Residence Visa to Retire in Spain

Updated June 14th. 2010

NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED

 

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 must come in person to the Consulate to pick up the visa.

 

 

Requirements:

1.       Schengen Visa Application Form, plus (US Citizens: 1 photocopy; Non-US Citizens: 3 photocopies).

2.       Recent original passport photographs: US citizens: 2 pictures; Non-US citizens: 4 pictures. Staple one photograph to each visa form.

3.       Regular passport, or travel document, still valid for at least 6 more months, with at least one blank page to affix the visa.

ALL DOCUMENTS LISTED BELOW MUST BE SUBMITTED ORIGINALS, PLUS (US Citizens: 1 PHOTOCOPY; Non-US Citizens: 2 PHOTOCOPIES):

4.       Non-US Citizens: Alien Registration Card or notarized copy of it, or Residence Visa, or Reentry permit or other BCIS (Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services) document allowing return to the US.

5.       Proof of pension, retirement income or other income for life, at a minimum rate of $ 10,000 per year (plus $ 1,700 per additional person in the family).

6.       Proof of own housing.

7.       Valid health/accidental insurance with full international coverage with a minimum coverage of $37,000.

8.       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

9.      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.

10.   Non-refundable visa processing fee

11.   IF A RESIDENCE VISA WILL ALSO BE REQUESTED FOR THE SPOUSE OF THE APPLICANT, THE APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED AT THE SAME TIME. THE SPOUSE MUST PRESENT ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS LISTED ABOVE, PLUS THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE. If the marriage certificate was not issued in 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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DOWNLOAD THE SCHENGEN VISA APPLICATION FORM

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