First Steps
Moving to Spain From the US: The Checklist, in the Right Order
The FBI check, its apostille, the medical certificate and your U.S. accounts, sequenced so nothing expires before your consulate appointment.
Visa & Legal Status
A complete resource for Americans working out which Spanish visa fits their situation, what the consulate actually checks, and what happens to your legal status after you land. This section covers the long-stay routes open to U.S. citizens in 2026: the non-lucrative visa for retirees and people living on passive income, the digital nomad visa for remote workers, the student visa, the entrepreneur and highly qualified professional routes, the work visa with a Spanish employer, and family reunification. For each one we explain the income thresholds, the health insurance clause that gets files refused, the apostille and sworn translation sequence, and the validity windows that consulates count back from the day you submit: one for the FBI check, a shorter one for the medical certificate.
We also cover what happens after approval: the visa sticker, the one-month deadline to apply for the TIE residence card, how appointments are released, renewals and changes of status, and what to do when a file is delayed or refused. Every figure is dated and linked to the ministry page it comes from.
