The Revised visa fee and BLS service charge are as follows:

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

• The Consulate Visa fee must be made payable to the Consulate General of Spain in Los Angeles and should be paid by money order only.
• BLS Service fee to be paid by Cash Or Debit Card only.

• National visa application form (Do not forget to indicate your email in section #17).
• Photography. A recent color photograph (US passport size), with a light, uniform background, preferably white. Photographs with a dark background or with objects or people that are seen from behind the head and that are not photographic paper will not be accepted. Do not staple or use anything other than glue to attach the photo to the form.
• Passport or travel document recognized as valid with a duration of at least the time of stay requested and must contain at least two free pages in the visa section (copy of the page where your data and photos appear). Passports issued more than 10 years ago will not be accepted.
• Letter of Acceptance from the Autonomous Communities ("Appointment"). This letter must provide information about the school to which the applicant has been assigned (address, telephone, contact email). It must also contain information about the scholarship, the duration of the program and the insurance policy. The Spanish Consulate will ONLY accept original signatures or electronically signed letters.
  Fill in numbers 21 (date of entry) and 28 (complete information related to the school in Spain) in the application form.
• Criminal record certificate (if the stay is longer than 180 days) stating that the applicant has no criminal record in the place where he has resided for the last five years. Does not apply to students under 18 years of age.
  You must request a background check verified by fingerprint comparison. The criminal background check must be issued by the US Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). State and Local Police and State Police background checks will not be accepted.
  The background check must be issued within six months prior to the submission of the visa application.
  The US certificate must be issued by the FBI and legalized with the Hague Convention Apostille by the Department of State in Washington DC and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator.
  If the applicant has spent six months or more during the last five years in another country, he must present the criminal record of that country, legalized with the Apostille of The Hague and translated into Spanish. If the country is not part of the Hague Convention, the document must be legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then by the Spanish Consulate in that country.
  INFO FBI BACKGROUND CHECK DEPARTMENT OF STATE https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks
  Translations (AMERICAN TRANSLATORS ASSOCIATION): www.atanet.org/ UPDATED LIST (2023) OF SWORN TRANSLATORS - INTERPRETERS APPOINTED BY THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, EUROPEAN UNION AND COOPERATION: click Here US INFO DEPARTMENT OF STATE APOSTILLE
  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/records-and-authentications/authenticate-your-document/apostille-requirements.html
• Medical certificate: Recent medical certificate, issued in the last three months before the application date, on the letterhead of the doctor or medical center, duly signed, sealed and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator, stating:
  “This medical certificate certifies that Mr./Ms. (...) does not suffer from any disease that could have serious implications for public health in accordance with the provisions of the 2005 International Health Regulations”.
  In the case of using the model from our website, the Spanish translation is not necessary. Insert link.
• Proof of residence in the consular demarcation. Provide a copy (not the original) of the US driver's license, duly notarized.
• Payment of the visa fee
• Payment of the BLS processing fee
• Disclaimer form must be submitted with the application.
  When necessary to evaluate the application, the Consular Office may request additional documents or data and may also request the applicant to attend a personal interview.

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.

Resolution term: Once the application is accepted as complete, the legal term to reach a resolution is 1 month 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 visa or stay permit for studies. The refusal of the visa or the authorization to stay for studies will always be communicated by mail, stating the reasons on which the decision was based.

Resources. In the event of a denial of a stay authorization for studies or a visa, the applicant may submit an appeal in Spanish (by mail with a tracking number) to this Consular Office within a period of 1 month from the day following the the date of receipt of the denial notice. A contentious-administrative appeal may also be filed before the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid within a period of 2 months from the day following the date on which the applicant receives the notification of the refusal of a visa or the dismissal of the appeal for reconsideration.

Once the visa has been collected, the applicant must enter Spanish territory during the validity period of the visa (no more than three months if the duration of the activity is greater than six months).

Upon admission and within the first thirty days, the applicant must apply for the Foreigner Identity Card or TIE (“Foreigner Identity Card”) at the Immigration and Documentation Police Station of the city where they will work as a language assistant. The TIE will be valid as long as the language assistant is part of the program in Spain. In the case of minors, this procedure may be carried out by a representative. In addition, the visa must be stamped upon entry into the Schengen States.

You can also make an appointment online:

The initial authorization of temporary residence (TIE) will have a duration of one year and its validity will begin on the date of entry into Spain.

If the duration of the activity does not exceed six months, the visa will be sufficient to prove the stay.

• National Visa Application Form
• Disclaimer Form
• Medical Certificate Template
• Au Pair Placement Contract Model