# American seeking guidance for retirement Visa



## tobyo (Jul 16, 2011)

Greetings from the frozen tundra!! Wait, it's below freezing....I digress.

I've been a member here for several years but not terribly active as my retirement plans aren't yet for a couple of years. We're hoping to sail away mid 2020. I was perusing another thread here a couple of weeks ago and someone suggested I ask this in my own post so......

For an American citizen to apply for residence in Spain you must go through the consulate office for where you reside. And for me, that's the Chicago office. One of their requirements is proof of accommodation, #6 at this link: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/CHICAGO/es/ServiciosConsulares/Serviciosconsularesenchicago/Documents/documentosvisados/retirado.pdf


(why doesn't the link show up in preview?? hoping this works. didn't work. I can see the link in preview but it doesn't show up when I post so I added it as a reply below. UGH! finally got it to work......somehow!)

This seems so illogical to me. We're supposed to secure a lease (not interested in purchasing property in Spain) before we know if our Visas are approved? Huh? Are there any Americans here who went through the Chicago consulate and fulfilled this requirement? It appears that I cannot email this consulate to ask this very important question.

I think that every consulate in the U.S. has their own requirements. I just attempted to look at Boston's requirements and I didn't get very far but I suspect that not all consulates have this requirement.

Any help is greatly appreciated.


----------



## tobyo (Jul 16, 2011)

here's the link that refuses to show up in my original post:

http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/CHICAGO/es/ServiciosConsulares/Serviciosconsularesenchicago/Documents/documentosvisados/retirado.pdf


----------



## tobyo (Jul 16, 2011)

I was able to find the requirements for the Miami consulate and there's is similar but slightly different:

10. Proof of accommodation in the city where you want to live as follow:

• Notarized invitation letter from a family or friend where he/she asumes responsibility for lodging, or
• Lease, or
• Deed of the property or
• Letter explaining the reason why you have chosen that city in particular.

from here: Residence Visa for Retirees

Too bad I can't apply through the Miami office as I think I could get a letter from a friend who lives in Malaga......alas......there is no such option going through the Chicago consulate:

6. Proof of accommodation. Provide one of the following documents:
 Lease. (In Spanish or translated into Spanish)
 Title deed of property. (In Spanish or translated into Spanish)


----------



## expat16 (Jun 11, 2016)

I doubt the law is actually different depending on the consulate. So, either one of those lists is not up to date, or one consulate is a bit lazy. 

I would consult the actual law/go to a lawyer to check whether a notarized letter is indeed enough. Then present the application to the consulate via a lawyer (with letter citing to the law for basis of acceptability of the notarized letter option).


----------



## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

expat16 said:


> I doubt the law is actually different depending on the consulate. So, either one of those lists is not up to date, or one consulate is a bit lazy.


There are certainly some strange happenings out of US consulates, or at least the way they are interpreting the laws. 

Ultimately it is the Spanish law and courts who decide what is what and certainly there are people being told the wrong thing. This one seems less potentially damaging but still weird. 
Try phoning the consulate and ask if a rental agreement via a hotel will do.
,,


----------



## tobyo (Jul 16, 2011)

expat16 said:


> I doubt the law is actually different depending on the consulate. So, either one of those lists is not up to date, or one consulate is a bit lazy.
> 
> I would consult the actual law/go to a lawyer to check whether a notarized letter is indeed enough. Then present the application to the consulate via a lawyer (with letter citing to the law for basis of acceptability of the notarized letter option).


good point, I bet you're right. and that sounds like a good idea. thank you.


----------



## tobyo (Jul 16, 2011)

Pazcat said:


> There are certainly some strange happenings out of US consulates, or at least the way they are interpreting the laws.
> 
> Ultimately it is the Spanish law and courts who decide what is what and certainly there are people being told the wrong thing. This one seems less potentially damaging but still weird.
> Try phoning the consulate and ask if a rental agreement via a hotel will do.
> ,,


thanks for your advice, I appreciate it.


----------



## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

I would be *extremely *surprised if a notarised letter re providing you with accommodation was not acceptable - extremely - *BUT *I would recommend it be accompanied by the person's lease or title deed and copy of their ID.


----------



## skip o (Aug 1, 2011)

Consulates ARE different in what they ask for, for some visas. And I wouldn't be surprised if things that are asked for online aren't asked for when you come in person, and things that WEREN'T asked for online WERE asked for in person. I dealt with the Chicago consulate. My memory is that it was easy to book appointments online, they were easy to deal with and they weren't that busy. At least, in December. I would expect that proof of a future hotel stay or proof that you are working with a real estate agent to find a rental would suffice.


----------



## kdsb (May 3, 2015)

From following this and other forums we did find the consulates were actually quite different in what the requirements were. We went through Boston and did not have to provide proof of accommodation but I have heard that others did. There was a spot for an address in Spain on the form and I just put down the address of the hotel we had booked for our first week there. I brought paperwork to prove we had reserved a hotel room but they never asked for it. However they were much more concerned there with proof of recurring income whereas other consulates were more content to see money in a bank account. And they also varied about whether remote work was allowed while in Spain (fine according to Boston, but some other consulates said it wasn't allowed).

That is tricky if you live far away and have no way to contact them. One thing to know is that if you don't meet all the requirements it's not like the reject you on the spot but would likely give you time to bring in other paperwork. The Boston consulate asked for some paperwork not on their list (letters from our employers) and we just got it in within the next couple weeks.


----------



## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

kdsb said:


> And they also varied about whether remote work was allowed while in Spain (fine according to Boston, but some other consulates said it wasn't allowed).


This is the bit that gets me specifically, because my family, friends etc cannot get a visa that allows remote work. And I would be having a guess but the visa that Boston issue is the same that others do, I don't think there is a special stipulation included. 
And whilst Boston may say you can and issue the visa ultimately it is Spain that has the final say if they catch you doing something wrong. So either Boston and others allowing this are correct or vice versa, there is however only one true answer( which I'm not entirely certain of).

I have recently seen it posted that someone was working remotely and told they don't need to file a tax return.
Surely that is wrong but it is clear there are many people being told that.

Not as if anything bad can happen if they get caught, right?


----------



## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

Pazcat said:


> This is the bit that gets me specifically, because my family, friends etc cannot get a visa that allows remote work. And I would be having a guess but the visa that Boston issue is the same that others do, I don't think there is a special stipulation included.
> And whilst Boston may say you can and issue the visa ultimately it is Spain that has the final say if they catch you doing something wrong. So either Boston and others allowing this are correct or vice versa, there is however only one true answer( which I'm not entirely certain of).
> 
> I have recently seen it posted that someone was working remotely and told they don't need to file a tax return.
> ...


It's not just Spanish consulates that stipulate different visa requirements, French consulates do too. Although at least in France we know that it's where you're actually located when doing the work that triggers tax in France (i.e. if you work online from France, you are taxable in France).


----------



## tobyo (Jul 16, 2011)

skip o said:


> Consulates ARE different in what they ask for, for some visas. And I wouldn't be surprised if things that are asked for online aren't asked for when you come in person, and things that WEREN'T asked for online WERE asked for in person. I dealt with the Chicago consulate. My memory is that it was easy to book appointments online, they were easy to deal with and they weren't that busy. At least, in December. I would expect that proof of a future hotel stay or proof that you are working with a real estate agent to find a rental would suffice.


Thanks, appreciate your comments.


----------



## tobyo (Jul 16, 2011)

kdsb said:


> From following this and other forums we did find the consulates were actually quite different in what the requirements were. We went through Boston and did not have to provide proof of accommodation but I have heard that others did. There was a spot for an address in Spain on the form and I just put down the address of the hotel we had booked for our first week there. I brought paperwork to prove we had reserved a hotel room but they never asked for it. However they were much more concerned there with proof of recurring income whereas other consulates were more content to see money in a bank account. And they also varied about whether remote work was allowed while in Spain (fine according to Boston, but some other consulates said it wasn't allowed).
> 
> That is tricky if you live far away and have no way to contact them. One thing to know is that if you don't meet all the requirements it's not like the reject you on the spot but would likely give you time to bring in other paperwork. The Boston consulate asked for some paperwork not on their list (letters from our employers) and we just got it in within the next couple weeks.


thanks for sharing your experience. good to know.


----------

