“How can I live in Spain?”

“How can I live in Spain?“

It’s the question we get asked the most often. And it’s usually from non-EU citizens, people living in the United States, Canada, Australia…and now the UK.

For most of these people the answer is the Spanish non-lucrative Visa. It’s a visa aimed at people who want to live but not work in Spain. So most people applying for the non-lucrative visa (NLV for short) are retirees who dream of coming to Spain: for the relaxed lifestyle, the cheaper cost of living, and the great weather.

And the great thing about the Non-lucrative Visa? After 5 years you can apply for Permanent Residency in Spain. Which means you can live out the rest of your days in Spain.

A few years ago I wrote a detailed, “do it yourself” guide to the Non-Lucrative Visa. It’s a very popular post, one of the most popular posts I’ve written on this blog.

But I’ve realized, from both comments on the blog and the many personal emails I receive every day, that for most people the process is too complicated to do it alone. Not because they’re lazy and/or disorganized, but because there are just too many variables and inconsistencies in the process. For example: depending on where you’re applying, you might require a fixed address or even a lease in Spain before applying for the NLV. Are you married? Or do you have a common law relationship and/or children? How about your finances? Do they meet the “Evidence of economic means” requirements stipulated in the NLV? Do you have private health insurance to cover you in Spain? (another requirement of the NLV). Finally there’s the Spanish consulate you’ll be applying at in your home city. Some are great (we applied in Montreal where they were incredibly helpful) others don’t help you out at all. We’ve heard horror stories.

We decided to work with a local Spanish company to help people thinking of living in Spain. Bureaucracy International is a young company founded by Marina and Thomas. They handle the Spanish non-lucrative Visa from A to Z for you, taking the questions and the stress out of the process.

Why should you use Bureaucracy International?

1. You’ll get a FREE 30 minute consultation with Marina to figure out if you qualify for the NLV. So you’re saving time, effort and money and getting a straight answer from a professional.
2. If you qualify for the Non-lucrative Visa and chose to use Marina to help you with the process, you get a fixed price. No surprises, no hidden charges. And using our link, you get a 10% discount on that price (at 899 Euros, that’s far less than you’d pay a lawyer).
3. Marina guides you from A to Z with the paperwork. She’ll help you get private health insurance if required, arrange for translations, prepare a “motivo” letter, set up all your appointments (including those in Spain. You’ll be thankful for that). She’ll arrange to pay government fees. She’ll do everything…and then she’ll send you the documents by courier. All you’ll have to do is show up with them at your consular appointment.
4. Marina will deal with the consulates. You won’t have to. She’ll take care of any issues that come up. You won’t have to deal with grumpy government employees.
5. She’ll also help you when you come to Spain. Upon arrival, you have 30 days to go to your local Oficina de la Extranjeria (foreigner’s office) to apply for your Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (ie. your Foreigner Identity card, or TIE). She’ll do that – she’ll set up the appointment and do all the paperwork. All you have to do is show up.

These are the things Bureaucracy International does. The goal? To get it right the 1^st time. You don’t want a delay causing havoc with the scheduling of your documents (which are only valid if issued within 90 days of your NLV appointment). You want to get it right the first time so you don’t have to re-do the whole process.

That’s why you should use Bureaucracy International.

Still not sure? Have a look at the online reviews of Bureaucracy International. They have 46 reviews as of today, all with perfect scores and great comments. Then contact Marina. Talk to her. It’s FREE. She’ll tell you if you qualify for the NLV and give you all the advice you need. Then you can decide if you want to continue the process*.

*We’re soon entering our 3^rd year in Spain. 2 more years and we’ll have permanent residency. It’s the best thing we’ve ever done.

Website: Bureaucracy International. Click on that. From there you can write or call Marina, or just book your free 30 minute consultation. It’s easy.