By Dr Andrew Smith | Medical Director, Wilmer Health | Published: 11 February 2025 | Last Update: 20 April 2026
This guide is reviewed regularly to reflect current Spanish consulate requirements. Last updated April 2026 by Dr Andrew Smith, Medical Director, Wilmer Health. For specific advice about your individual application, contact us at hello@wilmerhealth.com.
If you’re applying for a Spanish long-stay visa from the North West, the Midlands, Wales, or the Isle of Man — whether that’s a Non-Lucrative Visa, a Student Visa, or a Digital Nomad Visa — your application will be processed through the BLS International centre in Manchester. One of the documents you’ll need is a medical certificate of good health, and there are a few things specific to the Manchester application process worth knowing before you start.
This guide covers everything Manchester-based applicants need to know about the medical certificate — where to submit your application, what the certificate requires, and how to get it sorted before your BLS appointment. For the full picture on the medical certificate itself, read our complete guide — Spanish Visa Medical Certificate in the UK: Everything You Need to Know (2026).
If you live in Central or Northwest England, Wales, or the Isle of Man, your Spanish visa application is processed through:
Spain Visa Application Centre — Manchester: 205 Chapel Street Salford Manchester, Phone: +44 20 3807 0750, Email: info.lhr@blshelpline.com, Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm
Catchment area: The Manchester BLS centre serves applicants living in: Cheshire, Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, Herefordshire, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire, North Wales, South Wales, and the Isle of Man.
If you live outside this area, you may need to use the London or Edinburgh BLS centre instead.
Important — Manchester courier requirement: If you’re applying through the Manchester centre, please note that courier delivery for your passport is mandatory — you cannot collect in person. Factor this into your planning and make sure your address details are correct when you submit.
All appointments must be booked in advance through the BLS International website. Walk-ins are not accepted.
No — the medical certificate requirements are the same regardless of which BLS centre processes your application. Whether you’re applying in Manchester, London, or Edinburgh, the certificate needs to say exactly the same thing, be issued by the same type of doctor, and go through the same apostille and translation process.
Your location in the UK affects which BLS centre you use — nothing else. Read our full guide on Spanish visa medical certificate requirements for the complete checklist of what your certificate needs to include.
Your Spanish visa medical certificate must:
Getting any of these wrong is one of the most common reasons certificates get rejected. Read our guide on what your Spanish visa medical certificate should say for the exact wording required.
Before you submit your certificate at the Manchester BLS centre, it needs two things:
An apostille — the official FCDO stamp that makes your UK-issued certificate legally recognised in Spain. Without it, the consulate won’t accept the document. At Wilmer Health, we handle the apostille through direct access to the FCDO counter in Milton Keynes — significantly faster than applying through the standard FCDO route. Read our full guide on getting an apostille for your Spanish visa medical certificate.
A Spanish translation — your certificate must be in Spanish. The simplest option is a bilingual certificate — issued in both English and Spanish on the same document — which removes the need for a separate sworn translation entirely, saving typically £75 or more. Find out more about the benefits of a bilingual Spanish visa medical certificate.
Manchester BLS appointment slots can fill up quickly, particularly during peak application periods. This has a direct impact on how you should time your medical certificate.
A few things to factor in:
The certificate is valid for 90 days. It must have been issued within the 90 days before your BLS appointment. Get it too early and it may expire before you submit.
Book your BLS appointment early. Once you have your appointment date, work backwards to figure out when to get your certificate. Aim to have everything — certificate, apostille, and translation — sorted at least two weeks before your appointment.
Remember the mandatory courier. Unlike London, the Manchester centre requires your passport to be returned by courier rather than collected in person. Make sure your address details are correct and factor in the courier turnaround when planning your timeline.
Allow time for the apostille. The standard FCDO route can take significantly longer than expected. At Wilmer Health, we offer guaranteed turnaround times of 4, 5, or 10 working days for the full package — certificate, apostille, and translation.
If your BLS appointment is coming up quickly, read our guide on getting your certificate sorted fast.
You don’t need to visit a clinic or doctor’s surgery in Manchester to get your medical certificate — everything at Wilmer Health is done online. You fill in a short medical history form, one of our GMC-registered, FCDO-verified doctors reviews it, and your certificate is issued in bilingual format and posted to your address anywhere in the UK.
We handle the apostille through our direct FCDO counter access in Milton Keynes, and everything arrives together — certificate, apostille, and translation — ready to take to your Manchester BLS appointment.
We’re on hand seven days a week. Any questions before you apply? Drop us a message at hello@wilmerhealth.com — we’re always happy to help.