Spain Non Lucrative Visa: our experience at Washington DC consulate – June 2025

This is a firsthand experience with the Spain Non Lucrative Visa at the Washington DC consulate

Background

“My spouse and I had our appointment in DC today, and it seemed to go well! I am not on Facebook so am incredibly grateful to Bruno at SpainGuru for reproducing this post from another couple, which helped us prepare for our appointment:
https://spainguru.es/2025/05/28/spain-non-lucrative-visa-our-application-experience-at-washington-dc-may-2025/“

Appointment Timing and Parking

“Our experience was very similar. We had two back-to-back individual appointments. The first was scheduled at 8:30 am, but we weren’t called until 8:45 am.
Despite the delay, we were done by 9:30 am.

We took a cab from our DC apartment, worried about morning parking, but that wasn’t necessary. There’s a parking garage attached to the building, and if you arrive before 9:30 am, it only costs $13—the same as the cab.”

Documentation Requirements

“Like the other couple, BLS required separate paperwork for each of us. This included:

• Two separate affidavits
• Two marriage certificates with apostilles, translations, and copies
• Two sets of bank statements for each of our accounts
• Two copies of our proof of accommodation”

Organization Tip

“Organization is essential! You will sit at a table with a BLS employee and be asked in rapid fire for each required document.

I used an expandable file folder from Amazon which was a lifesaver:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YJPZY9P?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1“

Application Form and Photo

“We brought both the downloadable fillable application form and the one emailed after booking. The BLS employee selected the emailed version.

She also asked us to glue, not paperclip, our photos to the page.”

Driver’s Licenses

“Each applicant must submit a photocopy of their license individually. Our copies showed both licenses on one page—this wasn’t accepted.

They reprinted them separately during the appointment.”

Form 790-052 and Digital Signatures

“This form has two similar pages, but the fine print differs. Bring both.

Also, check the box for “1.C” manually if your PDF doesn’t allow it. Digital signatures were fine.”

Affidavits

“We wrote separate, notarized letters in Spanish affirming we would not engage in lucrative work.

The employee used a translation app to verify the key phrase: “not doing any lucrative work, by any means, either on-site nor remotely (online), while residing in Spain.”

We didn’t include that exact phrase, so the employee consulted a supervisor who approved our version, noting we were both retired.”

Bank Certificates

“The new requirement from the DC consulate asks for:

• Bank name and address
• Account identification
• Opening (and closing, if applicable) date
• Balance as of Dec 31 of the prior year
• Average balance for that year

Our banks initially said they couldn’t provide that info.

After persistence, one bank sent the 12-month average (not accepted), but the other created a custom letter with 2024 data. We had to wait 7–10 days for it to arrive by mail.

The BLS supervisor approved everything after reviewing all our combined documentation and acknowledged that U.S. banks rarely issue such certificates.

The key is doing your best and providing all available details, even in separate documents.”

Marriage Certificates

“Although only one applicant was designated “family,” BLS required both of us to submit marriage certificates with apostilles, translations, and photocopies.”

Fees

“The total fee for two people using “prime” appointments was $524.

The office accepts cash, debit cards, and Apple Pay. Bring exact change—they can’t break large bills.”

Processing Time

“The BLS employee emphasized a 3-month processing timeline, though some receive results earlier.

Our flight is in September, so we should be fine.”

Booking an Appointment

“This was the most stressful part. The system kept showing errors or no availability.

Phone support was inconsistent—sometimes blaming glitches, other times saying no appointments existed.

Ultimately, we had to book two “prime” appointments at $85 each, even though we were initially told we’d only need one set of paperwork.

Despite the frustration, we were glad to get early slots before the office became crowded.”

Join the Community!