Spain Non Lucrative Visa: My Updated New York City Consulate Checklist – July 2025

By
Bruno Bianchi
-

First-hand investigation about the Spain Non Lucrative Visa application process at the New York Consulate, updated for July 2025.

“Updating my post with the best list I can come up with as of today. Please comment for me to update further for New York City Consulate with recent experiences…

Spain Non Lucrative Visa: My Updated New York City Consulate Checklist - July 2025
  • State ID front and back with copies in color of front and back for all applicants
  • Passport with copies of all pages in color. Must be still valid for min 12 months of all applicants
  • Original Marriage certificate issued in past 6 months. If you were married over 6 months ago or more, get a new official certificate (I verified this 6 month time frame via email with New York City consulate directly even though other consulates require within 3 months). Must be officially stamped and apostilled and then formally professionally translated (do not break seals or clips—keep them intact). Original plus copies.
  • Birth certificate for children, same requirements as for marriage cert (see above).
  • Federal FBI background check done in past 6 months (we did ours at post office), then print off the emailed results and send for apostille, then get formally professionally translated (do not break seals or clips—keep them intact). Original plus copies.
  • Doctor’s certificate (use template that is in both English and Spanish) signed and stamped by doctor (valid for 3 months only, so must be in past 3 months) for all applicants. So far no one has said this has to be formally professionally translated.
  • Proof of medical insurance in Spain for all applicants in Spanish. Effective date either before or at time of moving to Spain.
  • 1040s and 9325s for past 3 years. I understand you only need first 2 pages of 1040s (not the schedules) and both 1040 and 9325 formally professionally translated. Someone confirm?
  • Letter of Intent in English and Spanish notarized (I understand does not need formally professional translation—can someone confirm?).
  • Letter from former employer stating ended work and no longer working. People suggesting this be formally professionally translated.
  • Letter from applicant saying they will not work in English and Spanish notarized. I understand does not need formally professional translation—can someone confirm?).
  • Financial docs see new requirements as of May 20, 2025.
    Anything else?”

“Original post:
Looking for someone folks to share recent New York City consulate appointment experiences for NLV, since the new May 20th financial requirements. Are you willing to share what all you provided and what was officially translated vs providing our own unofficial Spanish translation (such as the letter of intent not to work and medical certificate for example)? What was accepted and what wasn’t? Preparing for our appointment in August and want to make sure we are up to date with all of our papers per the ever changing requirements. Many thanks!”

Questions and Answers

These are the Questions and Answers of the Spainguru’s Facebook group members:

Q1: Did anyone else get the 1040s and 9325s translated, or did you use your own versions?
 A1: “I did mine at the end of 2024 and I’m not sure if this part changed, but the first 2 pages of 1040s—I just copy and pasted everything to the Spanish version and it was accepted. I did get the 9325s officially translated.”

Q2: For the employment verification letter and the letter of intent, is a personal translation enough?
 A2: “For the employment verification letter and letter of intent, I did my own translation and had it notarized.”

Q3: Does the employment letter need specific details like start/end dates or position?
 A3: “Did your letter from your former employer just state your last day of work? My husband’s only states last day employed, but I’m seeing some comments that it needs to have first and last day, position, and salary.”

Comments

“Thanks for sharing! If you compile a detailed list of New York City consulate current requirements, it would be very helpful to many of us!”

“There’s a great post from October 16th that shows the consulate wanted way more than what they had on their official requirements page.”

“What (A Spainguru Community member) posted showed the New York City consulate wanted more than what was listed. I just figured a newer running list would be super helpful.”

“The consulate list on their website misses items or is way too general, so this kind of post is super helpful. For instance, the 1040s and other tax forms they ask for 3 years are not spelled out on the list.”

Conclusion

The firsthand investigation shared regarding the Spain Non Lucrative Visa at the New York Consulate highlights the importance of over-preparing, especially given the consulate’s unclear or evolving documentation standards.

Members recommend ensuring all documents—especially FBI checks, marriage/birth certificates, and financial documents—are properly apostilled and professionally translated when required.

For items like letters of intent or employment separation, unofficial translations with notarization were generally accepted, though it’s best to verify this against the latest experiences.

Members also emphasized that the consulate often requests more than what is officially listed, so staying informed through community posts and maintaining flexibility is key.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is based on personal experiences/investigations 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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