One simple fact shapes everyone's plan: Spain has a single mission in Iran, and it is in Tehran. There is no Spanish consulate in Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz or anywhere else. So if you live in one of those cities, travelling to Tehran is part of the process — and the whole skill is making that one trip rather than four.
First: the appointment is free
Spain's visa application centre in Iran is run by BLS International, and appointments are booked only through that centre's official website. Booking costs nothing.
Read that twice, because the market is full of people charging for "urgent" and "guaranteed" appointments. Appointments are scarce, and that scarcity is real — but money paid for the appointment itself is money you did not need to spend.
The centre accepts both short-stay Schengen visas and the national long-stay categories: study, self-employed work, investor, entrepreneur, non-lucrative residence, digital nomad and family reunification.
What you finish in your own city
A large part of the file has nothing to do with Tehran:
- Original documents — civil records, marriage certificate, diplomas, insurance history, company papers. All from the issuing office where you are.
- Sworn translation — court-certified translators work in Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz and Tabriz. You do not travel for this.
- Police clearance certificate — available nationwide.
- Financial evidence — statements and proof of means from your own branch.
The order of these steps matters, and getting it wrong means starting over. The full chain is in our guide to legalising Iranian documents for Spain.
What genuinely has to happen in Tehran
- Submission and biometrics at the BLS centre.
- Final certification of documents at the Spanish embassy — the last link in the legalisation chain.
That is the list. Most other things you are told "must be done in Tehran" usually mean the person telling you has an office in Tehran.
How to make it a single trip
| Before you book the flight | Why |
|---|---|
| Every document translated and certified | One missing page means a second trip |
| BLS appointment booked, date confirmed | Appointments are not transferable |
| Residence route already chosen | Each route needs different documents |
| Forms completed and checked | An error on the form means rejection at the counter |
The largest cost for applicants outside Tehran is not the consular fee — it is repeated travel. Two round trips from Mashhad or Shiraz, with accommodation and time off work, exceed the professional fee for a good deal of this work.
Do not leave the route choice until last
This is the most common mistake we see: documents are gathered, tickets are bought, and only in Tehran does it emerge that the chosen route does not match the applicant's real situation.
Every route has its own document list. Read our comparison of Spanish residence routes before collecting documents, not after. And if your goal is to work and stay, why self-employment is the cheapest route is probably the most useful thing you will read this year.
Where we come in
We are in Madrid, not Tehran — and that is the point. Our work is the Spanish side: choosing the route, building a file the Spanish authorities will accept, the business plan, and everything after arrival. You gather documents in your own city, we tell you exactly which ones and in what order, and you travel to Tehran once to submit.
Get in touch and tell us which city you are in and what you already have. You will leave the first conversation with the exact list and the order to do it in.
This page is general information and does not replace legal advice on your own case. Spanish immigration rules change often — talk to us before making a decision.