How Visa Application Help Works
A visa-processing service works through your application with you in stages: first your situation, then your documents, then the forms and the submission, then the steps after a decision. You still supply your own documents and normally attend any consulate appointment yourself. The service helps you prepare and check the file before it goes in. The health insurance runs alongside, and that's the part we handle.
Who does what
| Stage | You | The visa-processing service | Us |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Your situation | Describe your plans, income, family and timing | Checks them against the route and confirms what you'll need | Tells you which insurance fits the route |
| 2. Documents | Orders certificates and gathers evidence | Gives you a personalised list, reviews the documents, coordinates apostilles and sworn translations | Issues the policy and certificate with the right names and dates |
| 3. Forms and file | Signs the forms | Prepares the forms and assembles the file | Checks the certificate against the application before you submit |
| 4. Submission | Attends the consulate, or provides what's needed for an online filing | Briefs you, or files online where the route allows | Answers any question about the policy |
| 5. Decision and arrival | Travels, registers locally and, where needed, applies for the residence card | Explains the next steps, including the TIE | Answers questions about the policy after arrival |
Stage 1: your situation
The service starts by looking at the essentials: your nationality, where you live now, where you plan to live in Spain, how you'll support yourself and who's applying with you. That tells it which route is realistic and which consulate or office will decide the application. Both group services offer a first check before the main work starts. My Spanish Visa also publishes a paid consultation for people who want to discuss their options with a specialist.
A weak point found at this stage costs little. Found after certificates have been ordered, legalised and translated, it can mean paying for some of them twice.
Stage 2: documents
Most of the work is here. Foreign public documents may need an apostille or legalisation and a sworn translation into Spanish, and some certificates may only be accepted if they were issued recently, so the order you get them in matters. Your service tells you what applies to your documents and consulate. The service gives you a list for your route and consulate, checks what you've gathered and coordinates the translations. Each service includes sworn translations only up to a published amount, which varies by service and route.
The insurance certificate is one of these documents. It has to name the right people, start on the right date and describe the cover in the terms the consulate expects. We issue it once your route and dates are clear. If something changes later, it may need correcting or reissuing.
Stage 3: forms and the finished file
The service fills in the official forms and puts the file together in the order the consulate or office expects. It also checks that the documents agree with one another: the same names, addresses and dates on the forms, the financial evidence, the insurance and any family documents. Small mismatches are a common reason for extra questions.
Stage 4: submission
Depending on the route, the file goes to the consulate for where you live, usually in person or through its contracted visa centre, or the application is filed online in Spain. Where you attend in person, the service briefs you on what to bring and what to expect. Where it files for you, it tells you what it needs from you and when.
Stage 5: decision and arrival
The consulate or immigration office makes the decision. While you wait, the service may monitor the case and help respond, according to the service purchased. After approval, the steps continue in Spain: registering your address and, for stays of more than six months, applying in person for your residence card (TIE). Check that your policy dates match what your application states: see when your insurance should start.
How the fee usually works
Both services take their fee in stages as the case progresses. The amounts and timing differ by service and route, so confirm the current payment schedule in writing before instructing either of them. See prices compared.
My Spanish Visa
Full application management, laid out step by step from assessment to arrival.
Price From €799 per adult
- A source document review before anything is translated
- Application package and consulate briefing
- Post-arrival guidance on the TIE
Opens provider website. No details shared.
Platinum Legal Spain
A case-managed service from eligibility check to residence card.
Price From €799
- A dedicated case manager
- Forms, templates and sworn translations within an allowance
- Consulate or immigration office coordination
Opens provider website. No details shared.
Your details
We don't pass your details to either service. Choosing one opens its website in a new tab, where you start a separate enquiry.
Common mistakes
- Getting documents in the wrong order. Certificates with a short validity window can expire while you wait for an appointment.
- Arranging the insurance too early or too late. Too early and the dates may not match your plans; too late and it can hold up the file.
- Translating before checking. A document with a problem has to be replaced and translated again.
- Inconsistent details. A different spelling of a name, or a different address, across documents invites questions.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need my own documents?
Yes. Personal documents such as passports, bank statements, criminal record certificates and course or income evidence come from you. A service can tell you what's needed and help you check it.
Can I use a service from outside Spain?
Yes. Both services describe online case portals, so you can start from your home country. A consulate appointment is normally attended in person; applying through a representative is allowed only in limited cases.
Can a service guarantee the outcome?
No. The decision belongs to the consulate or immigration office. A service can help you prepare and check the file, but be wary of any promise about the outcome or the timing.
When should I arrange the insurance?
Usually once your route and dates are clear, so the policy start date matches the application. See when your insurance should start.