U.S. Consulates
Spain Digital Nomad Visa by U.S. Consulate
Spain has eight Consulates General and an Embassy consular section in the United States. Your application goes to the one that covers your state, and each has its own scheduling quirks, processing times, and document expectations. Find yours below.
Consulate vs. in-Spain application: know the difference
Applying at a U.S. consulate gives you a 1-year initial visa. Entering Spain as a tourist and filing through the UGE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas) gives you a 3-year residence permit (TIE) from day one, no renewal at year one. For many applicants that reason alone settles it. Both paths are valid; the right one depends on your timeline and situation.
Los Angeles
CA (South) · AZ · CO · UT
Busiest visa volume in the U.S. Book appointment at least 6–8 weeks out. Serves ten Southern California counties plus Arizona, Colorado and Utah.
View details →New York
NY · NJ · PA · CT · DE
One of the most experienced Spanish consulates for DNV applications. Serves the major East Coast metro area and surrounding states.
View details →Miami
FL · GA · SC
High volume of Spanish-speaking applicants and bilingual staff. Georgia and South Carolina files belong here.
View details →Houston
TX · NM · OK · LA · AR · MS · AL · TN
Serves Texas and seven other states across the South. Book well in advance. Texas applicants are a significant share of total DNV applications.
View details →Chicago
IL · IN · IA · KS · KY · MI · MN · MO · NE · ND · OH · SD · WI
Covers the Midwest’s largest metro. Processing times are typically shorter than coastal offices. A useful data point if your situation is flexible.
View details →San Francisco
CA (North) · OR · WA · AK · HI · ID · MT · NV · WY
Serves Bay Area and Northern California. Tech workers and remote employees represent a large share of applicants. This office sees a lot of W‑2 DNV files.
View details →Washington, D.C.
DC · MD · VA · WV · NC
Spain’s Embassy in the U.S. capital also handles visa applications. Covers DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina.
View details →Boston
MA · ME · NH · VT · RI
Smaller volume than New York. New England applicants often find faster appointment windows here. Well-organized office with clear documentation requirements.
View details →Atlanta
Honorary consulate · GA files go to Miami
Atlanta has an honorary consulate that does not decide visas. Georgia belongs to Miami; Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee to Houston.
View details →Before you book your consulate appointment
Verify your jurisdiction
Each consulate serves specific states. Applying at the wrong consulate will get your application returned. Confirm on the official MAEC website before booking.
Collect your documents before booking
Appointment windows at most consulates are 4–10 weeks out. Use that time to gather your FBI background check (about three weeks with a channeler and an apostille expeditor), income proof, and health insurance. Don’t book until your documents are within 3 months of completion.
Spanish translations are required
Documents in English generally need a Spanish translation, and official records such as the FBI check need a sworn one. Each consulate’s own list says which documents it wants translated and how.
The 1-year consulate visa vs. the 3-year TIE
Consulates issue a 1-year visa. Before it expires you file in Spain for the residence authorization, which runs up to three years. Applying while already in Spain on a tourist entry gives you a 3-year TIE directly, no year-one renewal required.
Not sure which route is right for you? I can review your documents and situation before you commit to either path.
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