Spain's national visa application form is the first document in many US non-lucrative visa checklists. It is not a legal argument, a cover letter or a place to explain every detail of your finances. It is the identity and visa-request form that tells the consulate who is applying, what type of national visa is requested, how the applicant can be reached, when they intend to enter Spain and where they expect to live. Because it sits on top of the file, mistakes on this form create an immediate impression.
The form is also easy to underestimate. Applicants often spend weeks on the FBI apostille, insurance certificate and bank evidence, then rush through the form the night before the appointment. That is backwards. The application form should be completed after the document strategy is clear, but before printing the final folder, so every answer matches the passport, housing proof, insurance start date, family file and intended entry plan. For the full evidence package, use our non-lucrative visa document checklist; this page focuses only on the official visa form.
On this page
The three forms people confuse Typed or handwritten, and how to prepare it Identity and passport fields Contact details and US residence Purpose, entry date and number of entries Address in Spain Fields that usually do not apply to NLV Spouse, children and minors Common form mistakes Frequently asked questions
"The visa form should not be creative. It should be boring, complete and consistent with the evidence behind it. Most problems come from small contradictions, not from difficult legal theory."
— Lola Jurado · Immigration lawyer, Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Málaga (nº 10907)
The three forms people confuse
For a US non-lucrative visa file, the national visa application form is only one of the forms. It is the consular visa form headed Solicitud de visado nacional / Application for long-term visa. Separately, the non-lucrative residence authorisation is normally requested on Form EX-01, and the residence fee is handled with Form 790-052. Several BLS and consular checklists list all three. Submitting the national visa form does not replace EX-01, and EX-01 does not replace the national visa form.
| Document | What it does | Practical warning |
|---|---|---|
| National visa application | Requests the long-stay visa from the Spanish consulate. | Every applicant completes and signs one; photo is attached to this form. |
| EX-01 | Requests the initial temporary non-lucrative residence authorisation. | Use the non-working/non-lucrative residence version, not a work or student form. |
| 790-052 | Residence permit fee form. | The usual box is initial temporary residence authorisation; follow your consulate's instructions. |
Typed or handwritten, and how to prepare it
Current US instructions commonly allow the national visa application to be completed electronically or handwritten in capital letters. Typed is usually cleaner, but handwritten is acceptable if it is perfectly legible. Do not use pencil. Do not squeeze long answers into tiny spaces if they become unreadable. If a field genuinely does not apply, write a clear N/A where appropriate rather than leaving the form looking unfinished, unless your consulate's own instructions say to leave it blank.
Print the final version single-sided unless your consulate says otherwise, attach the compliant photograph where indicated, and sign in ink. If you correct a mistake after printing, reprint the page instead of using heavy correction fluid across the form. A visa file should look controlled and deliberate, not patched together. Before the appointment, keep one scanned copy of the signed form for your records and place the original at the front of the folder.
Identity and passport fields
The first fields should match the passport exactly: surname, given names, date of birth, place of birth, country of birth and nationality. If your passport uses a middle name, include it in the given-name field in the same order. If you have a former surname, complete the former-surname field instead of pretending it does not exist. If a marriage certificate, divorce decree or background check uses a different name, the file should make that connection clear.
For the travel document, most US applicants select ordinary passport. Copy the passport number, issue date, expiry date and issuing country carefully. A single digit wrong in the passport number can create unnecessary friction when the consulate, BLS receipt, visa sticker and later TIE process are compared. The passport should also meet the validity and blank-page requirements in the checklist. If renewal is needed, renew first and then complete the forms from the new passport.
Contact details and US residence
Field 17 asks for the applicant's home address, email and telephone number. This is not cosmetic. It is where the consulate can send notices, requests or interview communications. Washington BLS specifically warns applicants not to forget the address, email and phone fields. Use the address that proves you are in the correct consular jurisdiction, and make sure it matches your state ID, driver's licence, lease, utility bill or other proof of residence if your consulate requires that evidence.
Field 18 asks whether you reside in a country other than your current nationality. A US citizen living in the United States normally marks no. A non-US citizen applying from the US normally needs to mark yes and provide the US residence document or status evidence requested by the consulate, such as a green card or visa/status documentation. This is a common error for foreign nationals filing in the United States: the form must explain why the Spanish consulate in the US is competent to accept the application.
Purpose, entry date and number of entries
For the non-lucrative visa, the purpose is residence without a labour purpose, or non-lucrative residence. Do not tick digital nomad, investor, student, employed work or self-employed work unless you are applying under that different route. If your evidence says you are moving to Spain to retire or live from passive income, the purpose box should not suggest employment or professional activity. The form should reinforce the no-work position explained in your affidavit and income evidence.
Field 21, the intended date of entry into Spain, is another field BLS Washington calls out. It should be realistic, not random. Coordinate it with the planned insurance start date, housing evidence, travel plan, school timing if children are involved and the expected visa processing window. You are not buying a flight on the form; you are giving the consulate a coherent entry plan. For timing, compare this page with the NLV timeline and costs guide and the document validity calendar.
Address in Spain
Field 23 asks for the applicant's address in Spain. This is one of the most sensitive boxes because it connects directly to the accommodation proof in the file. If you have a lease, use that address. If you own a property, use the property address and make the title deed or nota simple support it. If you are using a long-stay rental, temporary accommodation or a family address, the explanation and proof must be consistent with what your specific consulate accepts.
Do not invent a Spanish address just to fill the box. Do not use a hotel for one night if your file otherwise claims a one-year residence plan. Do not put a friend's address unless that person is actually hosting you and the file includes the appropriate proof. A weak address in Spain will not always sink the application by itself, but it can make the relocation plan look unprepared. If your housing is not final, the better move is to build a truthful housing explanation rather than forcing the form to say more than the evidence supports.
Fields that usually do not apply to NLV
The national visa form is used for several kinds of long-stay visas, so some sections are irrelevant to a non-lucrative applicant. Work-employer details, company data, study-centre information and research-host information usually do not apply to a pure non-lucrative residence file. That does not mean you should delete pages or ignore the form structure. Mark non-applicable sections clearly if needed and keep the form complete.
Fields about a prior foreigner authorisation, NIE or notification date may apply if you already have a NIE or if there has been a prior residence resolution, but many first-time US applicants will not have those details. The key is not to guess. If you have a NIE from a property purchase or prior Spanish procedure, include it consistently. If you do not have one, do not invent one or use a tax number from another country.
Spouse, children and minors
Each family member needs their own national visa application form. A spouse is not merely listed on the main applicant's form; they are an applicant with their own passport, photo, signature and supporting evidence. For children, each child needs a separate form too, and the form for a minor is signed by one parent or a duly accredited legal representative. Keep each person's forms and evidence clearly separated, especially where names differ across passports and birth or marriage certificates.
Family files also need consistency in entry date, Spanish address, insurance coverage and relationship evidence. If the main applicant's form says one entry date and the spouse's form says another with no explanation, the file looks fragmented. If a child's Spanish address differs from the parents' address, explain why. The safest approach is to prepare the household file as one coordinated relocation plan, then print individual forms for each applicant.
Common form mistakes
The most common mistake is leaving key fields blank: contact details, residence in the US, intended entry date and address in Spain. The second is ticking the wrong purpose box, especially when the applicant has remote-work or business-owner facts that actually need careful legal positioning. The third is using a Spanish address that does not match the accommodation evidence. The fourth is signing in the wrong place, forgetting the minor signature rule, or using an unsigned draft.
The fifth is inconsistency across documents: different passport numbers, different name order, a planned entry date before insurance begins, a US address outside the claimed consular jurisdiction, or a marital status that does not align with the family evidence. The sixth is confusing the national visa form with EX-01 or 790-052 and arriving with only one of the required forms. None of these errors is sophisticated, but they create avoidable doubt. A clean form tells the officer that the rest of the file has been prepared with the same care.
Frequently asked questions
Is the national visa application form the same as EX-01?
No. The national visa form asks the consulate for the long-stay visa. EX-01 asks for the initial non-lucrative residence authorisation. Many US checklists also require Form 790-052 for the residence fee. Treat them as three separate documents.
Can I fill the form by hand?
Current US guidance commonly allows typed completion or handwritten completion in capital letters. Typed is cleaner, but handwritten is acceptable if it is legible and complete. Sign the final version in ink.
What should I put for the address in Spain?
Use the real address supported by your accommodation evidence: lease, owned property, accepted long-stay accommodation or a properly documented host address. Do not invent a Spanish address or use a token hotel booking that contradicts your residence plan.
Does each family member need a separate form?
Yes. Each applicant, including each child, needs their own national visa application form and photo. A minor's form is signed by a parent or duly accredited legal representative.
Which fields should I double-check before printing?
Double-check surname and given names, passport number and expiry date, US contact details, residence status in the US if you are not a US citizen, purpose of travel, intended entry date, address in Spain and signature.
Sources reviewed July 2026: Spanish national visa application form PDF, BLS Spain Visa USA national non-working residence visa pages for Washington and Chicago, and Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs non-lucrative visa checklists. General information only, not legal advice; form versions and consular instructions can change, so confirm the latest PDF and checklist with your BLS centre or Spanish consulate before filing.