Rules for issuing a sponsorship letter for a visa to Spain. Sponsorship letter for a Schengen visa Sponsorship letter for a child to Spain sample

A Spanish visa for Russians is issued according to the same principle as a visa to travel to other Schengen countries. The list of documents contains a mention of financial certificates confirming the applicant’s solvency. As a rule, this is a certificate from your place of work or a bank account statement. But what to do if a person doesn’t work, has no money in his account, but really wants to go on a trip? How to apply for a visa for minors who cannot have a job or a bank account? Then a sponsorship letter for a visa to Spain is issued.

What is a sponsorship letter and when is it required?

A sponsorship letter is an official document issued by a close relative of a person who does not have funds for travel. The application guarantees that the sponsor will pay for food, accommodation at the destination and personal expenses of the tourist. The following categories of citizens are required to submit such a letter to the Consulate:

  1. Minor students and children studying at school and without an official source of income.
  2. Working people with low income. When issuing a certificate of employment, the salary must be at least 25,000 rubles, otherwise the package of documents is supplemented with a sponsorship letter.
  3. Pensioners. If there are cash savings in the bank, it is enough for the pensioner to provide an account statement. If there are no invoices, sponsorship will be issued.
  4. Persons who do not have a job or work unofficially.

Important! If a person does not work, but has savings in a bank account, it is enough to attach a statement - in this case, a sponsorship letter is not required for a Schengen visa.

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Sponsorship application maker

For a tourist trip, proof of expenses can be written by a person whose family ties with the applicant can be documented. It could be:

  • Mother or father.
  • An adult child sponsored by a parent.
  • Spouse or spouse.
  • Officially recognized trustee or guardian.

The sponsor must be financially able to provide for the applicant during his stay in Spain. If a guest visa is issued, all expenses for food and accommodation of the tourist are borne by the inviting person. The sponsorship letter form filled out by a foreigner is similar to the Russian one. Together with the invitation, the application is sent to the tourist, and based on this data, a visa is issued.

Business trips must be sponsored by the employer. He sends the applicant an official confirmation of payment of all expenses on letterhead with the organization’s contacts, seal and signature.

Rules for writing a letter


A sponsorship letter for a visa to Spain can be issued electronically and then printed. If this is not possible, you should write it by hand in legible handwriting on an A4 sheet.

The document must indicate the country of destination (Spain), dates of travel, passport details of the sponsor and applicant. Both an internal and a foreign passport can be indicated. At the bottom is the date of registration and the signature of the person sponsoring the trip.

If sponsorship of two people is necessary (for example, a husband pays for a trip for his wife and child or two children), one application is written, but the details of all private participants of the trip must be indicated. A standard sponsorship sample and a blank form for entering data are provided on the Consulate website.

Additional documents for a sponsorship letter

In addition to the letter, the sponsor is required to provide supporting documents. These include:

  1. Proof of close relationship with the applicant - birth certificate, marriage certificate or adoption certificate.
  2. If the surname of one of the persons differs from the one indicated on the certificate, a document is required about the reason for the change of surname.
  3. Copies of the pages of the sponsor's civil passport - the first page and the page with registration.
  4. Certificate from the sponsor's place of employment on letterhead indicating the position, salary, place of work and information about the organization.
  5. Sponsor's bank account statement.

To calculate the required amount in your bank account, you need to multiply the required 64.53 euros per day by the number of days on the trip. For 1 person the minimum amount is 580 euros. If a mother is going on a trip with a minor child, she must be able to provide for two at once, so the minimum amount is doubled.

Important! In most Schengen countries, the required amount in the bank is determined at the rate of 50-65 euros per day. This is not the highest figure - for example, when applying for a visa to the USA or the UK, an amount of 100 dollars is required. It's better to play it safe and put a little more money into your account.

Having an application gives the right to travel to Europe even for travelers who do not have a stable income and large bank accounts. The number of visa refusals does not depend on the specifics of the funding - sponsored applicants receive visas on the same basis as those who pay their own expenses.

An innovation of the Schengen era, which affected all the countries of the commonwealth, but mostly affected Spain - a sponsorship letter. This is not exactly what it seems when you first become acquainted with this concept, but the essence corresponds to the name. A certain sponsor (or group of sponsors), interested in your visit to a particular country, is ready to help financially make this trip possible, which is confirmed in writing. This letter is required at the stage of obtaining a visa for all tourists who cannot confirm their financial situation that meets the embassy’s requirements for issuing a visa.

And the Spanish Embassy is especially strict about this point. This sunny country, which Russian tourists love to go on vacation, sternly denies a visa to anyone who, in their opinion, does not have enough money to spend it for the benefit of the Spanish economy.

What types of sponsorship letters are there?

There are different sponsors. Consequently, the letters that are submitted on their behalf to the embassy can be of different types.

In the general initial concept, this is a personal statement-promise of a sponsor (individual or legal entity) to provide you with the minimum necessary finances if you do not have a reliable source of income. Usually, to open a Spanish Schengen visa, we are talking about a standardized amount of 1000 euros, which, according to the letter, the traveler can dispose of as if it were his own.

Table. Types of visas and categories of sponsors.

Visa typeSponsor category

For this type of visa, sponsors can only be direct relatives. These include: husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister, official guardians. Children - sons and daughters - act as sponsors only if their parents are pensioners.

This visa can be sponsored not only by relatives, but by any inviter, even those who are not related by blood. They send an official letter indicating that the inviting party assumes responsibility for the guests’ stay in the country. True, in this case this is not 100% sponsorship, since it does not guarantee that the tourist has funds, so there must be free money in his accounts or checks.

In this episode, the sponsor is a company that invites a person not for tourism purposes, but for business negotiations, partnerships, and other business purposes.

The sponsor is the employing company. The letter is drawn up by her manager or HR officer.

An educational institution can act as a sponsor.

Nuances and features

So, the sponsor writes a statement in which the main emphasis is on the full maintenance and provision of the invited party while she is in the territory of another country. This can be either a citizen of another country or a relative living in the country of citizenship of the sponsored tourist; the main requirement is the absolute solvency of the sponsor.

By the way. For a tourist visa in 99 percent of cases it must be a blood relative. From other categories, grandparents or common-law spouses are acceptable. It is worth noting that in this option the probability of visa refusal is higher.

Except for cases in which the sponsor fully pays for travel, stay, food, housing, excursion costs, insurance, the traveler must have free money in his account in the minimum amount, according to the requirements of the European Union (about 60 euros per day).

Who needs a letter

In the Schengen zone, a visa can only be issued to a person who is guaranteed to return to his country and will not remain an illegal immigrant. These are the rules, and one of the guarantees of a tourist’s return to his homeland is that he has a permanent source of income, and therefore a permanent job.

People with a stable income and official work can visit Spain without a sponsorship letter

By the way. A tourist may not work in the service in the literal sense; he may be an entrepreneur, a business owner. In this option, he must have a bank account confirming his financial solvency, or another source of constant income at the proper level.

It turns out that only wealthy people who do not need to work and who can provide the embassy with evidence of their wealth, as well as working people, will not need a sponsorship letter. All other categories of travelers require a sponsorship letter.

  1. Unemployed.
  2. Children under 14 years old.
  3. Students.
  4. Students.
  5. Retired people.
  6. Disabled people.

Typically, any country in the Schengen area is in no hurry to accept tourists who do not have enough funds, but Spain is the leader in the number of visa refusals for Russians who cannot provide a solid source of permanent income.

A sponsorship letter provides an opportunity to visit the dream country of Russian tourists without being employed.

The Spaniards are a generous and hospitable nation, but before giving a foreigner a visa, they must be sure that the tourist does not intend to stay in their country or in the Schengen area as an illegal immigrant, but is determined to return to his homeland, where he has a good legal Job. At the same time, they want the tourist to leave as much money as possible in their country, therefore, even in the absence of work, but with sufficient funds, a foreigner can go to Spain on vacation.

What can convince the consular officer that you can be issued a Spanish Schengen visa.

  1. Salary certificate. It must be at least 500 euros per month.
  2. Certificate of other income, which amounts to 56 euros per day of expected stay in Spain, plus a salary of 15,000 Russian rubles.
  3. Bank account statement for at least 1000 euros of free deposit funds.

By the way. If the applicant’s salary is less than 15,000 rubles, but he has a valid permanent bank account, you can present an extract from it, and then there is no need to issue a sponsorship letter.

If the visa applicant cannot provide any of these, the only option left is sponsorship.

How to write

In fact, there are no strict forms, forms or samples for writing a sponsor’s letter to the Spanish Embassy. It is drawn up in a non-standard form, and the main thing is that the document contains the following obligations.

  1. Coverage of transportation costs.
  2. Covering living expenses.
  3. Medical insurance reimbursement.
  4. Covering food costs.
  5. Payment for excursion and other tourist services (guide translator, etc.).

Sponsorship letter, sample

However, the following points are required when registering:

  • country of travel;
  • travel date;
  • travel duration;
  • return date;
  • degree of relationship between the sponsored person and his sponsor (for a tourist visa);
  • relationships (business, business) for a business visa;
  • passport scans (photocopies) of the sponsor and applicant;
  • confirmation of the financial viability of the sponsor.

Important! The document will have to be notarized only if the sponsor and the traveler are not direct relatives. Certification is also required if the sponsored person is a minor.

The following documents are attached to the letter:

  • sponsor's salary certificate (original);
  • statement from his bank account (original);
  • passport, photocopy of pages containing personal data and registration information;
  • a photocopy of a document indicating the existence of a blood relationship between the protector and the applicant.

Italy, Germany, France and other Schengen countries have long banned the issuance of visas to persons whose sponsors are not their blood relatives. That is, if the applicant does not work, and his sponsor is a friend or common-law spouse, he has no chance of getting a visa. You can try to apply for a visa at the Spanish Embassy, ​​since this country has not officially prohibited the issuance of Schengen visas based on letters of sponsorship from other persons who are not related by blood to the applicant. But to increase the likelihood of issuance, it is better to immediately write a sponsorship letter in English and have it notarized.

Advice. To increase the chances of not paying extra money for translation and certification of a letter, it is better to invite the sponsor to deposit money into the applicant’s bank account and take a statement from it. But you need to be careful, sometimes the embassy requires an extract for the last few months with mandatory details of the movement of funds.

In addition to confirming the status and financial situation of the sponsor, it is necessary to confirm the status and financial situation of the applicant. To do this you will need the following (any of them, depending on the situation):

  • internal passport - copy;
  • pensioner's certificate - copy;
  • Disabled person's certificate - copy;
  • certificate from the dean's office for students - original;
  • student ticket - copy;
  • a copy of the marriage certificate and the child’s birth document.

The relationship between the sponsor and the sponsored traveler is confirmed by:

  • copies of passports;
  • birth certificates;
  • documents confirming marriage;
  • custody decisions;
  • trustee documents.

What is needed to unconditionally confirm the sponsor’s welfare. The best option is a certificate from work, which was taken no earlier than thirty days before submitting the package of documents for a visa. The salary amount is indicated for the last three months on a monthly and cumulative basis. The document bears a round seal and the signature of the manager and chief accountant. The sponsor's work experience and position, full address and company details are indicated.

In addition to a certificate from work, an extract from the sponsor's bank account can be used, which also has a statute of limitations - it is taken no earlier than three months before applying for a visa. The account must be a deposit account in the name of the author of the sponsorship letter.

In some cases, consular officers may be satisfied with the presence of traveler's checks, especially if they are worth more than 1,000 euros.

By the way. One sponsorship letter, if there are sufficient funds, can be written for several travelers. For example, these could be children, or a spouse and child (several children), or members of an organization, a group of employees sponsored by an employer, student participants in a program, and so on.

Approximate sample

Free form is not the best option. It is easy to forget to include any information, which is why the letter may not be accepted or may be considered an insufficient basis for issuing a visa. It is better to write it using the following sample.

  1. I, full name, date of birth, passport details, including its series and number, date of issue, expiration date, place of registration, am the sponsor.
  2. Sponsored persons - a list of full names, with passport details or birth certificates, if these are children.
  3. Country of stay, length of stay, departure and return dates.
  4. The following documents are attached to the letter - a list.
  5. Date and personal signature.

In the appendices to the document: financial papers, statements, certificates of income, salary, certificate of individual entrepreneur and so on.

By the way. It is necessary to take into account that the employee has the right to demand additional documents confirming the information you have stated, so there should be no doubt about its reliability.

Also, consular officers can change the rules for submitting a sponsorship letter at their discretion, setting time limits. Before asking the sponsor to issue a letter, check with the consulate or on the website for current requirements for its content and form.

Video – Sponsorship letter, motivation letter and other questions

Sponsorship letter- an official statement in which a certain person voluntarily undertakes to provide financial support for the foreign trip of one of his relatives (in the event that this relative is not able to independently pay for his future trip).

A sponsorship letter is not necessary in all cases, but only in some special circumstances.

It will have to be issued if you plan to travel to one of the Schengen countries, but do not work and do not have a significant amount of money in your bank account.

Who needs a sponsorship letter?

List of persons who, in addition to other required documents, will need to provide a sponsorship letter in order to obtain an exit visa:

  • adult citizens who are temporarily unemployed and cannot present an extract from their personal account, thus confirming their financial solvency;
  • housewives those who are supported by a spouse and are not officially employed anywhere;
  • students universities, institutes, colleges, schools and other educational institutions that do not have a permanent place of work;
  • disabled citizens(for example, disabled people);
  • non-working pensioners.

As a rule, all these categories of citizens are not able to provide proof of their employment, as well as prove the presence of a significant amount of money in their account.

All these people, if they want to apply for a Schengen visa of a particular state, will have to ask one of their relatives or friends to issue a sponsorship letter.

In the event that you do not officially work anywhere, but have your own account in any bank that contains a considerable amount of money, it will be enough to present only an extract from this account.

Registration of sponsorship orders in such cases is not required. The main thing is that you are sufficiently wealthy and can pay for your trip and all travel-related expenses yourself.

Who can become a sponsor?

It is very important to choose the right person who can vouch for you. Not just anyone can act as such a sponsor.

It is best if it is one of your closest relatives (for example, father, mother, husband, wife, son, etc.), with whom you can document the relationship.

Such a document could be a birth or marriage certificate.

Many Schengen embassies allow the possibility of a sponsorship letter being issued by a person who is not related to the applicant.

Any solvent citizen of the Russian Federation can be a sponsor.

The main thing is that he has a permanent place of work and can document guarantees that he assumes all financial responsibility associated with your trip.

Such expenses include the cost of hotel accommodation, food, excursion services, transportation, etc.

For example, your civil partner may act as a sponsor if you have not formalized your relationship, as well as the organization where you work, or the host party (for example, in the case of a business trip or study trip).

It is worth noting that the diplomatic missions of some states take a very strict approach to the issue of issuing such a guarantee, in particular, to the selection of those persons who can act as sponsors.

In some cases, there is a possibility of refusal if your sponsor is not a relative, but some other person.

But there are also those embassies that do not pay special attention to this point.

All these nuances depend on the state where you are going, as well as on the destination of the trip.

A sponsorship letter is allowed to be drawn up and written without any clear order, in any form, no special form is required. It is extremely important that its content contains facts indicating the relationship between the sponsor and the applicant.

In addition, this document must certainly indicate the dates of the planned trip, the place of visit, as well as the sponsor’s passport details and other personal information.

Usually the text of the sponsorship letter is written in Russian, but the embassies of some countries require that it be written in English.

As a rule, there is no need to notarize a sponsorship guarantee, but if the sponsor is not your relative, but some other person, it is still better to have the document certified by a notary.

Today, many people who often receive short-term Schengen visas know from their own experience that for peace of mind it is worth obtaining notarization in advance - this increases the chances of receiving a visa.

One letter of sponsorship can be issued to several of your relatives at once. For example, if you are traveling with a large family, and only one of you has a permanent high income, this person can write one sponsorship certificate for all participants in the trip.

Sample sponsorship letter for Schengen visa 2020

To make it easier for you to compose a sponsorship letter, we offer you two samples of such documents (in Russian and English). Despite the fact that such papers can be drawn up in free form, there are still certain rules for their preparation.

Example of a sponsorship letter in Russian

I, Petrov Petrovich, (date of birth, passport number and series, registration address), am the sponsor of the trip and with this statement I guarantee payment of all expenses associated with the stay of my wife Olga Ivanovna Petrova (date of birth, passport number and series, registration address) on the territory of the Czech Republic and the Schengen countries in the period from 10/12/2018 to 10/25/2018. Date, signature.

The template and sample filling can be downloaded from the links:

Sponsorship letter in English

I, Petrov Petr Petrovich, holding passport №…, date of issue: 2.10.14, issued at Police Department of Moscow City. I take over liability regarding all trip financial expenditures of my wife Petrova Olga Ivanovna (passport No. 364578) for the trip to France during the period since 10/12/2018 till 10/25/2018. I understand that the above statement made by me are true and correct. PetrovPetrPetrovich, 10/1/2018.

As a rule, the embassy of each Schengen country independently establishes the procedure for issuing a sponsorship letter.

You can check any details and details (for example, the language of the document) at the diplomatic mission of the state where you are going, as well as on the official website of this embassy.

List of documents for the sponsorship letter

In addition to the letter itself, you will have to collect a number of certain documents that must be presented to the diplomatic mission.

All these documents should guarantee the financial stability of the sponsor and his readiness, if necessary, to incur some expenses associated with the upcoming trip:

  1. Photocopy of the sponsor's general passport

    Typically, you only need to provide a copy of the first page of your passport information. If the person playing the role of sponsor also has a foreign passport, a copy of it can also be presented along with other papers.

  2. Certificate from place of work

    It must certainly be issued on company letterhead. This document must indicate the position currently held by the sponsor, the contact telephone number of the head of the organization, the signature of the chief accountant or general director, and a seal.

    There is no need to order a certificate in advance; it is better to do it immediately before visiting the embassy, ​​since the certificate must be current and valid.

    Sponsors who are registered as individual entrepreneurs, instead of this document, can present a copy of the entrepreneur’s registration certificate and a copy of the certificate of registration with the tax authorities.

  3. One of the documents confirming the financial solvency of the sponsor:
    • Certificate of sponsor's salary

      Each embassy independently sets the amount of the required salary for the person acting as a sponsor (as a rule, this amount should be at least 500-700 euros). The certificate must be received no earlier than 30 days before the documents are submitted to the embassy.

      If the sponsor and the applicant are relatives, when applying for a visa, provide documents confirming the relationship to the embassy.

    • Certificate (or statement) about the state of the sponsor’s personal bank account

      It is advisable that this certificate indicate not only the amount of funds in the account, but also the movement of money over the past three months.

      The certificate must also be current - it must be received no earlier than a month before visiting the embassy to obtain a visa.

This is a general list of requirements and necessary documents that should be provided to the diplomatic mission.

It should be noted that each embassy has the right to establish its own rules and additional requirements for the preparation of a sponsorship letter.

Before asking one of your relatives to draw up such a guarantee for you, check all the details on the website of the relevant embassy or contact its representatives by phone.

How to fill out a letter correctly

The letter must contain guarantees of the solvency of the person who decided to visit the country. A letter is required if the tourist does not have enough funds in his bank account. The covering letter is issued by close relatives; this is documentary evidence of their willingness to bear the costs associated with the trip. Costs include the following:

  • Transport costs.
  • Excursion guide services.
  • Accommodation.
  • If necessary, medical services.

Citizens who need to receive a sponsorship letter

1. . Their sponsors are their parents, grandparents. It is also possible for adult siblings to sign the document.

2. . Similar persons act as guarantors.

3. Spouses. The husband can write a letter for his wife, and the wife for her husband.

4. Persons of retirement age. Their sponsors can be children who have reached the age of majority.

5. Disabled people. The sponsors are the same persons as in the case of students.

6. Unemployed people.

A child flying to the country with one of the parents is not required to issue a letter from the sponsor. If you have unofficial income or your level of solvency is low, you must also receive this document. At the consulate you can clarify the required income level. As a rule, this amount is about 500 euros per month. If your travel is purely for business purposes, all travel expenses will be reimbursed by the employer party. If you want to visit the country, but do not work, you can show the amount in your account and the flow of funds; the statement is certified by a banking organization. In this case, you do not need to issue a sponsorship letter for a visa to Spain in 2020.

Please note: persons who are not related by blood to the tourist, spouses who are in an unofficial marriage, can act as a sponsor, but such a document is sometimes not accepted at the consulate.

Who can be a sponsor?

The best option is a close relative. In addition, the letter may be written by a legal guardian or trustee. It is difficult to find an exact sample of a document, since it is drawn up in any form. Documentation that confirms the relationship (for example, a birth certificate) must be attached to the letter.

The sponsor can also be another person who has Russian citizenship (for example, a common-law spouse). However, such documents are often not accepted. The letter must be notarized.

Formatting a letter

A sponsorship letter is a statement that is drawn up in any form on behalf of your relative. In it, the applicant indicates that he is ready to bear the material costs of your trip (travel expenses, food, housing, leisure, and so on).

The document is issued if the tourist does not have one, if the traveler has not reached the age of majority or is a pensioner, and therefore cannot pay for his visit himself.

List of documents

In addition to the main letter, it is necessary to confirm the solvency of the sponsor. These include the following:

1. Sponsor's passport, photocopies of its pages with a photograph and place of registration.

2. A document confirming the existence of a family relationship between two persons, which is certified by a notary.

3. If individuals have different surnames, you will also need to provide a document confirming the change of surname (for example, a marriage certificate).

4. Certificate from the place of employment. There must be a stamp on it, in addition, the document indicates the amount of the guarantor’s salary. The document must be issued a maximum of 30 days before registration; if it is issued earlier, it is considered invalid. The sponsor's minimum salary must be 500 euros. The certificate specifies the position of the guarantor, the telephone number of the head of the organization and accountant, and the location of the company. If the sponsor has an official place of work, there will be no difficulties in obtaining such a document; it can be completed in one day.

If the guarantor is a secured person, it is necessary to provide documentation from the banking organization, which confirms that there is a sum of money in the account sufficient to support the tourist. For example, a sponsor may undertake to pay the expenses of two travelers for a week's stay in the country. The minimum amount per tourist per day is 90 euros, the subsistence minimum for 9 days is 810 euros. This means that the bank statement for two people must show an amount of at least 1,620 euros.

Official papers, except for passport and bank information, must be translated into English or Spanish. To do this, it is better to contact a professional translator.

Step-by-step instructions for writing a letter

You can write the document by hand or print it. The letter states the following:

1. Passport details of the guarantor, including series and number.

2. His residential address.

3. Phone number and email.

4. Date of birth of the tourist who comes to Spain.

5. The nature of the relationship between the two parties.

There is no exact form of the official paper, so it can be submitted in any form, but it is important to indicate all of the above information.

Helpful information

If you are temporarily unemployed, but you have enough savings in a banking organization, simply provide an extract from it. In this case, it is not necessary to write a letter.

If you book a trip to Spain with a travel agency and draw up a sponsorship document yourself, the resulting trip will act as proof of your solvency. In such a situation, you do not need to present a bank account statement; you just need to issue a letter from the sponsor.

The document can indicate several travelers for whom you take responsibility.

A person who is not a close blood relative to you can also prepare this documentation, but in this case the chances are significantly reduced. There is a way out of this situation: the sponsor just needs to place his funds in your bank account. After this, all you have to do is receive a bank statement, which will confirm your solvency.

For persons under the age of majority, documents confirming blood relationship must be certified by a notary. Above you can see a sample sponsorship letter, but this is an approximate version. You are required to provide the exact details of your Russian passport, but you are allowed to provide the series and number of your foreign document. If a tourist plans to visit several countries that are part of the Schengen zone, it is recommended to indicate a complete list of such countries. Please note that all documents for obtaining a Schengen visa to Spain in 2020 should be completed in advance: refusals, return of official papers, and other unforeseen circumstances are always possible. You can complete the documentation yourself or with the help of a visa center; in the latter case, you will save time and the procedure will be much simpler.

Thus, a sponsorship letter is an important document, most often from a close relative, which confirms that all expenses for maintaining the traveler will be paid by this person.

A sponsorship letter must be provided. This unspoken rule applies to travelers who are planning a trip to most developed countries, including Spain.

When is a sponsorship letter needed?

It is worth noting that such a document will definitely be required from those people who could not pay for their trip on their own:

  1. If you are going to work in Spain and have already found an employer who is interested in your arrival.
  2. If you are unemployed at the time of submitting your visa application or have insufficient funds in your bank account. A sponsorship letter can also be written by a non-Spanish citizen. This applies to cases where people travel with large families, and one of them has sufficient income or funds in the bank. Usually this person writes a sponsorship letter to his wife and, for example, adult children.
  3. If you are going to study at any educational institution in Spain.
  4. If you are undergoing treatment in this country.
  5. If you are sending a child abroad and he is under 14 years of age at the time of submitting the application.

Who can write you a sponsorship letter?

  1. A close relative (spouse, child if you are a pensioner, sibling).
  2. Officially appointed guardian.
  3. Any person, even a non-blood relative.

Important! At the consulate, you can provide a document from your common-law husband or wife, but in this case there is a very high percentage of refusal by visa officers.

Documents for obtaining a visa to Spain and the procedure for laying out documents

Basic rules for writing a sponsorship letter

  1. The person who is processing it must assure the consulate staff that you have enough funds for living. Otherwise, he is obliged to guarantee financial guardianship over you.
  2. Also, the sponsorship letter should indicate that your mandatory plans are to return to your homeland and, accordingly, leave the territory of Spain.
  3. The sponsor must provide passport and contact information on his own behalf.
  4. The letter must fully prove the relationship between him and the person who plans to enter Spain. Naturally, this does not apply to guest and business Schengen visas.
  5. The sponsor must also provide the date of the proposed trip. Additionally, it is worth clarifying the country of residence.

Design nuances

There are no strict requirements regarding formatting: the sponsorship letter is written in any order.

Important! Such a plan does not require notarization, but this can be done for greater certainty.

  1. If the author of the sponsorship letter is not your relative, certification by a notary is required.
  2. It is better to draw up the document in Spanish, however, consulate officials allow Russian-language texts to be accepted.
  3. If a letter is translated, it must be certified with an apostille by a professional translator.
  4. Before applying to the consulate for a visa, please read the latest amendments to the procedure for drawing up a sponsorship letter, if any. They are usually published on the official website of the department.
  5. You should not be guided solely by the rules for drawing up a document from the point of view of a Schengen visa. Please remember that each country has the right to make its own amendments to this procedure.

Important! Requirements regarding the minimum salary of a sponsor vary in each country in proportion to its level of development. Thus, for Spain the calculated amount is no less than 700 euros.

Video - How to apply for a Schengen visa according to the new rules

Should I attach any documents?

It is considered invalid without the following list, which includes:

  1. A copy of the sponsor's passport. A note indicating your current place of residence must be copied.
  2. A copy of your birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc. This document must confirm the relationship between you and the writer of the letter.
  3. Certificate from the latter’s place of work or about the status of his current account. The relevance of this certificate is important, that is, it must be issued no earlier than a month before submitting the entire package of documents.

Important! If you enclose a certificate about the amount of funds in the account, take care to also provide information about the movement of funds. Data must be provided for the last 90 days.

The main mistakes when writing a sponsorship letter

It is necessary to approach this issue extremely responsibly, since after each refusal the chances of obtaining a visa to Spain are significantly reduced.

This may concern seemingly harmless inaccuracies:

  1. Write to the point. On average, the length of a sponsorship letter does not exceed ten lines. The visa officer wants to see only the information that is officially required.
  2. Keep the sheet neat. This is the seriousness of your intentions regarding the upcoming trip.
  3. Consult your sponsor in a timely manner. According to the norms, he must be involved not only in directly signing the document, but also in drafting it. Make sure that in addition to proof of family ties, the letter mentions the date and place of travel.
  4. Do not bring expired documents. Only a letter written one month before submitting documents to the visa center is considered valid.

Answers to frequently asked questions

In general, drafting a sponsorship letter is not particularly difficult if you really have a wealthy sponsor in Spain.

QuestionAnswer
What document must be attached if the sponsor is a private entrepreneur?This may be a certificate from the Spanish tax authorities or a certificate of registration of an entrepreneur. In both cases, only copies are required
What should a sponsor's employment certificate look like?The main requirement is the signature of the general director and chief accountant, as well as a unique seal of the enterprise. Important requirements also include issuing the certificate in the company’s corporate style. Employees of well-known corporations should pay special attention to this.
Can I scan documents?There are no official prohibitions regarding this, however, documents sent by mail are more reliable