Large deposits and keeping your funds in place after filing

Key rules

• More documents: Answer a request within 10 working days.
• Refusal: Appeal within one month or file again with the problem fixed.

Leave your money where it is

Keep your funds in the same account from 3 months before you file until you get a decision. Avoid large withdrawals or transfers in that time: sudden movements make your means look less credible.

Large deposits

Money that has sat in the account for more than 3 months needs no proof of where it came from. Consulates check that the funds are enough and stable. A deposit made in the 3 months before filing is the one that draws questions, so add a short written explanation and a supporting paper: a sale deed, an inheritance paper, a gift deed, a savings transfer record, a salary record or tax returns.

After you file

There is no re-check between filing and decision. The consulate works from the documents you sent. If your file is slow or your statements have aged, it can ask for updated ones, so keep recent statements ready.

If the consulate asks for more documents or refuses

A request for more documents. The consulate or immigration office sends a notice asking you to correct or complete the file. You have 10 working days from the day after you are notified. If you need longer to get a document, ask for an extension before the 10 days run out. The usual causes for funds files are:

• the balance on the certificate is below the amount for your route
• a deposit in the last 3 months that is not explained
• borrowed money or a credit limit counted as funds
• a certificate older than 30 days, or statements that stop too early
• money held in crypto, investments or property instead of cash in a bank
• money that is in someone else's name without a support commitment

Send the missing document or a corrected balance certificate, with the written explanation for any deposit.

A refusal. You can appeal with a recurso de reposición within one month of the notification, or file a new application with the problem fixed. If the cause was the amount, move the missing funds into your account and wait for the new certificate before you file again.