visa fee.