An invitation letter to Spain isn’t a letter you write yourself. It’s an official document issued by Spain’s National Police at the request of the host, at the police station where the host lives. For one guest, the fees add up to €81.59. And it proves just one thing: where your visitor will stay.
There’s a second point that decides more trips than the first: the letter only covers accommodation. Your guest still has to show, at the border or at the consulate if they need a visa, that they have enough money, a valid passport, and a return ticket. With the letter in hand but without the rest, they can be refused entry.
In this guide, you’ll see who can apply, what to bring, how much it costs, how to book the appointment, how long it takes, and why applications get denied. All fees and deadlines were checked against Spain’s Official State Gazette (BOE) and the National Police e-portal on September 22, 2026.
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In 30 Seconds
- What it is: an invitation letter to Spain is the official document proving that a resident will host a foreign visitor in their home. The host applies, never the guest.
- What it costs: €75.05 for the authorization plus €6.54 to issue the document. For one guest, €81.59.
- When to start: there’s no set processing time, and you still have to mail the original, so book the appointment as soon as you have dates.
- How long it lasts: the document is valid for nine months after approval, but the visit itself can’t exceed 90 days in any 180-day period.
What an Invitation Letter to Spain Is (and Isn’t)
The letter of invitation (carta de invitación) is the official document in which Spain’s National Police certify that a foreigner will stay at a private home during a tourist or personal trip. It’s requested by a Spanish citizen or legal resident, governed by Order PRE/1283/2007, and it only proves accommodation.
What it isn’t: it’s not a letter you draft and sign at home, it’s not a notarized document, and it’s not a visa. It doesn’t guarantee entry either, because the Order itself states that it doesn’t replace any of the other entry requirements.
Who Needs an Invitation Letter to Enter Spain?
Non-EU nationals who travel for tourism or a family visit and stay at someone’s home, not a hotel, need an invitation letter to visit Spain. If their country is subject to a visa requirement, they submit it to the Spanish consulate with the visa application. If it isn’t, as with the United States, Mexico, or Colombia, they carry it with them, because border police can ask for it on arrival. EU citizens don’t need it.
Business Visits or Employees: A Different Route
The letter only covers tourist or personal trips. If you’re bringing a client, a supplier, or a colleague for meetings, the purpose of the trip is proven with other documents, such as an invitation from the Spanish company. And if you want them to work here, they need a work authorization: we handle that through our business immigration service.
Who Can Apply and Where
Spanish citizens, EU citizens, people covered by the EU family regime, and foreign nationals with legal residence in Spain can apply.
The application is filed at the National Police station where you live, not at an Immigration Office or a consulate. If you’re a foreign national, you’ll need your valid residence card, the TIE (Foreigner Identity Card). By signing, you commit to covering your guest’s accommodation for their entire stay.
One detail worth knowing early: your guest can stay at your main home or at a second home. Either way, you must prove you have the right to use it, with a property deed, a lease, or another valid title.
Requirements: What the Law Asks for and What Police Stations Request
The Order requires your details, your guest’s details, your relationship, the planned dates, and proof that the home is available to you.
| What Order PRE/1283/2007 requires | How you prove it |
|---|---|
| Your identity | Spanish ID card (DNI) if you’re Spanish; passport, TIE, or NIE (Foreigner Identification Number) if you’re not |
| Intent to host and place of stay | The signed official form, stating whether it’s your main home or a second home |
| Availability of the home | Property deed, a current lease, or another valid title |
| Relationship with your guest | Declared on the form: family, friendship, or other |
| Guest’s details | Full name, place and date of birth, nationality, home address, and passport number, with a copy of the passport data page |
| Length of the visit | Planned first and last day, even if approximate |
Several police stations also ask for an up-to-date certificate of municipal registration (empadronamiento), to confirm that you actually live there and how many people are registered at that address. The Order doesn’t mention it, but it’s worth bringing.
Watch out if the home isn’t in your name. If you rent a place under someone else’s lease, or live with a relative, bring a signed authorization from the titleholder and a copy of their ID.
How Much an Invitation Letter Costs in 2026
It costs €81.59 for one guest: €75.05 for the authorization to issue it and €6.54 to issue the document.
| Fee (Form 790, code 012) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Authorization to issue the letter of invitation | €75.05 |
| Issuance of the letter of invitation | €6.54 |
| Total for one guest | €81.59 |
| Two guests, if the station issues one letter per person | €88.13 (75.05 + 2 × 6.54) |
| Certified copy of each supporting document, only if requested | €1.05 under the Order (the police e-portal lists €1.09) |
These are the amounts set by Order PJC/617/2025, unchanged since June 2025, and they match the National Police e-portal. The only difference is the certified copy fee: the Order sets €1.05 and the e-portal shows €1.09. The published Order prevails, but check the amount on your form before paying.
With several guests, the authorization is paid per application and the issuance fee per letter issued. Ask your police station whether they issue one letter for everyone or one per person.
When Do You Pay the Fee?
The safe move is to pay the €75.05 authorization fee before your appointment, because the National Police e-portal lists the proof of payment among the application documents. Order PRE/1283/2007, however, places payment after approval, with a one-month deadline. Bottom line: pay the authorization fee before the appointment and ask your police station when they collect the €6.54 issuance fee.
How to Book the Appointment and Apply, Step by Step
You book an appointment, file the application at the police station, and, if it’s approved, pick up the document and send it to your guest.
- Book the appointment. Appointments are booked on Spain’s Public Administrations e-portal, under the immigration appointment procedure. Choose your province and, among the National Police procedures, the one for the letter of invitation.
- Download and fill out the official form. It’s called «Solicitud de expedición de carta de invitación» and is available on the National Police e-portal and the Ministry of the Interior website.
- Generate and pay the fee. Form 790, code 012 is generated on the National Police e-portal and paid at any authorized bank, even if you don’t have an account there.
- Gather your documents. Everything in the requirements table, with originals and copies.
- Go to the police station for your address. The police may call you in for an interview to check your identity and what you’ve declared. If you don’t show up within the deadline they give you, which can’t exceed 15 days, your application is considered withdrawn.
- Pick up the letter. Once you’re notified of the approval decision, collect it with your proof of payment.
- Send the original to your guest. Allow time for international shipping.
Steps at a Glance
- Book the immigration appointment.
- Fill out the official form.
- Pay the Form 790, code 012 fee.
- Gather your documents.
- File them at your local police station.
- Pick up the letter.
- Send the original to your guest.
If you live in Barcelona or Madrid, our immigration lawyers in Barcelona and immigration lawyers in Madrid can review your file with you before the appointment.
How Long Does It Take?
There’s no fixed deadline. Order PRE/1283/2007 only says the police station will decide as quickly as possible, and the National Police note that the process isn’t immediate. Add the time it takes to get an appointment and to ship the original. A scheduling tip: start as soon as you have dates and, as a rule of thumb, at least two months before the trip. If your guest needs a visa, add the consulate’s processing time.
What Else Your Guest Needs to Enter Spain
An invitation letter to enter Spain only covers accommodation: your guest must also show enough money, a valid passport, and, where required, a visa.
- Passport: valid for at least three months after the planned departure from the Schengen Area and issued within the previous ten years.
- Visa, if their country needs one: the letter is submitted to the consulate with the application, along with travel medical insurance covering at least €30,000.
- Return ticket: the days of the stay are counted from entry through the departure date on the ticket.
- Proof of funds: a minimum amount per day of stay, explained below.
Does Your Guest Still Need to Show Funds?
Yes. The letter doesn’t reduce the amount your guest must show if border officers ask. Under Order PRE/1282/2007, it’s 10% of Spain’s national minimum wage (SMI) per person per day, with a floor of 90% of that wage. With the 2026 minimum wage of €1,221 a month, set by Royal Decree 126/2026, that’s €122.10 per person per day, with a minimum of €1,098.90.
Here’s an example with numbers: if your parents visit for 20 days, they need to show €4,884 between them (122.10 × 20 × 2). If only your mother comes for a week, seven days would come to €854.70, but the minimum applies: €1,098.90.
Alternatives to the Letter of Invitation
If you can’t apply, for example because you don’t have legal residence or can’t prove the home is available, there’s another option. Your guest can prove accommodation with a hotel or other lodging reservation. Article 8 of Royal Decree 1155/2024 (the Immigration Regulation) accepts both: proof from a lodging establishment or a private host’s letter of invitation.
Do you want a expert consultation? Contact us and we will help you.
Validity, Length of Stay, and What Happens If Your Guest Doesn’t Leave
The document is valid for nine months from notice of approval, but your guest’s stay can’t exceed 90 days.
These are two different time limits that often get mixed up. The nine months, set in the annex to Order PRE/1283/2007, are the window to use the letter: apply for the visa and travel. The stay itself follows the 90-day rule in any 180-day period. If your guest has already traveled in the Schengen Area in recent months, check how many days they have left with our Schengen calculator.
When you sign the application, you declare that the information is true and take on a real commitment. Under Article 53.2.c of Organic Law 4/2000, it’s a serious offense to encourage the irregular stay of a foreign national who entered with your express invitation. It applies when they remain in your care after their permitted stay has ended. Fines range from €501 to €10,000. The form itself also reminds you that facilitating illegal immigration can be a crime under Article 318 bis of Spain’s Criminal Code.
Why Applications Are Denied (and How to Avoid It)
Order PRE/1283/2007 lists two grounds: missing or untrue information, and failure to meet the requirements set by the Immigration Regulation.
Behind those grounds, there are usually specific mistakes that sink applications:
- Passport typos: one wrong letter is enough for the details not to match. Copy them character by character.
- Home not documented: an expired lease or a deed in someone else’s name without their authorization.
- Dates that don’t add up: a stay longer than 90 days or dates that don’t match the flights.
- A registration that raises questions: many people registered at a small home.
- Past invitations that went wrong: if someone you invited before didn’t return home, it can weigh against you.
If your application is denied, the decision must state its reasons and the available appeals. You can file a request for reconsideration within one month of a written decision, or within three months if there’s no answer, since administrative silence means denial. Sometimes it’s faster to fix the problem and reapply. If you’ve already been denied or your case has a sensitive point, our immigration lawyers in Spain can review the file before you reapply.
The letter of invitation is a short process, but one mistyped detail or an undocumented home can cost you weeks and, sometimes, the trip. At ILLAY Legal, we review your housing documents, your guest’s details, and the dates with you before the appointment. We also tell you what else your visitor will need at the consulate or the border, with 100% online service in your language. Tell us which country your guest is coming from, how many people are traveling, and your dates, and we’ll tell you which documents to prepare and how early to start.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Invitation Letter to Spain
Is There a Sample Invitation Letter to Visit Spain?
Not in the sense of a template you write yourself. What exists is the official application form, «Solicitud de expedición de carta de invitación», which you can download from the National Police e-portal or the Ministry of the Interior website. You fill it out, file it at your police station, and the police issue the actual letter on an official model with anti-forgery features. Any “sample letter” you find online that you’re meant to type and sign won’t be accepted as a Spanish letter of invitation.
Can I Send My Guest a Scanned Copy Instead of the Original?
It’s best not to. The document has security features and a space for the consulate or border post stamp, so a scanned copy may not be accepted. That’s why the National Police treat sending it to your guest as part of the process. Ship the original with tracking and keep a scanned copy for yourself: if the package gets lost, you’ll have every detail on hand to explain what happened.
How Many People Can Come With One Letter of Invitation?
The law doesn’t set a maximum. Order PRE/1283/2007 allows, as an exception, one application to cover several people. Each additional guest’s details go on a separate form attached to the main one, and you must show the home can accommodate everyone. The police station may look at the size of the home and how many people already live there. Be realistic: a family of five in a small apartment with four registered residents is likely to be denied.
Can My Guest Stay in Spain With an Invitation Letter?
No. The letter covers a tourist or personal visit of up to 90 days, and staying on without authorization leaves your guest in an irregular situation. If the goal is for your relative to live here, that’s a different route, and it’s planned before the trip. Depending on their situation and yours, it could be family reunification, a non-lucrative residence, a student visa, or a work authorization. Each has its own requirements, and most are filed from the home country.
What Information Does the Host Need to Provide in an Invitation Letter for Spain?
The form has three sections: your details as host, the details of the invitation, and your guest’s details. In the second, you state whether they’ll stay at your main home or a second home, with its address, and the planned dates of the visit. In the third, besides your guest’s personal and passport details, you declare your relationship. Fill it out in capital letters or on a computer so it’s easy to read, and sign at the end, next to the statement that the information is true.
Do I Need a Lawyer to Prepare an Invitation Letter for Spain?
No, it’s not required: you can handle it yourself, and in many cases it’s straightforward. A lawyer is worth it when something complicates the file. For example, a home that isn’t in your name, several guests, a guest with a past problem at a Schengen border, or your own residence permit in the middle of a renewal. In those cases, reviewing the paperwork before the appointment saves weeks and, above all, protects the travel date.
Is a Spanish Translation Necessary for an Invitation Letter?
Usually not. The official model includes its text in Spanish and also in English and French, as required by the annex to Order PRE/1283/2007. That’s why consulates and border police can read it without a translation. It doesn’t need an apostille either: it’s a Spanish public document presented to Spanish authorities. Your guest’s own documents, such as bank statements or employment letters, are a different matter: the consulate may ask for translations, so check its requirements list before the appointment.
