Spain Non Lucrative Visa: My Application at Los Angeles Consulate (April 2025)

Last Updated on May 2, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi

We just finished my Spain Non Lucrative Visa application at the Los Angeles Consulate with our family of 4 (whole family attended).
A really nice guy helped us out, he was very patient as we sorted through our files to retrieve what he needed.
Here are the things that caught us out in an otherwise smooth process:

• 3 years of tax returns for each applicant
• 3 months of bank statements for each applicant
  (popped over the road after the appointment to a copy place to get these and returned them to the Consulate)
• Letter of intent for each applicant (they actually made 3 more copies of mine for us)
  Note!! The first thing they asked before we even opened our folders was whether we had the kids enrolled in school already. They said this is a new requirement.
  Thanks for all the help in your group, it has been invaluable!!

Questions and Answers

Q1: How did you prove kids were enrolled?
A1: We did a virtual tour of a school we liked online and they met the kids that way. We were able to secure them a place in a private international school. We enrolled them and paid the enrollment fees. The school provided a letter, which we submitted at our appointment.

Q2: I understand that tax return is only needed if you are still working? I am not working but have joint tax returns. Should I provide the first three pages for each year? And should it be for the most recent three years?
A2: We provided the 1040 form (2 pages) for each of the past three years (2024, 2023, 2022), both in English and translated into Spanish using a Spanish template. Additionally, we submitted the 9325 form (1 page) for each year with a sworn translation. As for non-working applicants, it’s best to check directly with the consulate, but joint tax returns may still be relevant.

Q3: What is the Spanish template you mentioned for translating tax returns, and how did you manage the translations?
A3: The Spanish template involved copying the English tax form content onto a Spanish format, ensuring the document layout matches what the consulate expects. Sworn translations were completed separately, and it’s advised to allow sufficient time before the appointment to have all translations ready.

Comments

• “Congratulations and good luck. We went to the LA office last week and are now in the waiting phase!”
• “Good luck to you all! I’ll be applying from LA soon, and it’s helpful to know about the new school enrollment requirement.”
• “Thanks for clarifying about tax documents and translations; the timeline guidance for translations is super useful!”

Conclusion

Applying for the Spain Non Lucrative Visa through the Los Angeles Consulate involves detailed preparation, especially when applying as a family. Key updates like the new requirement for children’s school enrollment are crucial to know ahead of time.

Having complete tax documents, translated bank statements, and thorough preparation of supporting documents like letters of intent makes the process smoother. Overall, clear organization and advance preparation remain essential for success.

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Bruno Bianchi CEO & Spain Immigration Expert

Bruno Bianchi is the founder and CEO of Spainguru, Spain's largest expat immigration community with 150,000+ members. Since 2014 he has helped thousands of people relocate to Spain through expert guides, webinars and vetted professional services covering visas, residency, taxes and life in Spain.

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