My Spain Non Lucrative Visa Application at Chicago Consulate
I can’t begin to describe how elated I am to finally share this update! I wanted to outline my experience and timeline in case it’s helpful for others navigating this process.
Appointment: November 6th 2024 (the day after the election). The office was busy, but everything went relatively smoothly. I spent a little over an hour at the BLS office—about 30 minutes waiting and 30 minutes for the actual appointment.
Tracking Progress: I checked both the BLS and Spanish Consulate websites regularly (more like obsessively).
December 11th 2024: The Consulate website updated from ‘pending processing’ to ‘pending resolution.’
December 12th 2024: By morning, the Consulate website status changed to ‘pending dispatch,’ and by the afternoon, it updated to ‘resolved.’
December 13th 2024: Early in the afternoon, the BLS website updated to ‘passport ready to dispatch.’ Later that day, I received a text and email from BLS with a UPS tracking number. Shortly after, the website updated to ‘passport dispatched via courier,’ along with the tracking info.
December 14th 2024: UPS tracking shows the visa is set to arrive on Tuesday, December 17th, one day shy of 6 weeks from my appointment, making it 41 days total!
I can’t thank this group enough for the wealth of knowledge, support, and the space to ask questions along the way. Best of luck to each of you on your journey!
Questions and Answers
Q: “Was it difficult getting an appointment? As of now, there are no appointments available.”
A: “I was quite fortunate. There were openings the second day I logged on to look. With that said, I know they do walk-ins as well. The morning of my appointment, there were well over a dozen walk-ins who didn’t have appointments.
Most were there for student visas, but others were clearly there for other reasons. None of them were turned away. If you live close by the Chicago BLS office, it could be worth doing a walk-in at 8 am.”
Q: “We live 8 hours away. Would you recommend a road trip for a walk-in?”
A: “I live about 7 hours away and did a road trip as well. Best of luck to you and your family!”
Q: “Which province will you be living in? BLS Chicago told us the application goes first to Madrid and then to the province where you’re planning on living, which is why approval times vary.”
A: “I put Alicante on my application. But I am considering Málaga and Valencia as well.”
Conclusion
The Spain Non Lucrative Visa process at the Chicago Consulate took about six weeks from appointment to approval. While appointments can be hard to get, walk-ins appear to be an option at the Chicago BLS office.
Tracking the application status on both the BLS and Spanish Consulate websites was helpful, with updates happening gradually over a few days.
Approval times may vary depending on the province listed in the application, as the paperwork is processed in Madrid before being sent to the specific region of residence. Planning ahead and ensuring all documents are in order can help streamline the process.
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Here’s painguru’s Facebook NLV group.
The above information is based on a personal experience. Make sure to check the official requirements and consult with immigration experts.
