Find Your Regional Spanish Consulate
In order to finish getting your visa, you will need your Carta de Nombramiento, but many other necessary documents take time to receive, so it is important to start collecting documents beforehand.
You need to apply for a visa at least two months prior to the start of the program (it’s preferable to apply earlier if possible). Your biggest bottleneck when collecting visa documents will be your Apostilled background check (and sworn translation) which can take up to 3 months. Start 4-5 months before your expected visa application date.
By applying for the Apostilled background check (and sworn translation) early, you risk wasting time and money if you don’t get accepted into the program. However, it protects you from potential visa timeline issues.
I highly recommend you look into the process as soon as possible to gather information. This means identifying your respective consulate, figuring out the documents you will need to prepare, and having a general understanding of when and how to apply for those documents (You’ll find all this information below and through the links provided).
Each consulate is a bit different, but generally, you will need a long list of documents. For certain documents required, they can have an expiration date which means once a certain amount of time has passed, they are no longer valid. The bottleneck is the Apostilled criminal background check along with a translation which has 6 months of validity (this has changed in the past, so please double check everything with your respective consulate). Getting this requirement alone can take months. On top of that, you must wait for your Carta de Nombramiento before your visa appointment, so timing is everything.
This section will walk you through the entire process. Make sure you follow the steps for your consulate, and don’t worry. It’s a long process, but I will break it down for you.
Before collecting all your documents and preparing for your visa application, it is important to know which consulate you need to prepare for. Below, I have a map of the Spanish consulates in the U.S.A. and Canada. It is color coordinated to help find your regional consulate. You must go to your regional consulate. For example, I am from Michigan, so I went to the consulate in Chicago. I am not allowed to apply for a visa at any other consulate except for the one in Chicago.
Spanish Consulates General in Canada
Generally, the requirements will be very similar between consulates, but there are some crucial differences between each consulate you go to. The documents you prepare and the methods of getting an appointment can be slightly different between consulates. These requirements can also be changed depending on current circumstances.
I applied through the Spanish embassy in Chicago. At the time it was required to present the visa documents in person. In other times, the Chicago embassy allowed mail in applications due to the high demand. After you find your consulate, I will explain how the process can be different and give resources to help you apply for your first visa.
Choose Your Consulate (USA)
(Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra and the U.S. Virgin Islands)
(Click Here)
Choose Your Consulate (Canada)
Guidelines and requirements can be changed at a moment’s notice. Triple check everything with the consulate’s website.
I am not a lawyer. I am sharing the information from the respective consulates’ websites along with my personal experiences in an organized manner.
Below are PDFs from the NALCAP program that give general guidelines for the visa process. It is a great guide to help with general requirements, but you need to follow the exact requirements for your consulate. FOLLOW THE EXACT INSTRUCTIONS FROM YOUR RESPECTIVE CONSULATE.
2026-2027 General Visa Application Guidelines (USA)
2025-2026 General Visa Application Guidelines (Canada)
At your visa appointment, officials will check and collect all the necessary documents. They will keep your passport while the visa is being processed. This could take between a few weeks and a little over a month. This has 2 major consequences:
- You won’t be able to fly internationally while your visa is being processed.
- Americans will need to apply for a Real ID before their visa appointment in order to fly domestically. The Real ID requirement for domestic flights.
After you have successfully completed your visa application during your appointment at an embassy, you will have 3-6 weeks to wait for the visa to be processed and sent back to you (or retrieved).
In the past, when you received your visa, it would state that it is only valid for 90 days, but this has changed as of 2025. Your visa should be valid for your entire stay. Regardless, once you arrive in Spain, you will need to complete more paperwork to receive the foreign residency card (TIE). This will be covered later. In the meantime, start looking for a good flight because after receiving your visa, you have a finite amount of time to get to Spain.
Before leaving for Spain, check out the NALCAP Webinar for 2025. It includes important information for all NALCAP participants, new and returning. Also, make sure you aren’t missing anything before your flight!
Last minute preparations. What to bring and what to do before you get on that plane.
NALCAP Pre-Departure Webinar 2025
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