Visa invitation letters

Spain is part of the Schengen area. Whether you need a visa to attend SMACD 2027 depends on the passport you travel with, and is set for the whole area by the EU visa list (Regulation (EU) 2018/1806). Type your nationality below for a quick answer.

No visa needed

• EU, EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Swiss citizens: just bring your passport or national identity card.
• Holders of a valid residence permit or long-stay visa issued by a Schengen country can travel to Spain with it and their passport.
• Nationals of the countries below can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Your passport must be valid for at least three months after you leave the Schengen area and have been issued within the last ten years.

Before you travel, check ETIAS. The EU’s new travel authorisation for visa-free visitors is due to start operating before the conference. Once it does, you will need to apply online before your trip; most applications are approved within minutes. At the border, the new Entry/Exit System records your fingerprints and photo instead of stamping your passport. See the official ETIAS website for the current status.

Visa needed

Nationals of the countries below need a Schengen short-stay visa (type C) to attend the conference.

• Where: at the Spanish embassy or consulate (or its visa application centre) in the country where you live. If Spain is not your main destination in the Schengen area, apply to the country where you will spend most of your time.
• When: you can apply up to six months before your trip and no later than 15 days before. Consulates usually decide within 15 days, but it can take up to 45, and appointments in June book up early. Apply as soon as you have your registration; authors can start right after the notification of acceptance on 9 April 2027.
• What you usually need: passport, the application form, a photo, travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 cover, proof of accommodation and of return travel, proof of means, the visa fee, and our invitation letter with your registration confirmation. Your consulate’s website has the exact list.

Invitation letter

Once you have registered, we can send you an official letter of invitation for your visa application. Email info@smacd-conference.org with:

• your full name exactly as it appears in your passport;
• nationality, passport number, and the passport’s date of issue and expiry;
• date of birth;
• affiliation and position;
• your registration confirmation and, if you are an author, your paper ID and title;
• the postal address the letter should go to, if your consulate asks for a signed original.

The letter confirms your participation in SMACD 2027. It does not commit the organizers to any expenses, and it does not guarantee a visa: the decision is the consulate’s alone, and we cannot intervene in it.

Visa rules change from time to time. This page follows the EU visa list as consolidated on 30 December 2025 (Regulation (EU) 2018/1806); the Spanish embassy or consulate in your country has the final word.