Are you an administrative agency or a law firm?

No. Landesp coordinates your relocation process, and our partner lawyers handle the legal work when your case requires it. Procedures and documents are checked against official sources.

How much does it cost?

The Student Pack has a fixed price of €300 per person. Essential depends on your procedure and headcount: you define your case in two minutes, see the price and scope in writing, and only then decide whether to pay. No hidden costs or later charges.

I'm already in Spain. Can you help me?

Yes. Registration, bank account, digital certificate or utilities if you have just arrived; and family reunification if you have been here for a while. We handle it with you.

Can you guarantee an appointment for my procedure?

No one can honestly guarantee an appointment at a public office, whether immigration, the police, the town hall or the consulate: availability depends on each administration. What we do guarantee is our part: the file ready, official channels monitored and the request filed the moment a slot opens.

How long does the process take?

We recommend starting 8 to 12 weeks before arrival. Some procedures can be prepared from your home country; others are only possible in Spain. With early planning, many clients are operational within 15 to 30 days of arrival.

What are the 7 biggest mistakes people make when moving to Spain?

1) Paying rental deposits without verifying property ownership or reviewing lease terms; 2) Misunderstanding immigration rules (arriving as a tourist for procedures requiring a prior consular visa); 3) Delaying mandatory local municipal registration (empadronamiento); 4) Overlooking tax residency rules (such as the 183-day rule or Beckham Law deadlines); 5) Purchasing health insurance with co-payments rejected by immigration; 6) Arriving without police certificates or degrees properly apostilled and sworn-translated; and 7) Postponing TIE appointments and bank account opening without organized proof of funds.

Can you move and live in Spain?

Yes, absolutely. Spain offers well-established legal residency pathways: the Digital Nomad Visa (for remote employees and international freelancers under the Startup Act), the Student Visa (which permits working up to 30 hours per week), the Non-Lucrative Visa (for individuals with sufficient savings or passive income), highly qualified professional visas, investor visas, and residency through arraigo. The key is organizing your documentation and choosing the right legal route before travelling.

What are the do's and don'ts in Spain?

Do's: register your address (empadronamiento) immediately upon signing your lease; apply for your TIE residence card within 30 days of arrival; seek professional tax advice before your first 183 days; and verify property records before sending any money. Don'ts: never transfer rent deposits without lease verification and land registry check; do not exhaust your 90-day Schengen stay without a valid legal pathway; and do not purchase cheap insurance with co-payments.

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Paperwork

BLS jurisdiction in the US: State ID, Real ID and proof of residence

Avoid rejection at BLS NYC, Miami, and Los Angeles: strict State ID and Real ID jurisdiction rules, lease contracts, and provable residence criteria.

You live in Manhattan, have a signed apartment lease, pay utility bills, but your driver’s license is still from California or Texas. You show up at BLS New York on Third Avenue, hand over your lease, and the door manager turns you away: 'We cannot process your application; your ID does not prove residency in our consular jurisdiction'. This jurisdictional trap strands hundreds of US applicants every month. Here is how to prove legal domicile.

The Principle of Exclusive Consular Competence

Under international consular law, each Spanish Consulate General in the United States exercises sovereign jurisdiction over a strictly defined geographic territory. For example:

New York Consulate coversNew York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
Miami Consulate coversFlorida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Los Angeles Consulate coversSouthern California (Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura), Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.
San Francisco Consulate coversNorthern California, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.

Consuls are legally forbidden from adjudicating applications originating outside their designated regional boundaries.

Why Rental Leases and Utility Bills are Frequently Rejected

Applicants frequently assume that presenting a signed residential lease or a ConEdison/FPL electric bill is sufficient proof of address. In recent years, BLS centers (particularly NYC and Miami) have clamped down aggressively on proof of jurisdiction.

Consular evaluators know that digital lease templates are easily created to forum-shop for locations with better appointment availability. As a result, BLS desks systematically prioritize government-issued photo identification—specifically a State-issued Driver's License, State Non-Driver ID, or Real ID matching the local jurisdiction.

Keep readingFBI background check and apostille: the timeline for your Spain visa from the US

What to Do if Your State ID Has Not Been Updated

If you recently moved states and have not updated your driver’s license, you must compile an irrefutable secondary evidentiary dossier:

Official DMV Temporary License or DMV address change confirmation slip.
Official state voter registration card or official federal/state income tax return (Form 1040) displaying the local address.
Current university enrollment transcript or student ID card (for student visa applicants).
If you hold a foreign passport with a US Green Card or US Work Visa (H-1B, L-1, O-1), the physical visa or permanent resident card must be presented alongside local state proof.

Spanish Consular Demarcations & BLS Centers in the United States

Consular Jurisdiction	States & Territories Covered	Primary Acceptable Proof of Residence	Unacceptable Proof
BLS New York (NYC)	NY, NJ, CT, PA, DE	State Driver's License / Real ID	Cell phone bills, bank PDFs without address
BLS Miami	FL, GA, SC	Florida Driver's License / Voter Reg.	Lease agreements under 6 months
BLS Los Angeles	Southern CA, AZ, NV (Clark Co.)	California Real ID or Utility Bill	Out-of-state IDs with temporary subleases
BLS San Francisco	Northern CA, OR, WA, NV, ID, MT, WY, AK, HI	Valid state license in district	P.O. Box addresses
BLS Chicago	IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, OH, WI	Midwest state-issued license	Temporary hotel or Airbnb receipts
BLS Houston	TX, OK, AR, LA, MS, TN, NM	Texas Driver's License / Utility Bill	Expired IDs

Key Practical Tips

What the team recommends before you file anything:

Update your state driver’s license at the local DMV at least 3 weeks before booking your BLS appointment. Carrying a local Real ID eliminates 99% of jurisdictional pushback.
If you live near state borders (e.g., Philadelphia or Stamford), double-check whether your state falls under NYC or Boston.

Required Documentation Checklist

Valid US Driver’s License, State ID, or Real ID bearing an address in the consular district.
Valid US Passport or US Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) / legal stay document.
Official residential lease agreement accompanied by matching utility bills (electric, gas, water).
Current student identification card for university applicants enrolled in local schools.
Confirmation that your application is submitted strictly to the BLS center covering your state.

Sources: Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963 (Consular Districts and Competence); Consulate General of Spain in New York - Consular Jurisdiction and Identification Rules; Real ID Act of 2005 - Department of Homeland Security (DHS).