It is a case of more red tape and although it is not a legal requirement it can save time and heartache at immigration. A document is now available from police which allows you to officially invite someone to visit. It is basically aimed at those people who are not travelling with a tour company or have a hotel or holiday apartment reservation. Most travellers have dismissed this latest document as another case of more red tape to travel to Spain.
What you need to invite someone to visit you in Spain, yet more red tape (Part 2)!
Document is available from the police
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I note that the sample carta de invitación is from a ministerial law dated March 2007 !
Johnny CCorrect. It wasn’t sufficient when I had to apply for a carta de invitación for someone from afar a number of years ago on the mainland, they wanted to see the actual deeds! However that may well have changed now,
SaraUnderstood. FYI, a nota simple from registro de la propiedad shows details of the property and ownership on just one page.
Johnny CBanks and authorities aren’t the same thing. The latter want to see original documents not scans. At least here in Spain. And imagine having to scan your property deeds to show that you are the owner of the property where your guest will be staying. Mine are pages and pages…..!
SaraIt should still be possible to fill out the form online and, simultaneously, upload the required documents. I have just opened another bank account because it pays interest on your balance and that was done totally online including the upload of the required documents so it's not that the technology doesn't exist.
Johnny CFor some reason this site won’t let me add the link to the document. But you can find it under Ministerio del Interior / Carta de Invitación.
Johnny CBut you can’t upload it after completing it. It has to be taken to the national police hq with the required documents, just like applying for a residence permit.
Johnny CIt is: https://www.interior.gob.es/opencms/pdf/servicios-al-ciudadano/extranjeria/regimen-general/carta-de-invitacion/Solicitud-de-Carta-Invitacion.pdf
If this document were to be compulsory, then why would it not be available online for people to fill out and download? All required documents could be uploaded as on many websites - e.g. banks, they do this for opening an account.
Lisa, the term used is that it’s “not essential”, which has a slightly different meaning to “not obligatory”. The former means that the person behind the desk could, if they felt like it, ask you to show it to them. The latter makes that more difficult. They normally never ask for it if the traveller arrives on a European flight. Those arriving from other parts of the world are subjected to more scrutiny.