Spain Non Lucrative Visa Los Angeles: Is IRS Form 9325 Required?

By
Bruno Bianchi
-

Question

“IRS Form 9325 – Los Angeles: We have a Spain Non Lucrative Visa appointment coming up next week. Does Los Angeles ask for a translated 9325 form? Searches show this mostly being a NY issue or, people preemptively offering the form. Thanks!”

Answers

These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:

“The NY folks here have mentioned the 9325 form which is a form for tax preparers to provide individuals when the tax preparer files electronically. It’s not anything that gets filed with the IRS and not something TurboTax will provide. Additionally, it’s not available in Spanish.

We’re going to skip it as it’s literally no value add and I haven’t seen LA requiring it. If I got that wrong, please someone tell us. “

“At my Los Angeles appointment on May 16 2025, they asked for 1 year of tax return, didn’t ask for translation.”

Spain Non Lucrative Visa Los Angeles: Is IRS Form 9325 Required?

“Same for us in Los Angeles on May 9. Just the 1040 tax return itself, no form 9325 or translations.”

“Opinions regarding tax forms follow:
Like everything in this process, there is no definitive answer to many of the critical questions we all raise.

One consulate may want one thing, another a different thing. A member of this forum recently reported that two different agents at the same BLS office required totally different things.
We all want to do the correct proper things, but that is not so easy.

I had my appointment in Los Angeles at the end of April 2025 and am still waiting to find out if my application will be approved or not. If it gets approved, all that means is that for me on that one particular date the things I did ‘worked’. The next day with a different person it might be totally different.

According to the BLS web page and also answers I got directly from BLS employees on the phone: because I am truly retired, living off my pension and SSI, I did not need to turn in any income tax forms at all. Income tax returns are only required for people who are not retired/not living off a pension. (And for these applicants, the LA page specified three years of tax forms, other jurisdictions want more years!)

Well although that is the OFFICIAL standard, at my appointment the BLS agent wanted my 2024 tax return. Since it is important to NOT believe all that you read in advance, I came prepared. I gave him my 2024 return. ‘Oh? you also brought 2023 and 2022? then give me those too’.

As all here have consistently reported, BLS/consulate only want the initial pages of the 1040 itself, not all the additional schedules. Although for the ‘regular’ 1040 it’s just two pages. But because of my age and retirement status I use the 1040SR, so it is three pages.
Regarding translations or not for the 1040, to me this is a ‘no-brainer.’ You do not need to PAY for a translation of the forms, because the IRS provides officially translated Spanish versions of those forms online. All you have to do is transfer the data from your original forms to the Spanish language forms. The only thing you would need to translate is the box where you list your profession.

Very few people actually fill out and submit a paper 1040. Most use H&R Block, TurboTax, etc., and file electronically. These do not have any signature or filing date. This is where the form 9325 comes in. It’s meant to show the date the tax return was accepted by the IRS and the Submission ID used to process the form.

Unfortunately, the IRS does not provide a Spanish version of the 9325. Some people have paid translators to translate the form, even though it’s largely boilerplate. I personally paid for a professional translation for 2024.

Is the form required by BLS? I don’t know. Is the translation required? I don’t know.
It’s reasonable to take the stance: ‘Don’t give them anything that is not required.’ But there is no definitive standard for ‘required’. Each applicant must assess what they think they will need to do to get the visa.

Different people have different strategies. What works for me may not work for you.”

“Thank you for your detailed response! Yours was the single post I found regarding the 9325 and LA which did seem to indicate it was offered versus requested. Forgive me if I misunderstood.”

“The form 9325 was never on my radar until through participation in this forum it popped up as being needed for people who filed electronically. I just stapled it to the end of the tax return.

I did not OFFER the returns at all, because per online documentation from both BLS and the consulate they were only required for non-retired people and therefore NOT required from me.

I also submitted a voluntary statement that I would not work, even though it wasn’t required in my case, just to be safe.”

Conclusion

According to Spainguru’s Facebook group members, the Spain Non Lucrative Visa process at the Los Angeles consulate generally does not require IRS Form 9325.

Multiple members who applied in Los Angeles recently confirmed that only the 1040 tax return was requested—without the need for a translation or the 9325 form. However, experiences vary, and inconsistencies between agents and appointments are common.

One detailed account suggested being prepared with multiple years of tax returns, even if not officially required, especially for retirees. The consensus is that the 9325 form may be used by applicants who file electronically as proof of submission, but it’s not a formal requirement at the LA consulat

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