OK, so maybe I’ve emailed too many questions to the consulate. I’ve never had to go through the rigorous process for establishing residence in another land. So I’m not sure why I’m so wrapped around the axle on doing this. Perhaps it’s the conflicting information on their website. Or all the conflicting information on other blogs. But I decided today to just go for it and start filling out the paperwork, while trying to secure a medical insurance policy via email using only Google translate as my help mate. Needless to say, I ran out of printer ink for all the times I had to reprint forms due to mistakes and reversing ‘Nombre’ and ‘Social nom’. But I think I got it!
In researching Spanish health insurance, I find it’s pretty awesome and relatively inexpensive. I almost can’t wait to become ill when I get there! Based on the policy I saw today, I could lounge around in a hospital, post some kind of surgery, for a month at no charge. Then go to a mental hospital for another 60 days – gratis! OK, maybe that’s a little extreme but the coverage is pretty amazing.
Sometimes, I find the hardest part is just the waiting. Our FBI background checks – after finding out my fingerprints are woefully inadequate, while Jeff’s were ‘perfect’ – will take months to get back. Then they must be quickly translated by an official translator, before I can set an appointment with the Consulate. But we persevere.
Now I just have to figure out what an ‘Apostle of the Hague’ is, so I can get all our documents blessed by that person, and we’ll be good to go! Maybe I should call the local Catholic Church and see if they have one of those.
Viva Espana 
Thank you Marielette! – I found out I can go to the state capital here in Phoenix and get a bunch of documents ‘Apostilized’ so I think I can skip contacting the Pope, for now. So many hoops to jump through but it will be well worth it in the end!
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Hi,
The Apostle of the Hague as you mentioned, is just a certification specifying that a certificate, or any legal document is “real”. So, for instance, if you have a Birth Certificate or a passport, you should have it notarized with a lawyer, and such lawyer should know what to do, which is again, going to the Office of the State Department in your city, and legalize that such lawyer and document are “legal”, then you take those documents and give them to a legal translator (DO NOT USE GOOGLE OR ANY TRANSLATOR TOOL; this is for real) and take that translation to your Consulate. Basically if you talk to a immigration lawyer, she/he should tell you what are the specific steps for your city. Good luck!
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