The Spain digital-nomad visa filing location in Washington has changed. From September 1, 2026, applicants must submit telework visa applications in person, by appointment, at the BLS Spain Visa Application Center in Washington, D.C., rather than submitting them directly to the Embassy’s Consular Section.
That change affects where you file, but it does not replace the need to confirm eligibility, obtain your NIE, prepare the correct documents, and prove that Washington has jurisdiction over your application. Use the Embassy’s current instructions as the controlling source, then build your move checklist around the parts that are confirmed, still uncertain, or dependent on your personal situation.
What changed in Washington
The Embassy of Spain in Washington identifies the BLS Spain Visa Application Center as the submission location for telework, also called digital-nomad, visa applications from September 1, 2026.
The listed address is:
BLS Spain Visa Application Center 1660 L Street NW, Suite 216 Washington, D.C. 20036
The Embassy says applications must be submitted in person by appointment. BLS lists the email address info.wases@blsinternational.net and the U.S. call-center number 516-888-1169 on the Embassy’s telework visa page.
This creates an important distinction:
- The Embassy’s page explains the visa requirements and the consular decision process.
- BLS receives the application at the designated filing center.
- The Consular Section remains responsible for assessing the application and making the visa decision.
The Embassy says applications accepted by BLS are forwarded to the Consular Section on the next working day. Its stated legal decision period is 10 days from the day the Consular Section receives the documents through the visa system, rather than from the day you hand them to BLS. That period may be extended if the Consular Section requests additional documents, additional information, or an interview.
Do not treat the BLS appointment date as the start of the decision period. Those are separate milestones.
Check whether Washington can accept your application
The Washington consular jurisdiction covers Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina.
To apply through the Washington process, you must be a legal resident within that jurisdiction. The Embassy states that applications from outside the jurisdiction cannot be accepted by the Washington office.
This means your current location, mailing address, or preferred appointment city may not be enough. The relevant question is whether you can prove that you legally reside in the Washington consular district.
The Embassy lists these areas as part of the jurisdiction:
- Washington, D.C.
- Maryland
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- North Carolina
If you live in another state, check the Spanish consulate responsible for your residence before preparing a Washington filing. A convenient appointment location does not override consular jurisdiction.
Non-U.S. citizens also need to review the Embassy’s requirements for proving legal residence in the United States. The page states that a valid U.S. long-term visa or a notarized copy of a U.S. Resident Card may be required. It also says B1/B2 visa holders do not qualify to apply through this Consular Office and must apply in their country of residence or country of origin.
That is a personal eligibility and jurisdiction issue, not a detail BLS can resolve for you at the appointment counter. Confirm it before booking.
Understand which route you are preparing for
The Embassy describes the telework visa as a route for foreign nationals who will work remotely from Spain for companies located outside Spain, using computer, telematic, or telecommunications systems.
The page distinguishes between employees and self-employed professionals. An employee may work for companies located outside Spain. A self-employed professional may work for a company in Spain, provided that this work does not exceed 20% of the professional’s total activity.
The page also says the telework visa does not allow work for individuals, international organizations, government agencies, universities, foundations, NGOs, or other nonprofit entities.
The Embassy identifies professional qualification routes based on either:
- A degree or postgraduate qualification from a recognized university, professional training center, or business school.
- At least three years of professional experience.
These statements describe the framework. They do not answer every question about your employment structure, contracts, clients, or evidence. If your work falls between categories, keep the uncertainty visible in your checklist and confirm it with the responsible authority or a qualified immigration professional.
A visa application can be delayed when an applicant assumes that a job title is enough. The reviewing authority may need evidence of the actual relationship, the company’s activity, the duration of the relationship, and permission to work remotely from Spain.
Documents to prepare
Start with the documents the Embassy identifies, then separate them into confirmed items, items requiring legalisation or translation, and items that depend on your circumstances.
The Embassy’s page says you need a completed national visa application form. It specifically calls attention to sections covering your contact details, intended entry date, address in Spain, NIE information, and employer or company information. Complete every section and sign the form as instructed.
You also need one recent passport photograph. The Embassy describes a color photo taken within the last six months, printed against a clear, uniform background, with the applicant facing forward. It says the photo should be attached to the application form without staples.
Your passport must be valid and unexpired. The Embassy says it must cover at least the requested stay, contain at least two blank visa pages, and not have been issued more than 10 years ago. Prepare the original and a photocopy of the biometric-data page.
You need proof of legal residence in the United States if you are not a U.S. citizen. You also need proof of residence or study in the Washington consular district. The Embassy lists a U.S. driver’s license, state identification card, or university student ID as examples of documents that may prove residence or study in the relevant district. Review the current page carefully because the document that works for one applicant may not establish the same fact for another.
The Embassy says you must obtain a Foreigner Identification Number, or NIE, before applying for the telework visa. Add the NIE certificate of assignment to your document list. Do not leave this until the week of your BLS appointment.
For company evidence, the Embassy asks for a certificate from the state Division of Corporations or a similar institution. The document must show the company’s constitution date and business activity, and it must demonstrate real and continuous activity for at least one year for the company or group of companies connected to the worker.
The Embassy says this document must be apostilled and submitted with an official Spanish translation. That creates a timing dependency. You may need to request the certificate, obtain the apostille, arrange the translation, and confirm that the translated version is acceptable before you can submit a complete application.
Your employer or company certificate must also match your working arrangement.
For an employee, the Embassy says the certificate should show your seniority, income, and explicit permission to work remotely from Spain.
For a self-employed applicant, the documentation should show the length of the contractual relationship and the terms under which the professional activity will be carried out remotely. The Embassy also says the evidence must show a professional relationship with one or more companies outside Spain for at least the three months before the application date, with the relationship continuing for at least one year while you work remotely from Spain.
Documents submitted in English may need to be accompanied by an official Spanish translation. Foreign official documents may require an apostille or legalisation as well. Do not assume that a regular translation, a scanned copy, or a notarised copy will satisfy the current instruction.
The Embassy also lists proof of sufficient financial means. The required amount changes with the applicable Spanish minimum wage and can change from year to year. The Washington page currently lists 2026 figures based on an SMI of €1,221:
- The main applicant: 200% of the monthly SMI, listed as €2,442 per month.
- The first accompanying family member: an additional 75%, listed as €916 per month.
- Each additional family member: an additional 25%, listed as €306 per month.
The same page gives approximate dollar equivalents and notes that fees are subject to change. Treat these figures as time-sensitive. Recheck the official page immediately before filing rather than relying on a saved screenshot or an older article.
The Embassy also lists a disclaimer form, the applicable visa fee, and other documents connected to social security, health insurance, criminal records, or the applicant’s specific employment status. The exact document set can vary by situation. Build your checklist from the live official page and mark every document that needs an apostille, legalisation, translation, original, copy, or signature.
Family members need their own document track
If family members will accompany you, do not treat their paperwork as an attachment to yours.
The Embassy says accompanying family members may include a spouse or unmarried partner, dependent children and dependent adult children who have not formed their own family unit, and dependent relatives in the ascending line.
For each family member, prepare the required application materials and proof of the family relationship. Depending on the relationship, that may include a marriage certificate, birth certificate, registration as an unmarried couple, or evidence of a stable partnership.
The Embassy says foreign documents proving family relationships may need to be apostilled or legalised and accompanied by official Spanish translations. Adult children may need evidence of financial dependence and civil status. Relatives in the ascending line may need evidence that they are under the worker’s care.
Family applications also affect appointment planning. The Embassy says appointments for accompanying family members can be added when scheduling through BLS. Check the appointment system’s current instructions before assuming that one booking covers everyone.
Keep confirmed instructions separate from open questions
A useful relocation checklist should contain more than a document pile. Create three sections:
- Confirmed by the official source.
- Waiting for a document, apostille, translation, or appointment.
- Questions requiring confirmation.
The filing location, Washington jurisdiction, in-person appointment requirement, BLS address, NIE requirement, and broad document categories belong in the first section when they match the current Embassy page.
A company document awaiting an apostille belongs in the second.
Questions about an unusual employment arrangement, a document format, an unclear translation, or whether a specific piece of evidence proves residence belong in the third. Do not silently convert an unanswered question into an assumption.
This separation matters because relocation research often becomes stale. A page may change its filing location, fee table, appointment process, or document wording while an old checklist continues circulating in private groups and search results. The Washington update is a practical reminder to verify the page immediately before booking and again before submitting.
What to do next
First, open the Embassy of Spain in Washington telework visa instructions and confirm that the filing location and requirements still match your intended submission date.
Second, confirm that your legal residence falls within Washington’s jurisdiction. If it does not, identify the Spanish consulate responsible for your actual residence before ordering documents.
Third, request or verify your NIE. Then list every document that must be apostilled, legalised, translated, signed, copied, or presented in original form.
Fourth, contact your employer, clients, or company administrator for the evidence covering company activity, your working relationship, remote-work permission, income, and continuity. Give yourself enough time for corporate certificates and official translations.
Fifth, check the BLS appointment system for the correct national, long-term visa category. The Embassy warns that national visa appointments are separate from Schengen visa appointments.
Sixth, book only after you can assemble a complete application. The Embassy says BLS will admit and process complete applications that meet the requirements. An appointment is a filing opportunity, not a substitute for missing evidence.
Finally, create an Aqee move checklist. Put the BLS filing location, your jurisdiction proof, NIE status, document dependencies, translation and apostille tasks, appointment details, and unanswered questions in one place. Add a final “recheck official page” task for the day before submission.
The official instruction page is the source to revisit when the timing, fee, filing center, or document requirement matters. Aqee can help you keep those tasks connected to the wider move, from visa preparation through the practical work of settling into Spain.
Source and update note: This guide reflects the Embassy of Spain in Washington’s telework visa page consulted on September 23, 2026. Requirements and filing instructions can change. Confirm the current instructions directly with the Embassy of Spain in Washington before booking or submitting an application. This article is preparation guidance, not legal advice.
Related Aqee guide
Use this alongside a related Aqee guide when it fits your move plan.
