Full Official Guide from NALCAP

This page was last updated on June 21, 2025. Small changes to visa requirements can and do occur, so please double check everything on the official website below.

New York City Consulate Official List of Requirements

BLS Webpage List of Requirements

New York City Consulate Contact Page

Fighting Bureaucracy – Home
My Journey to Residency

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• Important Dates and Deadlines
• FBI Background Check Timeline
• In-depth List of Requirements
• Apostilled and Translated FBI Background Check
  Step 1: Fingerprints and FBI Check
  Step 2: Getting the Apostille
  Step 3: Getting the Translation
• Making a Notarized Copy
• Visa Application Form
• Photograph
• Passport
• Carta de Nombramiento + Insurance
• Medical Certificate
• Proof of Residence in the Consular District
• Visa Application Payment
• Disclaimer Form
• Making an Appointment
• Collecting the Visa
  

Before submitting!!! (Check List)

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In-Depth List of Requirements

Official List of Requirements from New York City Consulate

New York City Consulate Official List of Requirements

BLS Webpage List of Requirements

Now that you have an idea of the deadlines and important dates, I will walk you through the full list of requirements for the New York City Consulate starting with the bottleneck requirements of the Apostilled and translated FBI background check.

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Apostilled and Translated FBI Background Check

Official Requirement Language:

“Applicants of legal age who apply for a visa for a stay of more than 180 days must submit the original and a copy of the criminal record check certificate(s) issued by their country or countries of residence for the past 5 years (residence defined as having stayed in that country for 6+ months). Foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled and, where applicable, must be submitted together with an official translation into Spanish.”

Getting a Spanish Background Check from Abroad

Step 1 – Fingerprints and FBI Background Check

Overview of the FBI Background Check Process

≈April 16 Request an FBI background check by submitting an online application along with your fingerprints (digital or physical). Follow the steps provided by the FBI for an online background check request.

Applying online is the fastest and most effective way to receive your FBI background check. Read steps 1 through 7 and then enter your e-mail address in the box to the right. (this process can also be done while in Spain)

After you click submit, you should receive an automated email with a PIN and a link to your request.

Click on the link and enter your PIN to continue. There you will have to agree to a privacy statement before you continue. The webpage has 5 steps to follow. I’ll walk you through them, but they are very simple. (The webpage may give you errors if you do this on mobile. When I accessed it using Google Chrome on my mobile device, it didn’t provide me all the options available.)

Step 1 – Personal Information: Enter your personal information.

Step 2 – Mailing Address: Enter your mailing address and phone number.

Step 3 – Preferences: Q1 – Yes, Q2 – Yes, Q3 – Yes, via e-mail (enter e-mail address)

Step 4 – Fingerprint Card:

Have this done electronically. It avoids the needless delay of sending an application by mail (sometimes the delays are up to 3 weeks).

Fingerprinting Locations for those of you Currently Residing in Spain (you can also always fill out a fingerprint card and mail it in)

If for whatever reason, you can not get this done electronically, click on the mail option and follow the steps there. You will need to fill out a fingerprint card and send it by mail. To get a fingerprint card properly filled out, print out the fingerprinting template and bring it to your local police station. There, you can pay a small fee and request to have fingerprinting done for an FBI background check.

After selecting Electronic submissions, a box will pop up giving Third-Party Fingerprinting Locations near you. There is also an option to expand your search radius if the options provided are not convenient for you.

In my situation, I would check all the options in the List of Participating U.S. Post Office Locations without providing my zip code.

If you choose to use one of the location options offered by the FBI, keep the electronic submission option checked and continue to step 5.

Step 5 – Payment: Confirm your information and continue with payment. The cost will be $18. Complete your payment details. Don’t forget! You will pay an additional $50 as a fingerprinting fee at a participating USPS location. Check for an email confirmation, and save the order number. This will be used to register for the fingerprinting services.

Finally – register and have your fingerprints taken: Using your order number, register for fingerprinting service through the USPS.

https://ips.usps.com/IdentityCapture/

Check the fingerprinting hours of your USPS location, and show up during that time with a printed copy of your FBI payment confirmation email.

You should receive your FBI background check within a day or two. You can check the status by using the FBI link from the original email along with the PIN provided to you. When the results are ready, you should receive an email from the FBI. The FBI background check will either be attached in the email, or you could download it at the status page. Start the Apostille of the Hague process as soon as you have a downloaded copy of the FBI background check.

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Step 2 Getting the Apostille

≈April 17/18 As soon as you get the email with your FBI background check results, you can apply for Apostille of the Hague. You do not have to wait for the hard-copy through the mail. Print a high quality copy of the document, and make sure that your printed copy has the large FBI seal in the background.

Because the Federal Bureau of Investigation background check is a federal document, you need to have a federal apostille. Federal documents get federal Apostilles, and state documents get state Apostilles. Although your state department may offer Apostille services, it is not valid for the FBI background check.

If you want to speed up the Apostille process or avoid doing it yourself, you can use a paid service. Monument Visa Services isn’t a sponsor (so please consider supporting the work I do), but I arranged a discount for my viewers: $100 instead of $125 with my link. They do great work. I’ve seen 2 week turnaround times from their services. If you want to save money and do it yourself, instructions can be found below.

Requirements: (link)

1. “One self-addressed, prepaid envelope for return of your document.” Use USPS. Here it is online (link). Do not purchase it online, though. For the apostille, you will need 2 USPS Pre-paid mail envelopes with a tracking a number. Go directly to a USPS post office, and purchase the 2 necessary mail envelopes:
   
   1 USPS Prepaid mail envelope with a tracking a number to send the FBI background check to be apostilled.
   
   Office of Authentications
   U.S. Department of State
   CA/PPT/S/TO/AUT
   44132 Mercure Circle
   P.O. Box 1206
   Sterling, VA 20166-1206
   
   1 USPS Prepaid mail envelope with a tracking a number included in the FBI background check/apostille letter with a return address, so the apostille can be sent back to you.
   
   Return name
   Home address
   Your Address
   Still your address
   
   Make sure that the envelope that is addressed to you is accurate!
   
2. The FBI background check document. Remember, make sure the FBI seal is visible in the background.
   
3. A $20 check or money order addressed to the U.S. Department of State. This is a per document fee for the apostille, not per page. You may see on the DS-4194 form and online that the fee is only $8, but that is outdated.
   
   “If you are mailing your request, pay by check or money order. Make them payable to the U.S. Department of State. Do not send cash or credit card information.
   
   Include the customer’s name and address on checks (make sure this information is preprinted) and money orders. All check numbers must be over 100.”
   
4. A completed Request of Authentications Service DS-4194 form.
   Section 1 fill out your personal information.
   Section 2 fill out your delivery method and tracking number (found on the self-addressed, prepaid envelope)
   Section 3 leave blank – you do not have a courier or representative.
   Section 4 Country of Use: Spain, Document Type: FBI Criminal Background Record, Number of Documents: 1, Processing Fee per Document: $20.
   
   
   Complete Section 5 where you estimate the total cost ($20), and then finally, place your FBI background check, DS-4194 Form, $20 Check, and self-addressed prepaid priority USPS envelope (you can fold it so it fits) in your prepaid priority USPS envelope addressed to the office of authentications.

To make an inquiry about the status of your Apostille, you can call the Office of Authentications at 202-485-8000 on Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Before calling, read the instructions on the “Check your Document Status” tab on the right hand side of their webpage (link here).

If you need to rush the apostille process in case of a travel emergency, you can contact your member of congress. Members of congress are authorized to give applications priority in the case of a backlog. Most representatives have a website with information about making a request (either an official request form or specific instructions.) If there is no information available, you can simply contact them with your request. Include all the necessary information for them to identify your apostille order and when you need it. Not every member of congress will help you, but some will, and it doesn’t hurt to ask.

(Make sure to wait about a week after sending your application so that it has been received before contacting your member of congress.)

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Here is an example of what you might find:

After clicking on “Services” and “Help with a Federal Agency”, I am directed to a webpage with specific instructions on how to enter my information to receive help.

*Your FBI background check is already certified by the FBI, and the apostille is a form of notarization, so getting the original documents notarized is not necessary. Some consulates require a notarized copy of the original document and the translation, but New York City does not mention any notarization requirements.

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Step 3 Getting the Translation

≈June 8/June 28 (and after getting “aceptada” status if you are concerned about not being accepted into the program) Send the FBI background check to be translated. You can do this by sending a PDF of your scanned FBI background check and apostille.

The New York consulate requires a translation into Spanish by a sworn translator. A sworn translation is different from a standard translation, so USE A SWORN TRANSLATOR.

The BLS office states that you do not need to translate the Apostille, but the Spanish consulate itself does not mention such exception, so I recommend getting both the apostille and FBI background check translated.

Make a scan of each page without removing the apostille attached to the FBI background check (Just fold the ear). Send the document to be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator. Again, make sure the FBI logo is visible in your scan.

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During the wait times throughout this process, you can complete the other requirements. The other parts are much easier, I promise! These requirements are single step parts and not too involved.

Have you considered supporting this resource? It only costs a few dollars to help immensely. I hope these free guides have helped you better navigate the NALCAP processes and related bureaucracy. Other programs that guide you through the same processes can cost more than $2,000! By contributing pocket change, you can allow this resource to continue to exist.

https://residency2spain.com/support-the-page/#Donate
(This is just a link to a page with different donation options.)

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Making a Notarized Copy

“Please provide a duly notarized copy of School ID or US driver license/State ID.“

Passport – “(duly notarized copy of the page where your data and photos appear)”

What is a notarized copy, and how do I get one?

A notarized copy is a copy of your document that is stamped and signed by a notary to authenticate that it is a true, unaltered copy of the original document.

YOU DO NOT NOTARIZE YOUR ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS!

Not every state allows copy certification by a notary. The map below indicates which states allow copy certifications.

*California only allows copy certification for very specific purposes such as power of attorney. Californians will have to make a certified statement (option 2 below)

Depending on your state, you may complete option 1 or 2 to get a notarized copy.

Bring the following to your notary: the original document(s), an unaltered photocopy of the original document(s) (the notary may prefer that the copy is made in their presence. Please ask.), and a valid ID.

How to find a notary: your local bank is your best bet. Call ahead of time to make sure the notary will be available when you visit, and schedule an appointment.

Option 1 (state allows copy certification): State that you need a notarized copy for your visa, and request a copy certification of your unaltered copy. The notary will write ‘TRUE COPY’ and put their signature, seal and stamp on the copy itself.

Option 2 (state does not allow copy certification): State that you need a notarized copy for your visa, and bring the following statement to be completed.

You need a notarized copy of the following:

• Your proof of residence in the consular district
• The data and photo (biometric) section of your passport

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Visa Application Form

Form link (here) – Bring the original and a copy

BLS auto generates an application form when creating an appointment profile, but I insist you fill out your own form to avoid any issues.

*Very important: Please keep in mind that the date format in Europe is:
Day/Month/Year DD/MM/YYYY

Foto/Photo – The New York City consulate requests that you glue your recent, professionally done visa photo onto the space provided in the Visa Application Form.

Sections 1-9 – Fill in your personal information. All questions are given in Spanish and in English

Section 10 – If you’re not a minor, write N/A

Section 11 – N/A (You do not have a Spanish National ID Number)

Section 12 – Type of travel document – Ordinary Passport

Section 13 – Passport number

Section 14 – Date issued

Section 15 – Expiration date (make sure it is valid for the entirety of your stay in Spain.)

Section 16 – “US Department of State”

Section 17-19 – Fill in your personal information.

Section 20 – “Studies”

Section 21 – When you intend to arrive in Spain. If you purchase the extra month of insurance, you can put a date in September to get yourself situated before the program starts.

(If you put the program’s official start date: October 1, you may not need to buy extra insurance beforehand. This was what D.C.’s consulate told me. Americans can also enter Spain as tourists before the visa begins. The unlikely worst-case scenario is that, when applying for the TIE, they ask for an entry stamp after the visa start date, which would mean a quick round-trip flight outside the Schengen area, like Gibraltar.)

Section 22 – “Multi” or “more than 2”

Section 23 – Address of school or regional education office

Section 24 – If you lived in Spain previously and have a NIE, put it in. If not, leave it N/A. (At your visa appointment, they may want to see the passport that contains the old Spanish visa.)

Section 25 – If you lived in Spain previously and have a NIE, write the date of issuance. If not, leave it N/A.

Section 26-27 – N/A

Section 28 – Information from your Carta de Nombramiento

Section 29 – N/A

DONT FORGET TO COMPLETE SECTION 30 AND 31 – Section 30 – Place and Date Section 31 – Signature

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Photograph

You need a recently taken, professional 2″x2″ passport photo. I recommend paying for extra copies in case the original is damaged.

Follow the instructions carefully from the BLS Webpage under Photo Specifications.

You can get this done at various pharmacies, retail stores, and select shipping centers: CVS, Walgreens, Target, Wal-Mart, USPS offices, and FedEx. Don’t try to do it yourself. Just pay for the service because there are many requirements.

A simple mistake that really made my visa appointment stressful: I got my picture done at a supermarket. In my picture a few stray hairs went out of frame in the picture. This made the passport photo invalid, so I had to quickly get another one taken at the CVS across the street from the consulate during my visa appointment.

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Valid, Unexpired Passport

“The original and a photocopy of the page or pages of the passport that contain biometric data must be submitted. The passport must have a minimum validity period of 1 year and contain two blank pages. Passports issued more than 10 years ago will not be accepted.”

The photocopy must be notarized

NALCAP recommends that your passport is valid for at least 6 months past the end date of your visa, but it is not a requirement. The program (and visa) is typically from October – end of May or June.

Getting a Passport (U.S.)
Renewing Your Passport (U.S.)

If you are a non US passport holder, you need to provide your passport and a Permanent Resident Card or US Immigrant Visa. 

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Carta de Nombramiento + Insurance

The Carta de Nombramiento is the school placement letter you receive stating what specific school you are assigned to. You are typically sent an email when you finally receive the Carta de Nombramiento. This file can be accessed in your communidad’s web portal: Auxmadrid, Auxand@, and many others. Provide the original and a copy of the document. (You will not receive a “true original” in the mail. Just print 2 copies).

If you haven’t received this letter yet and are curious about the process/wait, check out (Checking on Your Application)

This letter should provide information on the school the applicant has been appointed to (address, phone number, contact email). It should also contain information about the grant, the duration of the program and the insurance policy.

NOTE: The carta de nombramiento covers any financial means. You do NOT need to provide any additional documents for this requirement.

It also covers your health insurance requirement during the program. Unfortunately, a new law (Law RD 1155/2024) which came into affect May 20th, 2025 has confused things.

“Health insurance must be valid from at least one month before the start of studies until 15 days after the end of the studies, or for one year if the duration of the studies is longer than one year.”

In past years, health insurance has not been a requirement for NALCAP participants, and many regions of the NALCAP program continue to insist that it shouldn’t be a requirement.

“Good morning: We have forwarded this information to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Public Affairs (MEFPD) so they can inform the consulate. Language assistants do not need to extend their health insurance.”

-Response from Andalucia.

This does not change the fact that if you get denied at a BLS office, you won’t be able to submit your visa application to begin with. Depending on your BLS office, the employee who processes your application, and their mood that day, they can and will deny your application without additional insurance.

You will have 2 options to approach this issue. I will provide all the details I have so you can make an informed choice.

Option 1: Buy the additional insurance (starting 1 month before the program starts)

Pros: It’ll avoid any potential bureaucratic headaches. Since collectively, auxes have found a cheap and flexible insurance provider that fulfills all the visa requirements, it won’t be that expensive either.

Cons: It’ll cost you about 45 euros.

Feather Insurance

You will be covered by the program’s health insurance during the school year. You just need to get the additional coverage for the visa (starting 1 month prior to the start of the program), and this is the only flexible option I found that meets all the visa requirements, which are quite strict. It’s only around 45 euros a month, and they have a generous cancellation policy that allows you to cancel at any time (more info below on cancelling). That means you can avoid paying for coverage you don’t need.

Warning: When you open the link above, make sure to change your country to Spain (there should be a flag in the top right corner).

After getting insured, print out your proof of insurance (and a copy) in Spanish and English. Make sure it includes a start and end date of your insurance coverage. Bring these documents to your appointment.

When should I cancel my insurance policy?

Since you anticipate cancelling after 1 month, to be safe, you can fill out the vigencia form to opt out of the required extra 15 days of insruance after your visa. (If you are renewing your stay in Spain, those 15 days don’t matter, and if you aren’t, when your visa expires, you’ll be able to stay for a few months as a tourist anyway.)

Option 2: Duke it out with BLS.

Bring an additional form waiving your rights to an extended visa period (1 month prior to the program start date and 15 days afterwards). Set your visa entry date to October 1st (the start date of the program), and be prepared to argue with BLS if they push back.

In an email from the region of Murcia, we were provided a form to hopefully avoid being required to purchase additional insurance. From what I’ve seen, it usually works, but some people get rejected anyway at BLS.

Here is a PDF of the full email from Murcia:

The purpose of the mentioned form (when filled out the way I have it below) is to authorize your visa to only include the exact duration of the “activity” or “study” (Make sure your intended arrival date matches that on your application form!).

The annexed model form example and download can be found below:

Bring your filled out form as well as a copy to your appointment (Spain loves copies)

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Medical Certificate

The Medical Form is only valid for 90 days, so plan accordingly

Medical form template Original and a copy of a “recent medical certificate, issued in the last three months before the application date, on the letterhead of the doctor or medical center, duly signed, sealed and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator, stating: ‘This medical certificate certifies that Mr./Ms. (…) does not suffer from any disease that could have serious implications for public health in accordance with the provisions of the 2005 International Health Regulations’. In the case of using the model from our website, the Spanish translation is not necessary.”

Book a check-up with your doctor (not nurse, nurse practicioner, or anything other than an MD), and have the template filled out. Please, make sure that all the requirements of the form are completed. If your doctor does not fill out the Spanish section, you need to have the form officially translated into Spanish. Follow the instructions carefully.

Instructions on page 2:

Written on letterhead paper from hospital´s/doctor’s office:
See a doctor (MD) and they will determine if you are of good health according to the International Health Regulation (2005). This PDF file can be sent electronically in order to be printed out on letterhead paper. The doctor may also use this sample as a guide to write his or her own certificate. Remember that it must specifically mention the International Health Regulations (2005). The doctor should then print out, sign, date and stamp the Medical Certificate.

Written on Template:
This template can also be signed and filled out by the doctor, with doctor´s stamp; without the stamp, the template is not valid. Therefore, if your doctor does not have a stamp, in order to be accepted, the doctor must write the information from the template to a letter with a letterhead of the hospital or doctor’s office, so it can be accepted at the Consulate.

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Proof of Residence in the Consular District

The New York City consulate only services certain states, so show proof that you live in one of those states.

“The applicant must provide proof of their legal residence in the consular district or that they are attending classes, in person, in the consular district.”

“Please provide a duly notarized copy of School ID or US driver license/State ID.”

The BLS webpage specifically requests a notarized copy.

Make sure to bring the original as well for those of you with an appointment.

Getting a Notarized Copy (Link)

“What if I have a Driver’s license from New York City, but my State ID card is in Alabama?”

Use whatever valid proof of residence you have that is within the jurisdiction of the consulate. These are bureaucrats, not detectives.

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Payment of the Visa Fee

“Individual study applications, payment by Cash or Debit card only” – NYC BLS Office

Bring both just in case.

The American citizen fee is $160. You can check their website for the most recent visa fees (here)

You are applying for the long term student visa EE.UU (USA).

Additionally, BLS charges a $19 processing fee.

Amount: $179 (bring exact cash* and/or a debit card)

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Disclaimer Form

Print and sign the disclaimer form provided by BLS. (Link)

For now the disclaimer form provided by BLS provides a 404 error. They are already informed about this, so I’m hoping that it gets resolved before people start booking visa appointments. If this isn’t resolved, I’ll take a copy of another BLS disclaimer form from a different city/office and make appropriate changes to the form such as changing city names and addresses.

Miami BLS office disclaimer form with appropriate changes:

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Making an Appointment

How to find an appointment/apply:

Before you start: Triple check both the consulate page and BLS page for changes.

Small things such as being able to apply via mail or in person, the office address, and being able to have your visa sent back to you can change, so please check for yourself. If given the chance to apply via mail or in person, as long as it’s not too inconvenient, I recommend in person applications. That way, you can correct any small mistakes in your application while you are there.

New York City Consulate Official List of Requirements

BLS Webpage List of Requirements

Go to the following BLS NALCAP page.

https://usa.blsspainglobal.com/Global/account/login

After registering your account, log in, and select “book new appointment”.

Make sure you select the correct location when booking the appointment! It should be YOUR consulate.

If you are unable to find any appointment availabilities suitable for you, you can also pay extra for “Prime Time” appointments.

1. Input your personal details.
2. Add your passport details.
3. Address and contact details.
4. If you are resident in another country, check yes. If not, leave it blank.
5. Main purpose – “Study”
   
   Intended date of arrival – When you intend to arrive in Spain. If you purchase the extra month of insurance, you can put a date in September to get yourself situated before the program starts.
   
   (If you put the program’s official start date: October 1, you may not need to buy extra insurance beforehand. This was what D.C.’s consulate told me. Americans can also enter Spain as tourists before the visa begins. The unlikely worst-case scenario is that, when applying for the TIE, they ask for an entry stamp after the visa start date, which would mean a quick round-trip flight outside the Schengen area, like Gibraltar.)
   
   Number of entries requested – multiple
   
   Intended stay duration – Do the math. How long is the program (in days)?
   
   Applicant’s address in Spain – Put the address listed for the school found in your Carta de Nombramiento. If you are trying to make an appointment before receiving your Carta, you can use your region’s Department of Education address found on NALCAP.com or with Google. (The address is just a placeholder for now. Your official application form can carry a different address later on).
   
   And submit!

Later on when selecting your appointment, they will ask you to upload a photo:

Once everything is correctly selected, go ahead and book your appointment.

Don’t be picky about your date! It can often be very difficult to find an available appointment.

It’s a good idea to start searching for available dates BEFORE you finish all your paperwork.

Bring your appointment reservation to the appointment.

Address:

55 W 39th St, 18th Floor, New York NY 10018.

Extra help: it may be difficult to get an appointment. A good trick is to connect with other auxes from your region and find out the release schedule of new appointments.

Take your appointment reservation to the visa application. Bring everything in the check list/all the necessary documents to this appointment. It’s also a good idea to wear something business casual. It’s not a job interview, but your first impression can be impactful, especially if you made a small mistake.

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:

1. You won’t be able to fly internationally while your visa is being processed.
2. You will need to apply for a Real ID before your visa appointment in order to fly domestically. The Real ID requirement for domestic flights begins on May 7, 2025.

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Collecting the Visa

You will be informed of the pickup procedure during your appointment. Inquiry and collection time is from 15:00 to 16:00 hrs (Monday to Friday) at the BLS office, so plan your visit accordingly when picking up your visa.

Make sure to frequently check your status after receiving your application receipt. Look for status, Visa: resuelto.

https://usa.blsspainglobal.com/Global/bls/VisaApplicationStatus

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Check List

Before sending your application, go through the entire check list (here)

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