A detailed 6 October blog post by visa-tech firm Visarun highlights mounting delays at Spain’s outsourced visa centres in the United Kingdom, particularly BLS Manchester. The centre’s own website now warns applicants to expect decisions “between 6-8 weeks”, far exceeding the 15-day legal standard set by the EU Visa Code. Visarun collated anecdotal evidence from social-media forums showing Manchester files lodged in mid-August still undecided by early October, with some travellers forced to cancel trips. By contrast, BLS London continues to process most files within two to three weeks, although peak-season applicants also report occasional 30-day waits. No official statistics have been published, but one Reddit commenter claimed the Manchester call centre mentioned “more than 1,000” pending applications. The Spanish Consulates in London, Manchester and Edinburgh maintain that they decide within EU deadlines “in most cases” and attribute delays to incomplete documentation. The backlog presents headaches for UK-based multinationals that move non-EU staff to Spain for training, project work or short-term assignments. Human-resources departments must now initiate Schengen applications up to two months ahead of travel, undermining the traditional flexibility of the 90-day business-visitor model. Missed project kick-off dates can trigger contractual penalties, while employees risk overstaying UK residence permits if passports remain with BLS for extended periods. Visarun advises applicants to double-check jurisdiction rules—some counties erroneously appear on multiple BLS websites—to avoid rejection at the appointment stage. It also recommends carrying printed proof of UK immigration status, as Spanish consulates increasingly ask for Home Office e-Visa share-codes. Companies that cannot meet new lead-time realities may need to explore remote-work options under Spain’s Digital-Nomad visa or defer assignments until processing stabilises. The surge in demand comes against the backdrop of the EU Entry/Exit System’s full implementation in April 2026, which has pushed more UK residents to apply for Schengen visas well ahead of travel to avoid biometric bottlenecks. Unless additional consular staff are deployed, experts expect the Manchester backlog to persist into the Christmas period.
Source: Visarun.ai
