Visa for stays exceeding 90 days to participate in the North American Language and Culture Assistant program (NALCAP) sponsored by the Ministry of Education of Spain.
Study stays of less than 90 days do not require a study visa. Depending on the applicant's nationality, a short-stay visa may be required (see “Schengen visas
").
IMPORTANT:
The following family members may obtain a visa to accompany the student:
- The spouse or unmarried partner.
- Children who are minors or who have a disability.
Visas for students' family members do not constitute work permits.
The Consulate General of Spain in San Francisco will consider for this kind of visa only if the applicant´s permanent address in the Driver´s License or US State ID or the Voter´s Registration card shows that the applicant lives in: North California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Washigton, Alaska and Hawaii.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Spanish Government has signed a contract with an external company (BLS International) for processing visas for Spanish Consular Offices in the United States.
IT IS MANDATORY TO REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT
For NALCAP North American Language and Culture Assistant Program Visa, must request an appointment through this website: http://usa.blsspainglobal.com.
or https://usa.blsspainvisa.com/sanfrancisco/
Place of submission: Applications must be submitted in person at BLS Visa service for Spain:
Address: 717 Market St, Suite 425, San Francisco CA 94103.
Email: info.sfoes@blsinternational.net
Phone: 516-888-1169
The processing time until approval for the student visa can take between 5 to 8 weeks since receiving your application in the office. This General Consulate recommends not purchasing plane tickets until your visa has been granted.
The Consulate General of Spain in San Francisco has full authority to evaluate and request documents in addition to those initially submitted by the applicant.
Required documents for the North American Language and Culture Assistant Program
National visa ![]()
Visa Application form 2024.pdf(original).Each applicant must complete and
sign a visa application, filling out every section, including the e-mail address(clearly written or typed) of the applicant, so we can contact if documents are missing. If the applicant is a minor, a parent or duly accredited representative must sign the application. In the event that the application must be signed by a duly accredited representative, said accreditation may be demonstrated by way of a notarized letter from the applicant or a letter from the applicant’s university or school. Note:In the application form, it is important to fill in the email field in uppercase and with clear handwriting, as the consulate will contact you through this means if any documents are missing.
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Photograph.pdf. Two recent, passport-size, color photographs, taken against a light background, facing forward, without dark or reflective glasses, or any garments concealing the oval of the face. Photograph must be glued to the form (original).
- 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.It is an essential requirement that if you wish to process your visa, you must leave the original passport with us. Otherwise, we will not initiate the process. While your application is being processed, you will not be able to travel with your passport.Important note: To apply for the visa you must be in the USA and wait in the USA for approval of your visa.
- Copy of the Acceptance Letter by the Regional Education Authorities (“Nombramiento"). This letter must provide information on the school the applicant has been appointed to (address, phone number, contact email). It must also contain information about the grant, the duration of the program and the insurance policy.
- For the visa validity. Fill out numbers 21 (date of entry) and 28 (complete information related to the School in Spain) on application form. It is highly recommended not to purchase the travel tickets until the visa has been approved.
- Criminal record check certificate, is required in all cases, regardless of whether the studies exceed 180 days or not.Applicants over 18 must present original and copy of the criminal record certificate(s) issued by their country or countries of residence for the past 5 years.The Criminal record check certificate cannot be issued more than 6 months preceding the submission of the visa application.
Applicant(s) that has lived outside the United States during the past 5 years must provide an additional criminal background check from every country where he/she has lived, authenticated with the Apostille of The Hague and translated into Spanish, with a notarized copy of both documents.
If the country in which the applicant has lived in the past 5 years does not subscribe to The Hague Convention of 1961, the background check must by authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country and then by the Consulate of Spain in said country.
Note: Criminal record check certificates issued by US Local/State authorities will not be accepted. Applicant will be informed in the cases when they can be required in addition to the FBI records.Apostilles are required: Contact Official Apostille authorities to get an estimate on processing times before submitting your visa application.
7.Medical certificate, is required in all cases, regardless of whether the studies exceed 180 days or not.Original and a copy of a medical certificate accrediting that "the applicant does not suffer from any disease that could cause serious repercussions for public health pursuant to the 2005 International Health Regulations". The medical certificate must have the Doctor's Stamp (in Spanish or translated into Spanish if our template is not used). It is recommended to use ![]()
Medical Certificate.pdf.
8.Proof of residence in the consular district. Provide a copy (not the original) of US Driver's license or US State ID or Voter´s Registration card.
9.Payment of the visa fee. Only money orders are accepted. No personal checks, no credit cards, no cash. Please visit our website to check the most recent visa fees. (American citizen fee is $160, for the rest please check our website).
10.One Express Mail envelope self-addressed and with prepaid stamps from the US Postal Service per applicant.Type and print on a piece of paper the following applicant´s information. Name, last name, email and cell phone number to contact the applicant during business hours if necessary.
Required documents for family members
For each family member accompanying the student, the following must be submitted:
The documents listed above as 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 and:Proof of adequate financial means. The main applicant must submit originals and copies of the documents accrediting that there are sufficient financial means to cover the expenses while residing in Spain for the first year, or accrediting that there is a family regular source of income of a minimum amount of 100% of the IMPREM per family member under the applicant's care. These documents are the following: - Bank statements of the last 3 months from all your bank accounts (no need to translate into Spanish language).
- Any other source of income totaling the minimum required.
- Last 3 years of complete TAX IRS returns (no need to translate into Spanish language).
Moreover, the certificates proving kinship with the student (marriage certificate, unmarried couple certificate, or birth certificate, as applicable) must be provided. Foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled and, where applicable, must be submitted together with an official translation into Spanish.
When necessary to assess the application, the Consular Office may request additional documents or data and may also ask the applicant to come in for a personal interview.
Procedure
This Consular Office is competent to accept visa applications from individuals residing in the consular district.
Applying for a NALCAP visa also entails applying for a study stay permit if studies are longer than 180 days.
Visa application period. Visa applications must be submitted sufficiently in advance of the beginning of the pertinent study programs (not before 90 days prior to the beginning of the studies in Spain ), as the procedure entails consultations with other authorities. Incomplete applications will be returned, only complete applications will be admitted.
Rectifying the application. The Consular Office may ask the applicant to submit any missing documents, or to provide additional documents or data that are necessary for a decision regarding the application. The applicant may also be called in for a personal interview.
Decision period. Once the application is accepted as complete, the legal period for reaching a decision is of 1 month from the day after the application has been registered on the visa system (not from the date of the application is received in this Consulate General), but this period may be extended if an interview or additional documents are requested.
Collecting the visa. You must check the status of your visa using the receipt sent by this Consulate in the envelope provided by you. Use the following link http://sutramiteconsular.maec.es , when your visa status shows "RESUELTO", means that your visa is ready and it will be mailed back to you in your prepaid and self-addressed USPS envelope.
Refusal of the visa or study stay permit. Refusals of the visa or study stay permit will always be notified by mail, setting forth the grounds on which the decision adopted was based.
Appeals. If a study stay permit or visa is refused, the applicant may submit an appeal in Spanish language (by mail with tracking number) for reconsideration to this Consular Office within 1 month of the day following the date on which notification of the refusal is received. An application for judicial review may also be filed with the High Court of Justice of Madrid within the 2-month period beginning the day after the date on which the applicant receives notification of the visa refusal or of the dismissal of the reconsideration appeal.
Validity period of the visa. If the study stay does not exceed 6 months, the visa will be valid for the entire stay and it will not be necessary to obtain a Foreigner Identity Card. If the study stay is for longer than 6 months, the visa will be valid for a 90-day stay. The student must apply for a Foreigner Identity Card within a period of 1 month from their entry into Spain, at the Foreign Nationals' Office or the Police Station of the province in which the permit was processed.