Question
Non lucrative Spain visa Houston – they are asking for proof of where our 3 kids will go to school and we were given 10 business day to respond or applications will be denied. Has anyone dealt with this successfully? I assume we can’t just say “they are going to public school, as is their right when residing legally in Spain.” Of course this was not listed on their website in English or Spanish at the time we applied (no idea if it’s been added since).
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru Facebook group members:
“I believe it’s been a requirement for years. You need to show proof your kids have been accepted/enrolled in a school in Spain with many conulates”
“Maybe you can ask for a letter from the school board/their teachers… I’m not sure just dumping ideas”
“I was able to get a letter from a school that I hadn’t even visited yet saying that my child would be accepted, and submitted that. I just told them that I needed something for the consulate in advance of my visit and enrollment. We did fully intend on going there but my child did not attend for other reasons. You could start with a school that you would use as a backup if the public school doesn’t work out and then you would be already part way down the path anyways.”
“When we went, you couldn’t enroll until you had your padrón. How are you supposed to do that? It’s supposed to be a requirement for renewal, not initial.”
“We went through Los Angeles consulate about 10 months ago and they also made us prove we were sending the kids to private school. I even questioned the lady while at the consulate if it had to be a private school and she confirmed with a coworker that it did. But you’re right, it’s not included on the list of requirements. We were able to include on our notarized letter of intent that we will send the kids to private school and that was sufficient.”
“Houston are d**ks. This isn’t a requirement at almost any other consulate.”
“New York and Los Angeles have been asking for it the past year too”
“It’s very unfair that the school requirement is not on the website. We had to provide a school acceptance letter but we had decided to send our kids to private school.
The only solid advice I can give you, since it worked for us, is to ask for more time. The consulate can extend the time if some documents are in process. They don’t have to close it within 10 days. They have to RESPOND within 10 days, and the response can be waiting for more documents. In our case, they wanted an updated marriage certificate to prove we were still married, for my wife’s residence permit tied to mine. We told them it will take weeks to obtain a new marriage certificate, have it Apostilled, and translated. It took 3 weeks, and they waited. But our relocation agent was actually able to talk to someone and explain that it takes time to obtain this stuff and that we would work on it right away. Once we submitted the updated marriage certificate, my wife was approved immediately.
As for the school, I can only throw out some ideas for what I think I would do in your situation. I’d write my own affidavit and have it notarized, and say that I will enroll the kids in public school after we arrive in Spain. Or ask the consulate what the specific requirement is, in writing.”
“We did it in DC so don’t know if it’s the same. It wasn’t a requirement, but our lawyer suggested we just contact a school/district and ask about enrolling, and then print off that email. You can’t enroll in school without a Padron, so it doesn’t make sense to enroll when you don’t even have a visa. Maybe that email will work? In our case in Valencia, you cannot enroll without a Padron, so my email to them asked about enrollment and how to enroll, and they sent me back instructions on where to go.”
“I have never heard of this requirement, and I did my first renewal last January ..”
“I think this is a new requirement for a few of the consulates. I’ve seen posts about it before. When we applied a little over a year ago at the SF consulate it wasn’t a requirement. Sorry I can’t provide a solution for you but wishing you the best of luck in getting a letter from a school. It’s totally unfair to require this without it being on the list and having such a short deadline.”
“Find 2-3 private schools where you want to live and call them immediately. Honestly, depending on how the schools are, this might not be resolvable in ten days.
For us, we had already picked schools and the two schools we picked required that they meet the kids and parents before enrolling. Not sure if that’s the norm or coincidence.
Try all the American schools – they generally give preference to kids coming in from the United States.”
“Getting enrolled in public schools is way harder than in the US. It is definitely easier and quicker to find a private school at least for when you first arrive.”
“We used the IVLA school. Virtual learning. So did a friend of mine.”
In conclusion, according to Spainguru Facebook group members, the unexpected requirement of proving school enrollment for the non lucrative Spain visa in Houston has posed significant challenges for applicants. While some consulates have similar requirements, it’s clear that the lack of transparency and consistency in communicating this requirement has caused frustration among those seeking the visa. Applicants have shared various strategies, such as obtaining letters from schools, requesting more time from the consulate, or exploring private school options. This situation highlights the importance of thorough research and preparation when navigating the intricacies of the non lucrative Spain visa process.
