Spain's checklist was written for Spanish-style paperwork. Americans don't have a "certificado bancario sellado" or a "certificado de solteria" — you have bank letters, affidavits, IRS transcripts, and two different apostille systems. This page maps the official requirements to the U.S. documents that satisfy them.
Every page, valid through your intended stay.
The federal background check — apostilled by the U.S. Department of State (not your state's Secretary of State). If you lived in another country in the last 2 years, you'll need that country's check too.
Covering the last 5 years of residence — prepared with your application.
Last 3 months of pay stubs or invoices, matched line-by-line against your bank records. The threshold is set in euros (200% of Spain's minimum wage) and rises with each family member.
Diploma and transcript, or an SSA earnings statement plus employer letters detailing dates and duties. The SSA statement can take months — it's the first document we order.
Qualifying insurance with no copays or waiting periods — or enrollment in Spanish Social Security after approval, in which case insurance isn't required.
Paid in Spain as part of the filing — handled by us.
Federal documents (FBI check, IRS letters) are apostilled by the U.S. Department of State in Washington; state documents (birth and marriage certificates, Good Standing) by each state's Secretary of State — every state with its own procedure and timeline. Spanish authorities expect recently issued certificates, so sequencing matters: a document that sits in the wrong apostille line can expire before filing.
The UGE asks for bank certificates signed and stamped by the bank — something American banks simply don't do with statements. The workaround is a signed bank letter (verification of deposit), and each bank has its own procedure for issuing one. We tell you exactly what to request and how the qualifying deposits must be flagged.
Spanish regulations require the remote-work authorization letter to state your role, duties, an express confirmation the job can be done remotely, and your salary in euros — something no U.S. HR department writes on its own. We provide the exact template and handle the conversion wording.
A common (expensive) mistake: apostilles apply to public documents only. Employment contracts, employer letters, and bank statements are private — they need a MAEC sworn translation, not an apostille. Sending them down the apostille path wastes weeks.
Employed by a U.S. company and working remotely.
Invoicing U.S. (or other non-Spanish) clients directly, without a company in between.
Working through a company you own — a distinct profile with extra requirements.
Filing together with the main applicant is simpler — one income proof covers everyone. Each relative adds their own documents, and some Spanish requirements have no direct U.S. equivalent:
Certified marriage certificate (recent copy from county or state vital records), apostilled in the issuing state.
A registered domestic partnership where your state or city offers one; otherwise, one year of cohabitation proven with at least two forms of joint evidence — lease, mortgage or deed, joint accounts, utility bills, matching driver's licenses. With a child in common, the birth certificate plus current cohabitation is enough. Note: unregistered partners must carry their own private health insurance.
Certified birth certificates. A minor who isn't the child of both adults needs the other parent's notarized consent.
The U.S. has no 'certificate of single status' or negative tax certificate — the accepted package combines an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter, an SSA benefit letter, enrollment verification, and a notarized Single Status Affidavit. Built case-by-case.
Proof of real, pre-existing dependence: recurring transfers for a year or more, shared housing evidence, and being claimed as a dependent on your Form 1040 — strong, natural American evidence. Presumed automatically at age 80+.
Slow documents first: the SSA earnings statement (when experience replaces a degree) and the FBI check with its federal apostille set the pace. State-issued certificates come next — ordered fresh, not pulled from a drawer, because Spanish authorities expect recent issuance. Sworn translations come last, after every apostille is physically on the document, so the translation covers the apostille too.
Done in the wrong order, documents expire while others are still in line — the most common reason self-managed U.S. applications restart from zero.
Free 30-minute assessment: your profile, your document gaps, and the fastest compliant path to filing.