Visa Applicants Information

Information importante – Visa national / Regroupement familial

We inform our valued clients that, as of now, the visa application center no longer handles the reception of national visa applications for family reunification.

Applicants wishing to submit this type of application must send an email to cog.oran.res@maec.es in order to request an appointment to submit their application directly at the Consulate.

However, applicants who already have a confirmed appointment at the center may submit their application on the scheduled date and time.

Thank you for your understanding.

Important information regarding visa applications – Oran Center

We inform all visa applicants under the jurisdiction of the Oran Center that, for any application submitted under the Oran 2, Oran 3, and Oran 4 categories, it will be mandatory as of February 1, 2026 to submit documentation related to the previous passport when the most recent visa justifying eligibility for the requested category does not appear in the current passport.

In this specific case, the applicant must provide a full copy of the previous passport, including a copy of the last Schengen visa issued by Spain that is subject to renewal.

Failure to provide these documents may result in the refusal of the visa application by the Consulate.

Applicants are invited to carefully verify the compliance of their application file before presenting themselves at the center.

We thank you for your understanding.

Submission Center – Oran

We would like to inform our valued applicants that, as of 1 January 2026, the most recent Schengen visa taken into consideration for making appointments for categories Oran 2, Oran 3 and Oran 4 (visa renewal) must have been issued by Spain as from 1 January 2021.

Those who have obtained a Schengen visa issued by another Schengen country must make an appointment under the Oran 1 category.

The categories of Schengen appointments in force from 1 January 2026 are:

• ORAN 1: Never had a Schengen visa issued by Spain, or visa issued before 1 January 2021
• ORAN 2: Schengen visa issued by Spain as from 1 January 2021, valid for less than 6 months
• ORAN 3: Schengen visa issued by Spain as from 1 January 2021, valid for between 6 months and less than 2 years
• ORAN 4: Schengen visa issued by Spain as from 01/01/2021, valid for 2 years or more

1. Walk-in Submission – Eligible Categories from August 1, 2025

The following applicants may submit their visa requests without an appointment:

• Holders of a Schengen visa issued by Spain after January 1, 2022, with a validity of 2 years or more.
• Parents and in-laws (father/mother only) of Spanish citizens residing in Spain, from June 22, 2025, upon presenting the following documents:
  • Passport or DNI of the Spanish citizen (child),
  • Birth certificate or family record proving the relationship (legalized + translated),
  • Marriage certificate or proof of relationship for in-laws,
  • Invitation letter issued by the Spanish police (dated within 3 months),
  • Applicant’s passport.
• Algerian university personnel (teachers, researchers, PhD students, etc.) invited for a short professional stay:
  • Invitation letter from a Spanish university (dated within 3 months),
  • Proof of employment or university enrollment certificate (dated within 3 months),
  • Internship or training certificate,
  • Passport.
    Important: Family members of these applicants must book an appointment via the BLS website.

2. New Criteria for Civil Status Documents – From August 1, 2025

All civil status documents (birth, marriage, death certificates, family booklet...) must be:

• Legalized by the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
• Translated into Spanish if written in another language.

3. National Visa – Studies and Family Reunification

From July 20, 2025, national visa applications for studies or family reunification (general regime) will be submitted exclusively at the Oran center.

• Appointments available daily at 8 p.m. from July 5, 2025.
• The appointment type must exactly match the nature of the application.
• No exceptions will be made.

4. Schengen Appointment Categorization – Effective November 1, 2024

Appointments will be categorized based on the last Schengen visa obtained:

• ORAN 1: Never had a Schengen visa, or visa issued before 2020
• ORAN 2: Visa issued after 01/01/2020, valid < 6 months
• ORAN 3: Visa issued after 01/01/2020, valid between 6 months and < 2 years
• ORAN 4: Visa issued after 01/01/2020, valid 2 years or more

A copy of the last visa is mandatory for ORAN 2, 3 and 4.

Important: Choosing the wrong category will result in denied entry without refund.

5. Family Appointment Booking

• An appointment is mandatory for each child under 12.
• It is possible to book for up to 8 members of the same family.

Exception – Oran center only:

Parents holding a valid Spanish visa of more than 3 months can submit visa requests for their minor children (under 18) without an appointment.

6. Appointment Booking Modifications via BLS – From April 6, 2025

Email booking with the consulate will be discontinued for some categories.

Requests must be made exclusively through the BLS website by selecting category ORAN 4, particularly for:

• Extended family members of Spanish or EU citizens (grandparents, adult children, nephews, etc.)
• Family members of third-country nationals legally residing in Spain Required documents:
• TIE or DNI of the inviting person,
• Civil status document legalized by Algerian MFA and translated,
• Invitation letter from Spanish police (dated within 3 months),
• Applicant’s passport.

7. Daily Online Release of New Time Slots

From Saturday, September 7, 2024, new appointment slots will be opened daily at 8 p.m. on the BLS website for the Oran center.