Learn Spanish (Latin America): Para solicitar la visa, hay que llevar una copia. - To apply for the visa, one must bring a copy.

That is a great observation! This sentence states a general rule for everyone using hay que + infinitive (llevar). The subjunctive is usually triggered when you are directing a requirement at a specific person. If you wanted to rephrase this to tell someone specifically what to do, you could use an expression like es necesario que tengas una copia (it is necessary that you have a copy), where tengas is the irregular subjunctive form of tener.

Why does the sentence use hay que llevar instead of tienes que llevar?

Hay que means "one must" or "it is necessary to." It is used when talking about a general requirement that applies to anyone. If you used tienes que llevar, you would be telling one specific person "you have to bring," rather than stating a general rule for the visa office.

The English translation says "bring a copy," but doesn't llevar mean "to take"?

Yes, it does! This is a very common tricky spot. In Spanish, the choice between llevar (to take) and traer (to bring) depends on the direction you are moving. You use llevar when you are taking something from where you are now to a different location (like the embassy). English often uses "bring" loosely for both directions, but Spanish is strict about it.

Can I use aplicar instead of solicitar to mean "to apply for"?