Spain Digital Nomad Visa approved at the Manila Consulate after 10 business days! Family of four, here are the requirements submitted and timelines.
I suggest you apply with experienced immigration experts if you have questions about the process or want your background assessed. This became one of my deciding factors in moving forward with the application.
- January 22 2024 – Emailed the Manila consulate for NIE appointment
- January 23 2024 – Received appointment date: March 4 2024
- March 4 2024 – Flew to Manila for the NIE appointment
- March 14 2024 – Received NIE via email
- May 20 2024 – Flew to Manila for BLS appointment
- June 3 2024 – Received text of passport dispatch
- June 6 2024 – Received passport and visa in Cebu
Requirements submitted:
- Birth certificate – apostilled and translated
- Marriage certificate – apostilled and translated
- NBI clearance – apostilled and translated
- Medical & DOH certificate – apostilled and translated
- Bank certificate & statement with Canada – apostilled and translated
- Certificate of engagement – 4 different US-based jobs – signed by employers and translated
- Certificate of good standing from DE, TX, VA, and UT states – apostilled and translated
- Contract – translated
- ITR for 2024 – translated
- Application form – digitally filled
- Health Insurance
- Paypal transactions – email screenshots
- Wise transactions – email screenshots
- Resume in Spanish
- Letter committing to pay taxes as autonomo
- Letter of intent for the whole family
- Photocopies of passport pages
- NIE
For my husband:
- Birth certificate – apostilled and translated
- Marriage certificate – apostilled and translated
- NBI clearance – apostilled and translated
- Medical & DOH certificate – apostilled and translated
- Application form
- Insurance
- Photocopies of passport pages
- NIE
For our two children:
- Birth certificates – apostilled and translated
- Medical certificates from pediatrician – translated
- Application forms
- Insurance
- Photocopies of passport pages
Fees:
- Translations: $900 (97 pages translated). You can find Spainguru’s recommended sworn translators here.
- BLS fee: 42,730 PHP (10,682.20 each) but the receipt didn’t show the tax
- Certificate of good standing + apostilles in the US: $46,170
- Overnight shipping of documents to the Philippines: 8,000 PHP
- Medical: 4,890 PHP for two adults
- Medical certificate for kids: 1,000 PHP
- Local documents and apostille: 3,200 PHP
- Health insurance: €214 for 4 (first month)
Total time spent at BLS submitting all the documents was 2 hours and 47 minutes. I had over 1,000 pages, including photocopies. I also printed six months of bank statements and one year of salary screenshots in case they wanted to compute the average monthly pay. My salary wasn’t consistent since one job was paid by the hour, and the others were salary-based, with three jobs offering a 13th-month pay.
Questions and Answers
Q1: “How did you manage the translations? Were they all necessary?”
A1: “Yes, translations were necessary, and I had 97 pages in total. I worked with a translator who was affordable.”
Q2: “Did you need all those documents for the kids as well?”
A2: “Yes, we needed apostilled and translated birth certificates, medical certificates from their pediatrician, health insurance, and application forms for the kids.”
Q3: “Did the consulate ask for any specific financial proof?”
A3: “Yes, they wanted bank certificates and statements with translations. I also provided Paypal and Wise transaction screenshots, plus six months of salary details.”
Q4: “How much time did it take from submitting your application to receiving the visa?”
A4: “It took about 10 business days to get approval after submitting the application in May.”
Q5: “What was the process for obtaining NIEs?”
A5: “I emailed the consulate in January 2024, and the appointment for NIE was scheduled in March. I received my NIE via email shortly after the appointment.”
Comments
“Your timeline for the NIE is much faster than what we’ve experienced. It’s helpful to know the consulate in Manila responds quickly.”
“I didn’t need as many documents for my kids, but every consulate seems to ask for different things.”
Conclusion
Navigating the Spain Digital Nomad Visa process from Manila involves a well-organized approach, particularly when handling translations and document submissions.
Planning for potential delays in the translation process and ensuring all apostilled and translated documents are ready can save time.
Additionally, it’s crucial to maintain detailed financial records, including bank statements and salary documents, and to submit accurate paperwork for each family member.
The application process can be swift, as seen in this case, with visa approval in just 10 business days.
