My Spain Non Lucrative Visa Application at Los Angeles BLS Office
Finally got our application accepted at BLS LA. A big weight off our shoulders. Our insights:
Even though the website said only the financial records are needed for the main applicant, the guy asked for both mine & my spouse’s. We overheard the same thing for the couple right before us. Good thing we prepared for both of us.
We printed 3 months of history from our brokerage account (in English) and self-prepared a summary of the beginning/ending balance. Be sure to include something along the lines of “the funds are available at a moment’s notice” and verbally mention that during the interview.
We used ChatGPT to draft up the letter of intent, personalized it & had it translated to Spanish. We then had it signed at the notary. We over-notarized on the side of caution – probably unnecessary. At $15 a signature in Los Angeles (it used to be $25 I think), thought it was worth the investment.
They asked for tax return for both myself & spouse. Since we file jointly, we give them the same copy. We had the title from the sale of our house in 2024 to show we don’t have a mortgage. But the guy said, it’s ok. Not needed. I’d say it doesn’t hurt to bring a copy just in case.
Reading from another person’s BLS San Francisco post, I had a letter affirming I will support my spouse financially. Used ChatGPT again. Had the signature notarized again. The guy said not needed.
Based on his casual comment, it sounded like if the main applicant’s finances & the spouse’s own finances is enough to meet each financial criteria, they may not need this documentation. We played it safe anyway.
We used ChatGPT to generate the letter of intent, attestation not to work, financial summary & attestation that I will support my spouse financially. All in Spanish. We had our signature notarized for each. Again, we may have over-notarized but didn’t want to take a chance.
We used official translator services for our apostilled FBI background check and our marriage certificate.
$18 per BLS appointment. If/when visa is approved, no option to have it delivered. It must be picked up in person. Pick up time is between 3-4 PM for free. Or for additional $30, there is an extended pick up hour window (9-5 I think). No need to go through making the painful BLS appointment.
You can just show up. We opted not to since we’re local in Los Angeles. Confirmed that we have 30 days to pick up & the clock starts when you receive the text saying your visa is approved.
Additional $8 per person for text communication – we were like, really, lol? Payment for optional extended pick up hours & text service can be paid in cash or debit card.
Official ETA on decision is 12 weeks. But the guy offhandedly said 4-5 weeks. So, we’ll see.
All the best of luck on your journey. Hope our experience is of some help as we’ve had to rely on this group for clues & insights on our journey.
Questions and Answers
These are the Questions of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
Q1: Please let us know how long it takes once you hear, I have an appointment in May.
A1: Will do, best of luck, take a lot of deep breaths.
Q2: Did the initial meeting require an appointment, or can you walk in?
A2: The initial appointment does need to be made through the BLS website. No walk-ins allowed. The pickup for the approved visa does not require an appointment.
Q3: Curious if you have Social Security or pension income, or are you going on savings/investments primarily?
A3: BLS was okay with monthly, annual, or a combination of both income types to meet the one-year criteria.
Q4: What health insurance company did you use? Did your insurance date start at your entry date or at your appointment date?
A4: We went with Sanitas. We timed the start date to the beginning of the month of our appointment, so coverage is continuous and fulfills the year-long requirement.
Q5: Can you share the services you used for notary, translation, and apostille?
A5: Notary at UPS locations, apostille for marriage certificate at DTLA office, apostille for FBI background check through DC office. We used a Spanish translator based in Spain for document translations.
Click here for Spainguru’s recommended sworn translators.
Q6: Is it necessary to submit an affidavit letter in addition to the letter of intent?
A6: Our letter of intent stated our plan to retire in Spain. No affidavit was separately required.
Comments
“Thanks for sharing your LA-specific information! Especially helpful for those traveling from out of state.”
“Congratulations and thanks for sharing the info. We plan to bring everything but the kitchen sink for our appointment!”
“It is hysterical how BLS offices within the same country have so many inconsistencies. Why? To drive us all crazy. Haha.”
“Thank you for sharing this information. It’s very uplifting and reassuring for those of us waiting.”
“It’s almost comical how different each BLS office/Consulate is… but it’s helpful to know your experience at LA.”
Conclusion
Navigating the Spain Non Lucrative Visa process at the BLS Los Angeles office demands thorough preparation.
Applicants should prepare financial documents for both spouses, regardless of what is listed on the website. It is recommended to apostille and translate key documents such as the FBI background check and marriage certificate.
Notarized letters—like the letter of intent and financial summaries—are a useful extra precaution even if not always required. Appointment scheduling for application submission must be done online, but visa pickup can be done without an appointment.
Each BLS office operates slightly differently, so it’s crucial to prepare for possible inconsistencies and stay flexible throughout the process.
