Just got done with our Spain non lucrative visa appointment at Chicago BLS (August 2nd 2024). They saw my husband and I both together even though we had made 2 separate appointments because we were unsure. She said don’t cancel the 2nd appointment they’ll see in the system that both were already processed.
Our appointment time was 8am-8:30am. We got there at 7:45am and the building lobby staff said that we would need to come back at 7:55am and could not wait in the lobby. When we got back we still couldn’t go to the BLS office and at that time they did allow us to wait in the lobby until 8:15am when the staff arrived.
We were the first to be allowed into the BLS office and 1 person arrived shortly after for a student visa. They gave us a checklist of what order they wanted the documents in. I will post a picture in the comments. We were seen by 8:30am. The appointment took about an hour.
The lady went through all of our documents meticulously. She gave us back our original FBI apostille and our original marriage apostille. She also gave us back our original medical certificate of good health. We had taken a certified copy and that is the one she wanted instead. So I would make sure to take a copy of that.
The fee was $213 a person including courier fee to have the passports shipped back to us. This seems less than what others have posted ($245 is what I was expecting based on previous people’s experience). Cash or debit.
She told us 5 – 8 weeks. When we left the office there were a lot of people in the waiting room. They process both Spain and Germany at this location. There wasn’t a spare chair in sight.
UPDATE with results: text message that we were both approved on August 27th 2024. First visa arrived August 29th via UPS, second visa went for a joyride and didn’t show up until September 3rd.
If there is any way that you can make the drive to pick your visas up in person: DO IT!
Questions and Answers
Q: Did the courier service fee you paid mean that you brought your own return envelope? Our appointment is Monday and we don’t know if we should bring a prepaid return envelope or not! Thanks in advance for the update.
A: We didn’t take our own envelope. They ask you if you want your passport returned by courier or pick up in person. If you say courier they give you a somewhat rudimentary form to fill out. It gets delivered to you UPS.
Q: Where can I get a sample letter not to work. Last one on the checklist?
A: It’s just a sworn statement in Spanish promising not to work in Spain, not even online.
Conclusion
Navigating the application process for the Spain Non Lucrative Visa at the Chicago BLS can vary in complexity based on appointment scheduling and document requirements.
It is crucial to arrive prepared with all necessary documents in the specified order and to consider options for passport return to avoid delays in receiving your visa.
Applicants should prepare for the possibility of unexpected fees and ensure all original documents are accompanied by the required copies.
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