This firsthand experience explains the Spain Non Lucrative Visa process at the Washington DC BLS office.
“My husband and I had our Spain Non Lucrative Visa appointment at the Washington, DC offices of BLS last Friday and our applications were accepted. Here are a few notes about our experience.
We made 2 back-to-back 30-minute appointments even though we were applying together. This is what BLS wants you to do as it took the entire hour to get through everything. Have your paperwork separated by person.
They will go down the checklist (same one you will find on the BLS website) and ask for each document. When preparing your documents treat them as separate individual applications with separate copies of all required paperwork.
In other words, if you share finances, have separate sets of bank statements and tax returns for each of the applications. Don’t try to create a shared affidavit (we considered doing that for a moment), create individual affidavits.
Get 2 separate sets of marriage certificates + apostilles + translations if possible.
Go ahead and glue your photo to the National Visa Application form. They only needed the one photo. Check every form and make sure that your name is exactly as printed on your passport—it’s easy to not include middle names that are on the passport.
On one of the forms there was a check box where the printed check was very tiny so I darkened it with a pen. They had to check if they would be able to accept the form. They did accept it but be aware that if you print a form you should not alter it in any way.
I made my appointment using my current passport but needed to have my passport renewed between the time I made the appointment and the appointment itself. This meant that my new passport number did not match the number on the appointment.
I was charged $85 extra as a “walk-in” because they needed to create a new appointment in their system using the new passport number.
We wrote our affidavits in both English and Spanish. Every paragraph was first in English then followed by the same paragraph in Spanish. The website indicated this was an acceptable option.
They had to send a photo of the affidavit to the consulate to check if they could accept it or if they would require an “official” translation. Apparently, if you write your affidavit only in Spanish it’s fine.
If you write it in English and get a certified translation it’s fine. They ultimately did accept our affidavits but I was really surprised by the hesitancy to accept an affidavit written in both languages.
I retired last summer. I did contact my last employer for an employment confirmation letter that included my termination date. It makes sense that if your tax return has a W-2 they would want to see a letter of termination from that company. My husband was self-employed and explained his recent retirement in the affidavit.
We will be living off savings/investments during the term of our visa. Our investment accounts are in my name. For my husband’s application we included his checking account and tax return plus a complete set of the same financial statements that I included in my application. Our affidavit explained that the finances are shared.
FOLLOW-UP: Our visa was ready for pick-up from the Washington DC BLS office one week later. They seem to have a Monday morning courier to the embassy. Our visas went out last Monday and are back again exactly a week later. I’m very happy they were able to process them so quickly!”
Questions and Answers
Q: Is it possible just to show up without an appointment and pay the $85 walk-in fee?
A: I would not advise just showing up. They have three staff processing applications based on half-hour appointments. Walk-ins may only be taken if someone cancels or doesn’t show up.
Q: How hard is it to get an appointment at the Washington DC BLS?
A: It wasn’t too hard. We kept checking at the start of the month and got the date we needed.
Q: My retirement checks and bank accounts are under my maiden name, but my ID has both maiden and married names. Will that be a problem?
A: You should ensure your application name matches your passport. If your financial docs differ, include an explanation in your affidavit. Updating the name on financial accounts may also help.
Q: Is only one original apostilled marriage certificate needed for a couple?
A: They asked to see the marriage certificate again when processing the second application, but didn’t clarify if it had to be another apostilled original. If you’re in a bind, include an explanation in your affidavit.
Q: How long did it take to get your visa?
A: We had our appointment Friday, May 2nd 2025, and were notified Monday, May 12th that our visas were ready—just 10 days later.
Q: Did you use an immigration lawyer or visa company?
A: No. We just followed the checklist from the BLS website carefully.
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Q: Did you apply as a family or separately?
A: We scheduled separate appointments and submitted individual applications, but noted shared finances and applied as a family unit. They reviewed each file separately.
Q: Do you get your original documents back?
A: This wasn’t answered directly, but based on other consulate experiences, most original documents are returned unless otherwise stated.
Comments
“This is good information. We plan to go through the Washington DC office next year.”
“I’m confused about the number of marriage certificates—thanks for clarifying.”
“Thank you for sharing, this really helps!”
“Good to know about separate affidavits and paperwork—even for couples.”
Conclusion
The Spain Non Lucrative Visa application through the Washington DC BLS office appears highly efficient and well-organized, provided applicants follow the checklist precisely. Key takeaways include:
- Book individual appointments for each applicant—even couples.
- Prepare complete, separate documents for each application, including affidavits, financial statements, and translations.
- Name consistency with your passport is crucial.
- Dual-language affidavits are risky—use either full Spanish or English with official translation.
- Walk-ins are discouraged unless pre-approved or replacing a canceled slot.
- Processing times at the DC BLS are fast—some visas are approved in as little as a week.
Disclaimer: This article is based on the contributions and experiences of Spainguru community members and does not constitute legal advice. Always consult official sources or an immigration professional for personalized guidance.
