Question
How far in advance of the intended arrival date in Spain can you apply for a Spain Non Lucrative Visa?
A person in this group asked this question not too long ago. It is the same question I had a year ago that no one could answer reasonably. So I had to go through the experience to find the answer myself, and now I am sharing it with others still in the planning stages.
I went through the Los Angeles Consulate with Barcelona as the intended province to live in. It was possible for us to apply and get approval for a visa that will be used 4-7 months after the date we applied for it.
Here are our dates:
- 11/2/24 obtained an appointment to submit the visa applications
- 12/2/24 submitted visa application documents in person
- 12/23/24 we were notified by email that our visas were approved (three weeks)
- 1/14/25 picked up our passports (with attached visas) in person
- 4/1/25 our intended date of arrival in Spain (we provided this date in the application)
- 4/1/25-7/14/25 dates to arrive in Spain (105 days) indicated on the visa.
I have attached a photo of how the visa looks.
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“I’d say it may depend on the consulate, whether they agree to this or not.”
“We applied in NYC. I had flight reservations for Oct. 28 2024, submitted the application on Sept. 30 2024, and was asked for additional documentation on Oct. 9.
The consulate employee said the earliest I could request an entry date was Nov. 1. My visa was approved on Oct. 20, and I had 30 days to pick it up and 90 days to enter Spain. We picked it up on Oct. 25, and I entered Spain as a tourist on Oct. 29.
When my husband arrived on Nov. 18, we went to Gibraltar and had my passport stamped upon re-entering Spain. This allowed us to apply for the TIE.
Make sure you consult with the consulate because each is different, and even within the same consulate, each employee can request slightly different things.”
“It takes on average six weeks to get a visa after application. When it’s issued, you’re expected to enter Spain within 90 days. (I might be wrong—this is from research, not from experience.)”
“Three weeks to get ours approved. 105 days to enter from the date I requested, which was April 1.”
“I think you can only go so far in advance though.”
“Generally, they say allow at least six months. Obviously, if you apply a year in advance, still the same. The visa is usually only issued within 90 days of travel.”
“Excellent information. And you are correct—no one can give an answer. The typical response is ‘why are you applying now if you don’t intend to move for another six months?'”
“Or that it all has to occur in the next 30 days after you apply.”
“Our attorney told us you have 90 days to travel to Spain from the date the visa was issued. This timeframe aligns with what the official website from the government states, so I would stick to 90 days. The last thing you want is a ‘surprise’ at the airport upon arrival.”
“I didn’t realize there was an actual physical visa that would be attached—I was thinking it would be scanned into the passport, so this is good to know.”
“It’s a sticker attached to a page in your passport.”
“No one could answer reasonably because the arrival period is dependent on where you are applying. In Europe, the period is 90 days, not 105.”
“You tell them the date you want the visa to start.”
“Correct.”
“Within what parameters?”
“I provided what I did. You will have to ask them or try it.”
“Do you have any suggestions on how to get an appointment at the LA consulate? Is there a time of day or day of the week when appointments become available online?”
“They are using BLS now. Check the new instructions on the consulate Los Angeles page. You send them emails now. In November, the appointments were done differently.”
“That’s interesting as I was under the impression you just had to try and figure out when to submit so your visa would be approved before a 90-day window in which you wanted to enter Spain, but not too early so the 90 days doesn’t run out before your travel date.”
Conclusion
According to Spainguru’s Facebook group members, the timeline for applying for a Spain Non Lucrative Visa varies depending on the consulate.
At the Los Angeles consulate, one applicant successfully applied months in advance, receiving approval with a 105-day window to enter Spain. However, others report that their consulates, such as NYC, typically issue visas with a 90-day entry period.
It is essential to confirm with the specific consulate handling your application, as policies can vary.
Some applicants have noted that different employees within the same consulate may have slightly different interpretations of the rules.
In general, applicants should plan for at least six months for the entire process, ensuring they do not apply too early and risk their visa expiring before they can travel.
Checking the latest appointment procedures, such as the shift to BLS at the Los Angeles consulate, is also recommended.
Join our community!
Make sure to join our dedicated Spanish Non Lucrative Visa group here!
