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

Passport held by BLS USA: tracking it and speeding it up

What to do when your passport is held by BLS in the US and your flight is approaching: consular tracking, emergency withdrawal, and expedited delivery steps.

A United States passport on a dark surface

Your appointment at BLS in New York, Miami, or Los Angeles took place four weeks ago. Your flight to Madrid is scheduled in seven days, but your physical passport remains in consular custody. The BLS tracking portal continues to say 'Processing at Mission' with no updates, and emails to the general helpline go unanswered. What legal and practical steps can you take to expedite delivery or retrieve your passport before travel?

Why Passports are Held by the Spanish Consulate

Under Spanish consular procedure, when you submit a national visa application (for students, digital nomads, non-lucrative residents, or employees), your physical passport is collected by BLS and delivered to the Consulate General.

The passport is held in consular custody throughout the entire adjudication process because, upon approval, the consular visa vignette must be physically printed and permanently affixed into an available blank visa page by consular staff using specialized security printers.

The Protocol for Approaching Deadlines: Documented Emergency Inquiries

If your scheduled departure date is less than 10 business days away and your tracking has not advanced:

Direct Consular Email with Proof of TravelBypassing the general BLS call center, email the dedicated visa department of your specific Consulate General directly (e.g., cog.nuevayork.vis@maec.es, cog.losangeles.vis@maec.es, or cog.miami.vis@maec.es). Use a standardized subject line: 'URGENT: Visa Application Status - Travel Date [Date] - Applicant Name [Name] - Tracking Number [Number]'.
Attach Flight Itinerary and School/Contract LettersAttach your confirmed flight booking, your university semester start letter, or employment start notice, requesting confirmation of adjudication status.
In-Person Consular InquiryIn genuine emergencies, visiting the consular premises during morning public intake hours with your BLS submission receipt and flight proof can prompt staff to locate your file.

Keep readingThe MIR quota for foreign doctors: what it is and how to get in

Emergency Temporary Withdrawal of Passport

If you have urgent international travel to another country (for business or family emergencies) while your Spanish visa is still under review, you have the right to request a temporary passport withdrawal.

You submit a formal written request explaining the emergency along with tickets. The consulate releases your physical passport, and you must return it to the consulate immediately upon return to complete visa stamping.

Passport Retention Timelines & Emergency Retrieval Protocol in the US

Scenario	Official Processing SLA	Action Plan	Impact on Visa Application
Standard Student Visa Processing	15 to 30 calendar days	Track status online via BLS tracker	Passport stamped and returned via courier
Delays Past 35 Days	Exceeds standard consular window	Submit formal status inquiry email to Consulate	Triggers administrative escalation on docket
Emergency International Travel	Requires physical passport immediately	Request in-person temporary passport loan	File stays active; return passport within 10 days
Passport Withdrawn Permanently	Voluntary abandonment of visa	Sign formal cancellation form at BLS	Closes visa application without refund
Lost / Delayed by Courier (UPS/FedEx)	Tracking number tracking active	File formal claim with courier and consular desk	Emergency issuance coordination

Key Practical Tips

What the team recommends before you file anything:

Always maintain high-resolution digital scans of every page of your passport and driver's license before surrendering the physical book to BLS.
Check your USPS return tracking number directly on usps.com. Often the tracking label activates at the local post office before the BLS online tracker updates.

Required Documentation Checklist

BLS submission receipt with exact tracking number and date of submission.
USPS Priority Express or commercial courier tracking number recorded.
Official confirmed airline itinerary showing impending departure date.
Direct visa department email address for your specific Spanish Consulate General.
Formal written letter requesting expedited return or temporary emergency release.

Sources: Instrucciones de Gestión y Custodia de Documentos de Viaje del MAEC; Protocolos de Valija Consular de BLS International USA; USPS Postal Tracking and Commercial Courier Priority Protocols.