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Follow up to previous post Address for NLV and Health Insurance.

It appears that as of March 1, 2024 all NLV applications are processed by BLS Spain Visa Application Center in Washington, D.C. Item 11 on BLS's instructions states "it is advisable to add a proof of accommodation, by providing one of the following documents (in Spanish): "Lease of minimum of 3 months signed by both renter and landlord."

So, my previous post regarding renting an apartment in Spain is of even more important than previously thought. It may be dawning on me that my dream of moving to Spain is in some jeopardy.

As always, any suggestions, referrals, or general informaiton will be more than appreciated.

@Michael McProuty

This is quite annoying as the proof of address is not needed in the official Spanish guidance. This is one of the "extras" requested in the USA. In fact, the official guidance is that you don't need a Spanish proof of address until you get to Spain when you need your PADRON certificate in order to get your TIE. I think you have 90 days to get your TIE from the time your NLV is approved.

It's a bit of extra aggravation, but it certainly doesn't put your dream in jeopardy.

Either go over first (as a tourist, visa-free) for a few weeks and find a place (and get health insurance). Or do a deal remotely via Idealista. I'd have no concerns doing a remote rental via Idealista as long as the listing was from a larger agent, and I could find their website and all their listings (including the one I want). But, of course, not every agent will be happy to sign a contract without seeing you.

Thank you for your very informative response. As of March 1, the DC consulate outsourced the processing of visa applicaitons to BLS Visa Application Center and they have added a few additional requirements that were not on the consulate website.

Please advise me on another question. My Spanish immigration attorney has pressured me to provide a Spanish address for the health insurance application, as well as the TIE (which she is preparing). My research suggested that it was sufficient to provide the city and province when completing the health insurance applciation.

Finally, what started as a positive and exciting experience has not fallen into a hole of new requirements and a rethink of pursuing the whole project.

Finally, what started as a positive and exciting experience has not fallen into a hole of new requirements and a rethink of pursuing the whole project. -@Michael McProuty

I can assure you that this is very typical, and we all get frustrated by the bureaucracy of formal relocation! It's so much easier when you can just jump on a plane and simply decide you fancy living in another country. :-)

I've done visa applications for many, many countries and they are, almost without exception, a bureaucratic headache. Basically, this stuff is a pain in the proverbial. The NLV is no different (actually, if anything, it's easier than many).

You need a PMA and realize that this is just a box-checking exercise for some underpaid bureaucrat. They helpfully publish a list of requirements (and the exact application process they want you to follow)... and your job over the next few weeks is simply to gather all the specified documents together. If they say you need document X, then leaving that box unchecked means they've got their excuse to say no. :-)