New premium visa application centre opens in Barcelona for UK-bound applicants

Spanish residents seeking visas to travel to the UK can now book appointments to submit visa applications at the newly opened UKVI Premium Application Centre in Barcelona, operated by VFS Global.

The new official visa office was set up to cater to the growing outbound travel from Spain to the UK and to provide greater convenience for applicants from in the northeast of the country.

The new centre is in addition to the visa application centre in Madrid which opened in December 2024.

Customers who submit their documents and enrol biometrics at the Premium Application Centre now have access to a selection of complementary value-added services offered by VFS Global such as document upload assistance, SMS notification services on the status of their applications, and courier return of passports.

The UK remains a popular destination for visitors from Spain. In 2023, the UK welcomed around 2.2 million visits from Spain. While Spanish citizens do not need a visa for short-term tourist trips, they may do for work or study.

A total of 7,045 people from Spain applied for a UK visa in 2024, according to a press release from VFS Global.

A total of 840 people from Spain applied for a UK visa in the first quarter of 2025, with the most popular type of visa being those for a skilled worker visa, followed by the Senior or Specialist Worker.

Customers can also book the Keep My Passport While Applying service in advance on the VFS Global website which allows them to keep their passports once their application is submitted, and biometrics have been enrolled. Customers will only need to re-submit their passports when a decision is reached.

The VFS Global UK Visas & Immigration UK Premium Application Centre is located at Carrer de Sardenya 229 3rd floor, office No 1, Barcelona 08013. The office is open four days a week for booked appointments only.

Customers can book their appointment at the VFS Global Barcelona office website after they have completed the online application form on the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website.