Applying for my non lucrative Spain visa at San Francisco’s Spanish consulate

San Francisco Consulate – non lucrative Spain visa

Picked up my non lucrative Spain visa yesterday in San Francisco (Aug. 30th 2022). So, there IS hope for all. In hopes of offering help, information, & support to those still in the process my timeline was as follows:

My initial email request for an interview was in mid March 2022. I received a reply that I would be contacted in late April for an interview sometime in May. April & May came & went without notice. I took the unsolicited initiative & submitted all of my documents via email in early May (I had to email multiple times over many days as my emails kept getting returned as undeliverable, but it finally went through after about a week of trying).

On Thursday June 17 2022, I received an email stating that my appointment/interview was the following Tuesday, 6/21. The only outstanding document at that time was the Federal apostille for my FBI check. Ana (the consular rep who took my information) told me to deliver it in person, no appointment necessary, as soon as it arrived. I did so on July 5 but was forced to leave it with the man at the front desk (not the nicest guy on the planet) as he would not let back to speak to anyone nor would he give any sort of receipt. He simply said I would eventually be contacted. On July 9 I went back & insisted to have my passport returned to me with or without a visa as I had to be in Barcelona for familial obligations. I was fully anticipating the need to reapply from the beginning when I returned in the fall.

On 7/9 when I retrieved my passport Ana came out to speak with me & told me that all of my documents had been submitted & were in their system so I would not need to reapply. She couldn’t give me any timeline as to when the visa would be ready but said I would be notified by email to come in personally, with my passport, to collect it. I told her I would hop a flight back if need be.

On 24 August 2022 (my 26th wedding anniversary), while having a fabulous dinner with my even more fabulous hubby in the Garroxa region of Cataluña, I got a Voice Message from a blocked number (hence why I didn’t take the call) informing me that my visa was ready (yes, I cried a little). I flew back on Tuesday 8/30 & picked it up yesterday 8/31).

The consulate was very full & very busy and the same man was actually giving people updates & status information on their visas, albeit most were parents seeking information on their children’s student visas.

I made my TIE “toma de huella” appointment the same day I received the phone call & I fly back to BCN in a few days.

The advice Ana gave me as I left (as my hubby will have to apply later this year) was to mail everything in vía USPS (not FedEx or UPS) & then to sit tight & be prepared to wait at least 3 months. I asked her about the electronic tracking receipt mentioned on the website & she just shook her head & said they don’t do that.

So, there you have it. I hope this is of some help to someone. Good luck & hang in there

Questions I have received:

1. How did you do federal apostille?

Fed apostille for your Federal FBI check is done through the US State Dept. Wherever you go to have your live scan done will have info on how to do it, or look online, or use a notary who can expedite it for you.

2. How to make TIE appointment? I’ve read that it’s very difficult to get one.

The TIE appt is very easily done online, just be persistent as appointments can fill quickly, depending on where you’re applying. You might have to look multiple times a day for a few days to see availability.

I also have an update:

I overnighted our applications and they were received Monday. I received an email today asking for a letter regarding our retirement.

‘Please notice that the Consulate of San Francisco requires the same documents as those listed in this link for the Consulate of Los Angeles.

Author: Carol Usem