This firsthand experience details the Spain Non Lucrative Visa application process for a family of four at the Washington DC consulate in June 2025.
“Washington DC BLS Appointment Experience (June 5, 2025)
We are a family of four who scheduled two Prime Time appointments for 8:30 and 9am. We were the first people there. My husband and I were called at the same time by two different employees.
They each had vastly different opinions about our documents. Then the person helping my husband had to leave so the person helping me re-reviewed all my husband’s documents telling him different issues than the first guy.
Then the first guy returned and started over again. In the end we were there for 2.5 hours and were charged $800. They will submit our packages to the embassy in the morning, but had some doubts about a few items.
Here are some of the issues they had.
We are younger than retirement age, but my husband has not worked for 5 years. He was not able to get a letter stating he quit his job. (How do you prove you are not working?) We submitted 2 years of tax returns with my W-2 showing that was our only income. Hopefully that will work.
Address: We worked with a lawyer in Barcelona who told us to put their office address for correspondence. We also booked a 3-week stay in Valencia. Our affidavit says we will find long-term housing in Valencia when we arrive.
They did not like that, so they reprinted the EX-01 form and had us change the address in Part 3 to our Booking, even though we said we did not want to receive official mail at a Booking apartment.
We were not planning to stay there very long, we have a lease pending near Gandia. (The other guy had said leave the lawyer’s address and do not include the proof of Booking since that address was not on our forms.)
Financial statements: They really pushed hard about the certification letter with all the info on one letter. We told them the account with the money that proves our means would not make a letter like that. We tried!
We had almost everything they wanted, but it was spread across multiple statements and letters. We brought our checking account statements, but they did not take those. Just investments.
There was no issue for the kids’ applications. They did not ask for school registration, phew!
They told us it would be 2–3 weeks for processing. Now we wait!”
Questions and Answers
Q: “Hi, can you clarify a few things? Did they take the originals, sworn translations, and copies of marriage and birth certificates? Did your financial or tax documents need to be translated? How many copies did they require?”
A: “Yes, they took the marriage and birth certificates with apostilles done at the state or commonwealth levels, sworn translations, and copies. Financial and tax documents were submitted solely in English.
One set of documents was sufficient for our shared application. When approved, they returned the marriage and birth certificates with apostilles, but kept the financial and tax documents.”
Q: “Did BLS Washington ask for your children to be enrolled in a private school?”
A: “No, there was no requirement to show school enrollment for the children.”
Comments
“I had my appointment on May 7 and received a text message that my passport was ready for collection on May 30. The visa was created on May 25. So, it took approximately three weeks to be processed.”
“I didn’t factor in that there is a summer slow-down. I’ve been waiting since May 15th from a different BLS and was wondering what might be causing the delay. Student visas and tech/software updates could be part of it.”
“Congrats! It’s great to hear your experience. These detailed reports really help those of us still in the prep stage.”
“Thanks for sharing. I’m preparing for our own family appointment soon at the DC consulate—good to know they didn’t require kids’ school registration.”
Conclusion
Applying for the Spain Non Lucrative Visa at the Washington DC consulate can be a detailed and at times inconsistent process, especially for families. This firsthand experience shows that different staff members may interpret requirements differently, so flexibility and patience are key.
While some inconsistencies were noted regarding address formatting and document preferences, the family’s preparation and documentation—especially for financials and apostilled personal documents—helped them meet the requirements.
Applicants are advised to bring both originals and copies, and to be prepared for unexpected feedback on address documentation and financial certification.
Processing times vary, but recent examples suggest a turnaround of 2–3 weeks is typical. Importantly, the consulate did not request school enrollment documentation for minors.
Disclaimer: The content of this article is based on personal experiences and contributions shared by members of the Spainguru community. It is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified expert for guidance specific to your situation.
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