In order to apply for the visa, it is MANDATORY to pay for:

• Visa fee (Different rates apply based on reciprocity)
• Residence permit fee
• BLS service fee

• All Fees are non-refundable
• The Visa Fee is subject to change without notice

1. National visa application form. Each applicant must complete and sign a visa application, filling in each of its sections. Visa applications can be filled out electronically or handwritten in capital letters.

2. 1 photograph: Glued or clipped onto visa application form. Photo specifications: Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance, passport-size, color photograph, printed on matte/glossy paper, taken against a white, light, clear, uniform background, facing forward, without dark or reflective glasses, or any garments concealing the applicant’s full oval of the face.

   Photos with a dark background or with objects or people that can be seen behind your head will not be accepted.

3. Valid, unexpired passport. Original and a photocopy of the page or pages of the passport that contain biometric data. The passport must have a minimum validity period of 1 year and contain two blank visa pages. Passports issued more than 10 years ago will not be accepted.

4. Proof of legal residence in the United States. Non-U.S. citizens must also submit proof of legal residence in the United States: U.S. Resident Card (Green card) or valid U.S. long term Visa. Original and 1 photocopy.

   B-1 and B-2 visa holders cannot apply for a visa in the United States, they must apply for it in their country of residence or country of origin.

5. Proof of residence in the consular district. The applicant must be a legal resident in our consular jurisdiction (Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina).

   Residence must be proved by one of the following, valid documents: U.S. driver’s license, state ID. Original and photocopy.

6. Non-working residence permit application form (Form EX 01). "Solicitud de autorización de residencia temporal no lucrativa". Each applicant must complete and sign this form. Original and a copy. Please find Form and Instructions in “Download Forms” section.
7. Residence permit application fee form (Form 790-052) “Impreso de pago de la tasa por solicitud de autorización de residencia”. Each applicant must complete and sign this form, selecting point “1. c) Autorización inicial de Residencia Temporal” (Initial temporary residence permit). Please find Form and Instructions in “Download Forms” section.
8. Affidavit: The applicant must provide a notarized letter including the following information:
   
   • A brief explanation by the applicant of his/her professional background, the reasons why he/she has decided to live in Spain, how long is planning to stay and any other reason to support the visa application.
   • The commitment of not doing any lucrative work, by any means, either on-site nor remotely (online), while residing in Spain.
   • The address in Spain, where the applicant will live, at least, the first three months.

   The affidavit must be in Spanish or include the Spanish text or accompanied by an official translation into Spanish.

9. Proof of financial means:
   

   The minimum annual required amount equals 400% of Spain's Public Income Indicator for Multiple Effects (IPREM). In 2023 (and until further notice) this equals 28.800€, or approximately $32.000. For each dependent (spouses, children or ascending relative), an additional 100% of the IPREM must be added annually. In 2023 this equals 7.200€, or approximately $8.000, per dependent.

   The applicants must submit the following documents proving that they have sufficient financial means to cover the expenses of residing in Spain for the initial year of the residence permit, or accrediting that they have a regular source of income without the need of doing paid work in Spain, for themselves and, where applicable, for the family members accompanying them.

   • Bank statements of the last 3 months from all bank accounts (checking, savings and/or investment accounts). No need to be translated into Spanish.
   • If applicable: Documents proving any other source of periodic income (on a regular basis). In the case of retirees, the applicant may be a beneficiary of a life annuity. It can be Social Security Benefits, Private or Public Retirement pensions (Army Veteran, Teacher´s union...), etc. No need to be translated into Spanish.
   • Copy of last Tax Return. No need to be translated into Spanish.

10. If the applicant is of working age and/or employed, he/she can add a letter of termination from the employer stating that the applicant will no longer work for that company (or a sabbatical year acceptance letter from the employer).

    The termination letter must be in Spanish or include the Spanish text or accompanied by an official translation into Spanish

11. It is advisable to add a proof of accommodation, providing one of the following documents (in Spanish):

    • Lease of minimum 3 months signed by two parts of it.
    • If the applicant own a property must submit the Title deed of property or Property Registration certificate in Spain (original and 1 photocopy).
12. “Public or private health insurance certificate taken out with an insurance company authorised to operate in Spain. The insurance must cover all risks insured by the public health system in Spain.
    The health insurance must meet the following requirements:
    The insurance must cover all risks insured by the public health system in Spain. This coverage must be maintained throughout the validity of the authorisation.
    The health insurance must not have a waiting period, grace periods, co-payments, deductions or coverage limit, that is, it must cover 100% of medical, hospital and extra-hospital expenses. However, if the insurance coverage is limited to a certain amount, this limit must not be less than €30,000.
    Travel insurance will not be accepted. Insurance cards will not be accepted as proof of the contracting of health insurance.”

13. Medical certificate. Original and a photocopy of a medical certificate accrediting that the applicant does not suffer from any disease that could cause serious repercussions for public health pursuant to the 2005 International Health Regulations.

    This certificate must be issued within 90 days preceding the submission of the visa application.

    This certificate must include a stamp from the issuing Medical Center, doctor’s signature and doctor’s License Number.

    The certificate must be written on letterhead paper from hospital/doctor’s office or directly on the provided template.

    The medical certificate must be in Spanish, or it must include the Spanish text, or it must be accompanied by an official or certified translation into Spanish. In the case of using the model from our website, the Spanish translation is not necessary. Please find template in “Download forms”.

14. Criminal background check certificate. Applicants of legal age (18 years old and older) must submit the original and a photocopy (not notarized) of their criminal background check certificate(s) issued by their country or countries of residence for the past 5 years.

    The criminal background check must be issued by the U.S. Department of Justice – Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). We do not accept State or Local Police Background Check.

    The background check must be issued within the 6 months preceding the submission of the visa application.

    The background check must be authenticated with The Hague Apostille. We do not accept background checks without the Hague Apostille. The Apostille must certify the signature on the Criminal Background check, not other signatures. We do not accept apostilles that certify the signature of a local notary that stamps a seal on the criminal background check.

    The criminal background check will not be accepted if it has been altered or damaged in any way, including damage caused by removing staples.

    The background check must be accompanied by an official translation into Spanish by a sworn/certified translator (the translation does not need an Apostille and the Apostille does not need a translation).

    If the applicant has spent more than 6 months (more than 180 days) during the last 5 years in another country (outside the USA or Spain), an additional criminal background check from every country of residence must be provided. The criminal background checks must be authenticated with the The Hague Apostille, unless it is issued by an EU member state. The criminal background check issued by an EU authority does not need to be apostilled to be accepted. If the country in which the applicant has lived in the past 5 years does not subscribe to The Hague Convention of 1961, the background check must by authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country and then by the Consulate of Spain in this country. The background check must be accompanied by an official translation into Spanish (if the original is not written in Spanish).

    Please submit an original and a photocopy of all documents: Criminal background check, Apostille and official translation.

15. Disclaimer form. Please find template in “Download forms”.

Required documents for family members.

For each family member it will be necessary to submit:

• All the required documents specified in sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 15, and, if applicable 8, 9, 10, 14. For minors, the visa application and the residence permit application must be signed by one of their parents.
• Documents proving family relationship with the applicant accrediting financial means: birth certificate, marriage certificate issued by the civil registry, certificate of registration as an unmarried couple.
• In case of an unregistered couple with a stable emotional relationship equivalent to a registered couple: notarized declaration stating that you are an unregistered unmarried couple with an stable emotional relationship equivalent to a registered couple, and any other document proving the unmarried partnership with the applicant, for evaluation.
• In case of adult children (18 y.o. and older): documents proving financial dependence, the adult child's civil status and that they continue to form part of the family unit. It can be certificates of disability, of cohabitation at the same address, etc.
• In case of relatives in the ascending line (65 y.o. and older parents): documents proving financial dependence and that they form part of the family unit.

Foreign official documents must be apostilled or legalized and must be submitted together with an official translation into Spanish.

Please submit the original and a photocopy of all the documents proving family relationship.

Additional documents, Interview:

When necessary to assess the application, the Consular Office may request additional documents or data and may also ask the applicant to come in for a personal interview.

Procedure

All non-working residence visas require obtaining an initial residence permit, which is processed at the same time as the visa application with the EX01 and 790-052 forms. The Consular Office will return a sealed copy of the application form EX-01 and the application form 790-52.

Who can apply for a visa: In order to apply for a non-working visa you must be a resident in our jurisdiction (Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina).Visa applications must be submitted in person by the applicant.

Place of submission: Applicants must make an appointment in the National Visa Appointment option and submit in person all the documentation in:

BLS - SPAIN VISA APPLICATION CENTER, WASHINGTON DC
1660 L St NW, Second Floor, Suite: 216, Washington, DC 20036

Decision period: The legal period for reaching a decision is 3 months, but this period may be extended, if an interview or additional documents are requested after the evaluation of the submitted documents.

Once the application is accepted as complete in the Consular Section, the procedure involves consultations with other authorities that can take up to 3 months from the day the Consular Section forwards the documents through the visa system (not from the day the applicant submits the application at the BLS office).

The period to receive a resolution may be extended and is not possible to expedite.

The Consular Section does not provide information about the status of a visa. If extra documents are needed you will be contacted.

Visa collection: The applicant must collect the visa and/or other documents in person at the BLS office once BLS notifies the applicant (via SMS text) that the visa or documents are ready to pick up.

Refusal of the residence permit or visa: Refusals of the residence permit or visa will always be notified in writing, setting forth the grounds on which the decision adopted was based.

Appeals: If the residence permit or the visa are refused, the applicant may submit an appeal for reconsideration before the Office that denied the request within 1 month of the day following the date on which notification of the refusal is received. An application for judicial review may also be filed with the High Court of Justice of Madrid within the 2-month period beginning the day after the date on which the applicant receives notification of the refusal of the visa or residence permit or of the dismissal of the reconsideration appeal.

Validity period of the visa: The visa will be valid for 90 days. Once in Spain, a Foreigner Identity Card (T.I.E.) must be applied for within a period of 1 month from the applicant's entry into Spain, at the Foreign Nationals' Office or the corresponding Police Station. The initial TIE is valid for one year and is renewable.

Note: We regret we cannot accept photographs that do not meet these requirements

Please provide one recent photograph (not more than 6 months old) of yourself, which should not have been used previously in the passport. The photograph should be in colour and:

• Taken against a white background so that features are distinguishable and contrast against the background.
• Clear share quality and with the face in focus.
• Printed on normal photographic paper (camera print).
• Full face, non-smiling [without sunglasses, a hat/cap or other head covering, unless the applicant wears such items because of their religious belief or ethnic background]
• Please stick the Photograph on the Visa Application Form.

Note: Please follow these instructions carefully. If photographs presented do not meet these requirements your application will be considered incomplete. A photo booth meeting these requirements is available at the centre.

Decision period: Once the application is accepted as complete, the legal term to reach a resolution is 3 months from the day after the application was registered in the visa system (not from the date of receipt of application at the BLS office), but this time frame may be extended if an interview or additional documents are requested.

Refusal of the residence permit or visa: Refusals of the residence permit or visa will always be notified in writing, , setting forth the grounds on which the decision adopted was based.

Appeals: If the residence permit or the visa are refused, the applicant may submit an appeal for reconsideration in Spanish before the Office that denied the request within 1 month of the day following the date on which notification of the refusal is received. to An application for judicial review may also be filed with the High Court of Justice of Madrid within the 2-month period beginning the day after the date on which the applicant receives notification of the refusal of the visa or residence permit or of the dismissal of the reconsideration appeal.

Validity period of the visa: The visa will be valid for 90 days. Once the visa has been collected, the applicant must enter Spanish territory during the validity period of the visa.The visa must be stamped upon entry into the Schengen States and within the first thirty days, the applicant must apply for the Foreigner Identity Card or TIE (“Foreigner Identity Card”) at the Foreing National Office at the Police station in the city you will stay. The initial TIE is valid for one year and is renewable.

• National Visa Application Form
• Non-working residence visa application form (Form EX 01).
• Instructions to fill Form EX-01
• Residence permit application fee form (Form 790-052)
• Instructions to fill Form 790-052
• Medical Certificate Template
• Disclaimer