All three Spanish Consulates in the UK have outsourced handling of Non-Lucrative Visa applications to BLS International.

The consulates in London and Edinburgh were the first to make the switch at the start of summer in 2023 at the onset of Student Visa application processing.

Manchester consulate continued handling Non-Lucrative Visa applications in house, though to the end of October 2023, before making the switch.

Everything is now handled by BLS so all former procedures through the Consulates have been done away with, and new processes with BLS are in place.

Who Are BLS International?

The Spanish Consulate in London covers the southern counties of the UK, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories.  So if you live in East Anglia, the South East or the South West, you’ll take your application to the BLS International Visa Centre in London which handles visa processing for the Consulate of Spain in London.

Locations that come under the Spanish Consulate in London

The withdrawal agreement guaranteed EU rights for British citizens and UK nationals that were legally resident in Spain before ‘Brexit’, and a special residency card was introduced.  The withdrawal agreement TIE,tarjeta de indentidad de extranjero, for resident Brits in July 2020.  The ‘Brexit’ foreigner’s ID card recognises the holders pre-Brexit rights and most British citizens and UK nationals who had EU citizen Spanish Residency Certificate, have exchanged their certificate for this.

This retained right to Spanish residency extends to the family members of British nationals who hold residency in Spain under the withdrawal agreement.  Family member includes spouse or civil partner, children or dependants of who are part of the household, and under 21 years of age.  To qualify, the family connection must have existed before ‘Brexit’ (January 130th 2021), i.e. child born before or marriage before 30th January 2020.

If the family connection came into existence after ‘Brexit‘ then there is a different route that has to be followed known as ‘family reunification’.

The non-EU family member makes their residency application in Spain, and must be legally present when they do so.  The non-EU family member does not need to apply for a long term residency visa before they come to Spain.  If they are a national of a country who’s citizens enjoy visa free travel as tourists to the Schengen zone, they can travel to Spain under Schengen rules and make their family member residency application whilst they are within their 90 days allowed under Schengen rules.

If the non-EU family member is a national of a country who’s citizens don’t enjoy visa free travel to the Schengen area, then they must first apply for a short stay Schengen visa in their home country.  This can be applied for through the Spanish consulate or the consulate of any other EU country in their home country.

Spanish Residency for non-EU Family Members of a British national who is resident in Spain under the withdrawal agreement – Application Process

There are two stages in the application process for Spanish residency for a non-EU family members of an British national who is resident in Spain under the withdrawal agreement.  In the first stage an application for residency is presented to the Foreigners Office (extranjeria) in the province where you reside.  The second stage is the application for the residency card TIE, tarjeta de identidad de extranjero, which is completed at the National Police Station in the area that you live.

The initial application can be presented in person or by an authorised representative.  It can be done face to face at the Foreigners Office, or submitted online.

Once the initial application has been approved,  you make an appointment at the Police Station to apply for the TIE ‘tarjeta de identidad de extranjero‘ .  Your application and ID is checked, fingerprints recorded, and if all is in order, you will be given confirmation of your processed application and you card will be ready to collect in a few weeks.

Spanish Residency for non-EU Family Members of an British national who is resident in Spain under the withdrawal agreement – Requirements

Aside from being legally present in Spain, the following are required for a non-EU family member Spanish residency application.

• Valid passport or travel document
• Withdrawal Agreement TIE of the resident family member
• A permanent address in Spain and collective townhall registration ‘padron‘ certificate
• Proof of the family connection, e.g. for spouse marriage certificate or birth certificates for children
• Sufficient financial means to support the family in the name of the EU citizen
• Access to state healthcare, or proof of private medical insurance providing cover equal to that provided under the state system
• Evidence of intent to leave home country permanently, e.g. sale of home, de-registration from tax office, ending or employment, removals etc
• Proof that they are living in Spain, e.g. bank card transactions showing day to day expenditure in Spain
• A letter of motivation explaining circumstances and intentions

Financial Means for Spanish Residency for non-EU Family Members of a British national who is resident in Spain under the withdrawal agreement

The amount of income that is required for non-EU family member residency applications is based on the amount that according to law in Spain is considered the minimum amount sufficient to live on.  The amount is reviewed annually and may be adjusted in line with the changes in the cost of living.  The actual minimum amount required in any case will depend on the make up of the family unit, i.e. more family members equals more required, and if there are adult children this will also increase the amount needed.

The table below provides examples of the amounts required with various family units.

Financial means can be income, savings or a combination of both.  Source of income must be evidenced, e.g. work contract and payslips, bank statements must be provided to show income being received or if applicable current savings balances.

Documents that are not in Spanish must be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator, and Government issued documents such as marriage and birth certificates must also be legalised, if they were issued in a country that is not in the EU.

As with many official procedures in Spain the application of rules varies from one area to the next, so in some provinces things may be needed that in others are not.  When researching it’s important to be aware of this, especially if your are using social media.

We have many years of experience handling non-EU family member applications throughout Spain and dealing with the various provincial immigration offices, so we have first hand knowledge of what each requires.

If you a non-EU family member of a British national who is resident in Spain under the withdrawal agreement planning to move to Spain feel free to get in touch to get an assessment of your situation and information about our service.

Enquire About Spanish Residency For A Non-EU Family Member of a British national who is resident in Spain under the withdrawal agreement

The Spanish Consulate in Manchester covers Central UK.  So if you live in the Midlands, the North West, Isle of Man or Wales, you’ll take your application to the BLS International Visa Centre in Salford Manchester, which handles visa processing for the Consulate of Spain in Manchester.

Locations that come under the Spanish Consulate in Manchester

Now that BLS International have taken over processing of Non Lucrative Visa Applications, it is no longer possible to track your application through the Spanish Consulate portal.  BLS have their own tracking system and in addition to this your can also check the progress of your residency application on the Spanish immigration website.

Fortunately these days, if you don’t know the Spanish language, translating basic documents is relatively easy.  There are abundant translation apps such as the popular Google Translate which a quite accurate.  Of course, if you need to have a Spanish translation of a more detailed or official document, you’ll need to get someone to do the translation for you.

There are various types of official document translations and certifications that you might need when living in Spain or during the process of applying to do so.  E.g. for visa and residency applications.

Sworn Translations

These are translations done by an official translator who is legally authorised as a translator.  Sworn translations, are accompanied by a signed declaration from the translator attesting to the accuracy and authenticity of the translation. The translator appears on an official list of certified translators and interpreters approved by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  The translator will sign and certify any translations they complete.

Sworn translations have a formal status with authorities, so these are what you have to get when you need to translate documents for things like visas, residency applications, social security etc.

There are three Spanish Consulates in the UK that issue Spanish residency visa.  The Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh covers the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.  So if you live in one of these areas, you’ll take your application to the BLS International Visa Centre in Edinburgh which handles visa processing for the Consulate of Spain in Edinburgh.

Locations that come under the Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh

Spanish Residency Certificate for Citizens of EU countries

All EU and EEA (European Economic Area) citizens and their family members have the right to visit, live or work in Spain.  A Spanish residency certificate confirms your status as a resident in Spain. For stays of up to 3 months there is no need to register or obtain any Spanish documentation unless you are going to be working, or for example buying a property, in which case you’ll need an NIE.  After that period, or if you intend to stay more than 3 months, you are expected to register as a resident.

You are given a residency certificate, or ‘certificado de residencia‘, when you successfully register.  The issue of certificates is controlled by the National Police, (Cuerpo Nacional de Policia).

There are a few steps involved in the process to register a car from an EU country in Spain.  Fortunately because of European standardisation, or homologation as it’s known, in most cases, provided you know the steps, it’s relatively straight forward.

To begin with you will need to have an address in Spain. the registration document for the car and a valid passport and NIE, or TIE or residency certificate if you live in Spain.  The following is a basic run through of the steps and process.

The Spanish Golden Visa offers residency to individuals who make a real estate investment in Spain of €500,000 or more.  The Spanish Golden Visa scheme has been in existence since September 2013 when legislation for the ‘residency by investment scheme’ was passed.  The aim being to attract foreign investors at a time when the economy of Spain was not in a very good place.  Since it’s inception, over 25,000 foreign investors have benefited from the scheme.

The main nationalities benefiting have been Chinese, Russian and US.  However now that the UK is no longer in the EU, Spain is now receiving significant numbers of Spanish Golden Visa applications from British Nationals who wish to enjoy their holiday residence, without the 90 day Schengen limitation.

What does the Spanish Golden Visa Offer UK British Nationals?