Jurisdiction — is Beijing your consulate?
If your hukou or residence permit is registered in any of the following, you apply in the Beijing jurisdiction:
BeijingTianjinChongqingGansuHebeiHeilongjiangHenanHubeiJilinLiaoningQinghaiShanxiShaanxiShandongSichuanInner MongoliaNingxia HuiXinjiangTibet
Students currently enrolled at a Chinese university in the Beijing jurisdiction may be able to use their student ID in place of hukou when applying at a BLS centre near their place of study. Check the BLS website for current rules.
BLS centres — where to apply
Seven BLS centres serve the Beijing jurisdiction. Walk-in appointments (no advance booking needed) are accepted at all centres except Beijing main. For Beijing main, book in advance at spain.blscn.cn.
| City | Walk-in? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Booking required | Book at spain.blscn.cn |
| Chengdu | ✓ Walk-in accepted | Sichuan applicants |
| Xi'an | ✓ Walk-in accepted | Shaanxi applicants |
| Shenyang | ✓ Walk-in accepted | Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang |
| Chongqing | ✓ Walk-in accepted | Chongqing municipality |
| Jinan | ✓ Walk-in accepted | Shandong applicants |
| Wuhan | ✓ Walk-in accepted | Hubei applicants |
Required documents
All Chinese-language documents must go through the authentication chain: notarise (公证) → MFA legalise (外交部认证) → sworn Spanish translation. Do this in order. Documents in other foreign languages also need a sworn Spanish translation.
1
Visa application form
Download from the consulate website or complete through BLS. Attach one recent passport photo — white background, full face, no glasses. Complete all sections in full. Sign and date.
2
Passport
Valid for the entire planned stay in Spain. Original plus one photocopy of the biographic data page. Minimum two blank pages.
3
School acceptance letter
From your Instituto Cervantes accredited school in Spain. Original or digitally signed. Must state: exact course start and end dates, tuition value, minimum 20 weekly classroom hours, and Instituto Cervantes accreditation for language courses.
All schools on this site are Cervantes accredited. Enrol and save €500 →
4
Proof of financial means
Minimum €600/month for your full stay. Chinese bank statements (last 3 months) — must be notarised + MFA legalised + sworn Spanish translation. Also include payslips or proof of income/savings as applicable. If sponsored by a family member, include a notarised letter of financial support plus their financial documents.
⚠️ Raw bank statements from Chinese banks are not accepted. They must go through the full notarise → MFA legalise → translate chain before submission.
5
Health insurance
From a DGSFP-authorised Spanish insurer. Full coverage, no copayments, no waiting periods. Must cover your full stay. Travel insurance is not accepted.
Verify any insurer at rrpp.dgsfp.mineco.es. BLS China links to dedicated providers for long-stay China applicants. We also partner with Atlántida — get a quote →
6
Criminal record check Stays over 180 days
For courses over 180 days. Covering the last 2 years. Obtained from your local Public Security Bureau Exit-Entry Administration (公安局出入境管理部门). Must be notarised + MFA legalised + sworn Spanish translation. If you have lived outside China for part of the past 2 years, provide checks from those countries too (apostilled if applicable, or equivalent legalisation).
Beijing applicants: the Beijing Municipal Government maintains a list of PSB offices that handle criminal record certificates — see english.beijing.gov.cn under "Criminal Record Inquiries". You must have resided in China for at least 180 days for the certificate to be issued.
7
Medical certificate Stays over 180 days
For courses over 180 days. From a licensed doctor. Must certify you do not suffer from diseases with serious public health repercussions under IHR 2005. Must be notarised and appropriately authenticated. Check the BLS Beijing checklist for exact format.
8
Proof of residence in jurisdiction
Your household registration (户口本) or Chinese residence permit (居住证) showing your registered address is within the Beijing jurisdiction. Students may use a valid student ID from an institution within the jurisdiction.
9
Proof of marital status for minors travelling with only one parent
For minors: a notarised kinship certificate and guardianship certificate, legalised by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is required regardless of whether the minor travels with one or both parents.
The MFA legalisation process — step by step
1
Obtain the original Chinese document
Bank statements, criminal record certificate, household registration copy, medical certificate etc. — all from the issuing authority.
2
Notarise (公证) at a Chinese notary office
Take the original to a 公证处 (gongzhengchu). They will verify and stamp the document. Keep the notarised copy — this is what gets legalised next.
⏰ Allow 1–5 working days per document
3
MFA legalisation (外交部认证)
Submit the notarised document to the Consular Affairs Department of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外交部领事司). This can be done in person in Beijing or Shanghai, or through authorised agents. This is the Chinese equivalent of an apostille for international use.
⏰ Allow 3–10 working days
4
Sworn Spanish translation
Have the MFA-legalised document translated into Spanish by a sworn translator registered on the Spanish consulate's official list. The translation must accompany the original legalised document.
⏰ Allow 3–7 working days per document
5
Book BLS appointment and submit
Book at spain.blscn.cn (Beijing) or walk in at an outlying centre. Bring originals and copies of all documents. Pay the consular fee plus BLS service fee on the day.
Frequently asked questions
I live in Chengdu (Sichuan) — do I need to go to Beijing? +
No. Sichuan province falls under the Beijing consular jurisdiction, but you apply at the BLS centre in Chengdu — not in Beijing itself. Walk-in applications are accepted at Chengdu without an advance appointment. The same applies for all other outlying centres (Xi'an, Shenyang, Chongqing, Jinan, Wuhan).
China joined the Hague Convention in 2023 — can I apostille my documents now? +
China's accession to the Hague Apostille Convention came into effect in November 2023, and in principle apostilles should now be available for Chinese documents. However, for Spanish consular purposes in China, always verify the current accepted method directly with BLS or the consulate before your appointment — guidance may have been updated since this was written.
How long will my application take from Beijing? +
Allow 3–4 months total. The MFA legalisation chain takes 2–4 weeks; consulate processing is 1 month minimum plus Madrid authorisation time; BLS appointment slots can be limited in peak season (August–October). Start your application at least 3 months before your course begins and don't book non-refundable flights until you have the visa physically in hand.
I need the criminal record check but haven't lived in China for 180 days — what do I do? +
Chinese PSB offices will only issue a criminal record certificate for foreigners who have resided in China for at least 180 days. If you haven't met this threshold, you will need to provide a criminal record check from your previous country of residence instead, authenticated through that country's standard process (apostille or equivalent).