1

Hi....

This is from The spain.embassy.gov.au website....

Spain, as a member of the Schengen States, does not require Australians citizens travelling to Spain as tourists to obtain a visa prior to arrival.

On arrival from a non-Schengen state Australian citizens will be issued with a short period visa, or the common ‘Schengen Visa’, which permits a maximum stay of 90 days over a six month period within the Schengen State area (that is, 90 days over six months in the entire Schengen State area, and not in each individual Schengen state). The Schengen States are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

If you wish to extend your 90 day ‘Schengen Visa’ contact the Spanish Ministry of the Interior on 060 (Spanish only). Please note Spanish authorities rarely extend the ‘Schengen Visa’.

2

If you dont understand what is written in #1 - you dont need a visa if you have an Australian passport and you can stay 90 dyas. So there is no fee to pay for.

3

The information on the Spanish Govt website is less than clear.

What Spanish Govt website did you read?
The info in the web of the Embassy of Spain in Canberra is clear enough.

Anyway, in short, if you plan to stay less than 90 days only in Spain, you don't need a visa. If you plan to visit other countries in Europe, be aware you can't spend (without a visa) more than 90 days in each 180 calendar days period in the Schengen area (i.e.: in the entire Schengen area; not in each one of the countries that are part of it).

In other words, you can enter the Schengen Area without a visa and you can stay there up to 90 days in each 180 calendar days period (for this purpose, think about the Schengen Area as if it was a single country).

P.S.: All the info above is supposing you are coming as a tourist. If you want to work, study... you'll need a visa.

4

You can stay anywhere in the Schengen countires in Europe for 90 days.The first country you arrive in will stamp your passport. No actual visa/cost, your entry dates starts your stay. Then you must stay out of Schengen countries for the next 90 days.
You can however stay longer in the UK, for Americans it's 6months but for Australians I believe it's longer.

5

Thanks everyone - my original post was based on a discussion with a fellow citizen who had just returned from a 6 month stint in Germany as a temporary resident (working and learning) - he had to pay for his Spanish visa - apparently because he was (1) over 18; & (2) he was resident in Germany ( so it may have had something to do with the Schengen Area time limits). Still all I need now is the complete the planning and packing.