Residence Visa

VISA APPLICATIONS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED BY MAIL, NOR RETURNED BY MAIL

RESIDENCE VISAS must be applied for in person by the applicant or by a legal representative who presents his/her identification and a written notarized authorization from the applicant. The authorization must indicate the name and passport number of the applicant and the name and document number (e.g. driver’s license number or passport number) of the person dropping off the application. If the visa is granted, all applicants, 14 years or older, must come in person to the Consulate to pick up the visa.

1.- Schengen Visa application form, filled out in print and signed, and one photocopies.

2.- 4 recent standard passport-size photographs. Staple one picture to each application form.

3.- Regular passport, or travel document, still valid for at least 12 more months, with at least one blank page to affix the visa.

4.- Non-US Citizens: Alien Registration Card or notarized copy of it, or Residence Visa, or Reentry permit or other U.S. Immigration document allowing return to the US.

5.- Work contract or legal documentation, issued by the pertinent authority or organization, describing the scope of the activity to engage in, the qualifications required, commitments of the organization and any other relevant information.

· Certificate of Registration of the Church or Religious Organization issued by the Ministry of Justice.

· Certificate of the Church or Religious Organization declaring the qualifications or level of the applicant within the organization; that the activities to engage in are strictly and exclusively religious in nature; that the organization will be responsible for the living expenses of the applicant and his/her family, if that is the case.

6.- FBI Background Check notarized and legalized by the "Apostille of the Hague" (Local police background checks are no longer accepted as of June 15, 2010). If the applicant resided in a country other than the U.S., then you must present Certificate (s) by Police authorities of ALL PLACES where applicant resided during the more than six months during the last five years, as to absence of police record. If the country is not the U.S., the certificate must be legalized by the Spanish Consulate in that country. See example

7.- Medical Certificate: a doctor’s recent statement, on doctor's or medical center's letterhead, indicating that: "the applicant has been found to be free of any of the illnesses that may have serious public consequences, as described and established in the Intenational Health Regulations of 2005". Download example here

IF RESIDENCE VISAS WILL ALSO BE REQUESTED FOR THE FAMILY OF THE APPLICANT, THE APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED AT THE SAME TIME. EACH FAMILY MEMBER MUST PRESENT ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS LISTED ABOVE, EXCEPT #5, AND:

FOR SPOUSE: Marriage Certificate. If the country is not the U.S., the certificate must be legalized by the Spanish Consulate in the country where the document was issued.

FOR CHILDREN: Birth Certificate. If the country is not the U.S., the certificate must be legalized by the Spanish Consulate in the country where the document was issued.

v PLEASE NOTE: Residency visas require special authorization from Spain; therefore, they take an unspecified period of time to be processed.

v For applicants that do not have an official work authorization, all documents (except for the visa application) must be translated into Spanish.

v Make sure marriage and birth certificates have the Hague Convention Apostille that can be obtained from the Secretary of State of your State.

v All documents in English (except for the visa application) must be translated into Spanish.

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