Last Updated on March 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
Question about Non lucrative Spain visa at LA consulate
Are you required to leave your passports when going to the Non lucrative Spain visa interview at Los Angeles? Or do the color copies suffice?
Answers
These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
Planning your move to Spain?
Get the free step-by-step roadmap used by 10,000+ expats — covering visas, budget, housing, and the mistakes to avoid.
Start the Moving to Spain Hub →“Yes, you need to leave the passport there so that they can affix the visa to it. You’ll will then pick it up. It took 12 days for my visa.”
“Yes. We got ours back in a week, you will physically pick it up, bring your drivers license. Once you get there , between 10 am to noon time, they will call out for passport pick up and you place your license in the window, they will ID you and get your passport with the Spanish visa affixed in your passport.”
“If you can plan in advance, you can request a second US passport to use while your visa is being processed.”
“We did NOT leave our passports. We explained that we had a scouting trip scheduled when we had our appointment and LA consulate has no issue with us keeping them. They told us they don’t send your passport to Madrid so you request to keep it.”
Not sure which city is right for you?
Compare cost of living, weather, expat community size, and lifestyle across 13 Spanish cities in our free guide.
Explore Cities →In conclusion, the answers from Spainguru’s Non lucrative Spain visa Facebook group members suggest that leaving your passport at the Non lucrative Spain visa interview in Los Angeles is necessary for affixing the Spanish visa to it. However, some members were able to keep their passports by explaining their circumstances to the consulate. It is important to plan ahead and clarify any concerns with the consulate beforehand to ensure a smooth visa application process.
Get your free step-by-step Spain move plan
10 emails over 2 weeks covering visas, budget, housing & the mistakes to avoid.
Join 10,000+ expats who used this roadmap.
100% free · No credit card · Unsubscribe anytime
