I spent two months hunting for apartments that allowed empadronamiento registration, filtering through listing after listing, passing on places I actually liked—only to discover I didn’t need it to submit my Digital Nomad Visa application. Let me save you the headache I went through. How I Got It Wrong Before moving to Barcelona, I researched….
I almost couldn’t board my flight to Spain because I didn’t have an exit ticket. Here’s the Schengen zone exit flight requirement that isn’t clearly connected to Digital Nomad Visa prep in most resources — and the $70 lesson I learned at the airport.
Quick answer: There are two main ways to apply for Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa as a US citizen — through a Spanish consulate back home (typically a 1-year visa) or from within Spain via the in-country UGE route (up to 3 years). I chose the in-country route because a 3-year visa versus a 1-year visa…
Quick Answer The FBI Identity History Summary Check (required for Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa) took me 12 weeks to process as a US citizen. I submitted my request online through the FBI’s website ($18), received the results by mail, then got them apostilled by the US State Department (additional 2-3 weeks, ~$20). Start this process…