Introduction
Solicitar means “to request, to apply for”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Solicitar means to request or to apply for, and it is the formal verb for asking for a job, a visa, a loan or permission: solicitar un empleo, solicitar un visado. It is a fully regular -ar verb, common in administration and work. This page shows solicitar in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Solicito un empleo en la empresa.” — I request a job at the company.
Solicitar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how solicitar is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use solicitar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Solicito un empleo en la empresa.” — I request a job at the company.
“¿Solicitas un visado para viajar?” — Do you request a visa to travel?
“Solicita un préstamo en el banco.” — He/she requests a loan at the bank.
“Nosotros solicitamos permiso para salir antes.” — We request permission to leave early.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show solicitar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo solicité un empleo en la empresa.” — Yesterday, I requested a job at the company. (preterite)
“Antes, él solicitaba un visado para viajar.” — Before, he used to request a visa to travel. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of solicitar stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros solicitaremos un préstamo en el banco.” — Tomorrow, we will request a loan at the bank. (future)
“¿Tú has solicitado permiso para salir antes?” — Have you requested permission to leave early? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros solicitáis un empleo en la empresa.” — You request a job at the company.
“Ellos solicitan un visado para viajar.” — They request a visa to travel.
“Yo solicito un préstamo en el banco.” — I request a loan at the bank.
“Mi padre solicita permiso para salir antes.” — My father requests permission to leave early.
Solicitar in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how solicitar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú solicitas un visado para viajar?” — Do you request a visa to travel?
Pedro: “Sí, yo solicito un empleo en la empresa.” — Yes, I request a job at the company.
Marta: “Nosotros solicitamos permiso para salir antes.” — We request permission to leave early.
Pedro: “Y ellos solicitan un visado para viajar.” — And they request a visa to travel.
Marta: “Vosotros solicitáis un préstamo en el banco.” — You request a loan at the bank.
Pedro: “Sí, y él solicita un empleo en la empresa.” — Yes, and he requests a job at the company.
A short paragraph
Solicita un empleo en la empresa, y nosotros solicitamos permiso para salir antes. Yo solicito un visado para viajar, y ellos solicitan un préstamo en el banco. Solicitar is part of everyday life, because request, to apply for is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with solicitar
These are the errors learners actually make with solicitar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo solicita un empleo en la empresa.” Right: “Yo solicito un empleo en la empresa.” Why: The person matters: solicita is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is solicito. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo solicito un visado para viajar.” Right: “Ayer yo solicité un visado para viajar.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: solicito is happening now, while solicité is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating solicitar and pedir as identical in every context.” Right: “Solicitar means to request, to apply for, while pedir means to ask for.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: solicitar fits sentences such as Solicito un empleo en la empresa, while pedir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy solicitado un visado para viajar.” Right: “Yo he solicitado un visado para viajar.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he solicitado, has solicitado, ha solicitado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo solicité un préstamo en el banco todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo solicitaba un préstamo en el banco todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (solicitaba), not the preterite. The preterite (solicité) is for one finished action.
Quiz: solicitar in use
Ten questions on solicitar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ un empleo en la empresa.” (You request a job at the company.)
- (a) solicitáis
- (b) solicito
- (c) solicitas
Answer: solicitáis — The vosotros/as form of solicitar in the present tense is solicitáis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ un visado para viajar.” (They request a visa to travel.)
- (a) solicitas
- (b) solicitan
- (c) solicito
Answer: solicitan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of solicitar in the present tense is solicitan.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ un empleo en la empresa.” (Yesterday I requested a job at the company.)
- (a) solicitaste
- (b) solicitó
- (c) solicité
Answer: solicité — In the preterite, the yo form of solicitar is solicité.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ un visado para viajar.” (Before, he used to request a visa to travel.)
- (a) solicitaba
- (b) solicito
- (c) solicitabas
Answer: solicitaba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of solicitar is solicitaba.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ un préstamo en el banco.” (Tomorrow we will request a loan at the bank.)
- (a) solicitarás
- (b) solicitaremos
- (c) solicitaré
Answer: solicitaremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of solicitar is solicitaremos.
6. What does solicitar mean in English?
- (a) to request, to apply for
- (b) to be left over, to be too much
- (c) to ask for
Answer: to request, to apply for — Solicitar means “to request, to apply for”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo solicita un empleo en la empresa.
- (b) Ellos solicita un visado para viajar.
- (c) Yo solicito un empleo en la empresa.
Answer: Yo solicito un empleo en la empresa. — “Yo solicito un empleo en la empresa.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I request a job at the company.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre solicita permiso para salir antes.
- (b) Solicito un empleo en la empresa.
- (c) Solicitan un empleo en la empresa.
Answer: Solicito un empleo en la empresa. — “Solicito un empleo en la empresa.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of solicitar in the present tense?
- (a) solicito
- (b) solicitas
- (c) solicitamos
Answer: solicitamos — The nosotros form is solicitamos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros solicitaremos un préstamo en el banco.
- (b) Solicito un empleo en la empresa.
- (c) Ayer, yo solicité un empleo en la empresa.
Answer: Solicito un empleo en la empresa. — “Solicito un empleo en la empresa.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I request a job at the company' in Spanish?
Say 'Solicito un empleo en la empresa'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Solicito un empleo en la empresa todos los días'.
How do you say 'He requests a visa to travel' in Spanish?
Say 'Él solicita un visado para viajar'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes solicita.
What is the difference between solicitar and pedir?
Solicitar means to request, to apply for, while pedir means to ask for. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use solicitar when you mean to request, to apply for, as in 'Solicito un empleo en la empresa', and use pedir for to ask for.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of solicitar — every tense of solicitar in one place.
- Solicitar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on solicitar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of solicitar until they are automatic.