Spain Non-Lucrative Visa: Ultimate Guide 2026

The Spain Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV), also called the Spain Non-Working Residence Visa, allows non-EU citizens to live in Spain without being employed. The visa is best for those who can show €2,400 per month of passive income, such as retirees and investors. Those bringing dependents will require a higher income amount for each family member.  

The visa is first granted for one year and can be renewed for up to five years. Permanent residence in Spain can be acquired after five years of continuously living in the country. Our guide explains the Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa, from the eligibility criteria and application process to financial requirements and more. 

Spain Non-Lucrative Visa: Key Takeaways

The Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa allows non-EU citizens to live in Spain without working, provided they show sufficient passive income of €28,800 per year for a single applicant and an additional €7,200 per year per dependent.

Applicants must prove stable financial means, such as pensions, rental income, or savings, to support themselves and no Spanish sourced income is allowed.

You must have valid private health insurance with at least €30,000 coverage, no copayments, a clean criminal record, and a medical certificate.

Family members can be included in the application, including spouses, dependent children, and dependent relatives.

The visa is initially valid for one year, can be renewed for up to 5 years total, and subsequently, you may apply for permanent residency.

The Spain Non-Lucrative Visa (Visado de Residencia No Lucrativa) is a residence permit for non-EU citizens who want to live in Spain without working or doing any paid activity. It was created to attract individuals with sufficient financial means to stay in Spain long-term, without needing a job, such as retirees or people with passive income.

Often regarded as the Retirement Visa for Spain, the program allows residents to enjoy life without the need for a work permit. To qualify, applicants must prove they have the required financial support, like income from pensions or rental properties, to cover living expenses.

If you apply for the visa from within Spain, it is valid for three years initially, and it is valid for one year if applied for outside of Spain. Either way, the visa can last for up to five years, with renewals. After five years of continuous residence, you can apply for permanent residency.

1. Freedom of movement in the Schengen Area: After the applicant receives their non-lucrative residency permit, they will have the right to visa-free travel in the Schengen Area, comprised of 27 European countries.  
2. Family reunification: With the visa, you can apply for family reunification if the family members are financially dependent on you. From 20 May 2025, the only adult children that can be included in their parents’ application are those with a health condition. 
3. The right to live in Spain: The Non-lucrative Visa grants non-EU citizens legal residence in Spain. Like other residents, visa holders can access Spain’s public services, including healthcare and education. You will also benefit from Spain’s affordable cost of living and relaxed pace of life. 
4. Pathway to permanent residence and citizenship: The Spain Non-Lucrative Visa offers a clear path to permanent residence and citizenship. The residence permit can be renewed up to a total length of five years. After five years, applicants may qualify for permanent residence and, after ten years of legal residence for citizenship. Citizenship gives you a Spanish passport, ranking 17th in the Global Citizen Solutions Passport Index. 

The Spain Non-Lucrative Visa requirements are as follows: 

• You are a third-country national (non-EU/EEA and non-Swiss). 
• You want to live in Spain long-term. 
• You have the necessary financial resources to support yourself and any dependent relatives who live in Spain without working. 
• You have a clean criminal record check certificate. 
• You have adequate health insurance. The insurance should cover at least €30,000 per person per year, have no co-payments or deductibles, be valid for a year, and be provided by a Spanish insurer. 
• You have a medical certificate showing you’re free of any illnesses listed under the World Health (WHO) Organization International Health Regulations of 2005. 

Family members and Spain Non-Lucrative Visa

Immediate family members, including a spouse or common-law partner, dependent children, and dependent relatives, are eligible to receive a residency visa in Spain under a main applicant’s non-lucrative residence visa application. However, adult children can only apply if they have a health condition that makes them dependent. The main applicants must present proof of additional income to support each family member.

The following documents are required to apply for the Non-Lucrative Visa in Spain:

1. Application form (EX-01). 
2. Passport (or residence permit if not a citizen). 
3. Two passport-style photos. 
4. No criminal record certificate. 
5. Proof of residence in your consular district. 
6. Some consulates will require proof of accommodation in Spain (lease or property ownership). 
7. Proof of passive income: 
   • If working age: a pension, letter from employer, or affidavit if self-employed. This is proof that the applicant quit their job. 
   • Retirees: must provide proof of state pension or life annuity, along with bank statements and their last tax return. 
8. Health insurance valid in Schengen areas (€30,000 coverage per person per year). 
9. Medical certificate confirming no serious health risks. It must follow the WHO’s International Health Regulations, be issued within the 90 days before the application, and be written in Spanish or officially translated. 

Additional documents for dependants

If dependents are added to the application, they should also provide the above-mentioned documents, except for proof of financial means, as the main applicant provides this. However, they will also need the following additional documents: 

1. Minor children: Birth certificate issued by the civil registry. 
2. Spouse: Marriage certificate issued by the civil registry. 
3. If adding a partner: Certificate of registration as an unmarried couple or any other document substantiating an unmarried partnership with the applicant. From 20 May 2025, it is possible to include a non-registered partner. However, it is important to prove the relationship. If you have a child, you only need to prove that you and your partner are not separated. 
4. Adult children: Documents proving adult children have a health condition that makes them dependent. 
5. Parents: Documents proving financial dependence and that they form part of the family unit. 

All foreign documents must be apostilled or legalized and submitted together. If they are not in Spanish, they must be translated by a sworn translator registered in Spain. If your financial documents are in another currency, they must be officially converted into euros and include proof of the exchange rate used. Spanish authorities may also ask for extra documents if needed. 

To apply for the Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa, you need private health insurance and a medical certificate:

Private health insurance

• Must cover all medical care, like Spain’s public system 
• No deductibles or co-payments 
• Valid for at least one year and active from day one 
• Nationwide coverage in Spain 
• Issued by an approved Spanish provider 
• UK citizens may use an S1 form; if not, private insurance is required. 

Medical Certificate

• Issued by a licensed doctor within 90 days of applying. 
• Must state that you don’t have any disease that poses a serious public health risk. 
• Written in Spanish or with a certified translation. 
• Needs to be apostilled or legalized. 

To apply for the Non-Lucrative Visa Spain, gather the required documents and submit your application up to 90 days before traveling. You can apply through the Spanish Embassy, Consulate, or an authorized visa service in your country. This is the application process for the Spain Non-Lucrative Visa:

1. Speak to our experts at Global Citizen Solutions: Get in touch with a Spanish immigration specialist who will guide you through your options, assess your eligibility, and advise you on the next legal steps. We guide our clients from their first document well beyond application approval.  
2. Submit the application: All applicants must apply in person by scheduling an appointment at the Spanish Embassy or Consulate in their country. Each applicant must complete and sign both the National Visa Application Form and the Non-Working Residence Visa Application Form (EX-01). These should be submitted with all required documents, including the visa fee. 
3. Proof of submission: After submitting the application, the Spanish Embassy will provide a confirmation receipt with a tracking code. This code allows applicants to check the status of their visa application online. 
4. Additional document requests: If any documents are missing or additional information is required, the embassy may request further paperwork. In some cases, applicants might be asked to attend a second interview. 
5. Wait for a decision: The decision process usually takes up to 90 days, but it may take longer if extra documentation is needed.  
6. Collect the residence permit: Once approved, you will need to collect your visa in person within one month, but a legal guardian can collect it for a minor. The consulate will explain how to retrieve your passport and original documents. You will also receive an NIE, your official identification number in Spain. This will be needed for anything tax related, opening a bank account, signing a rental contract, and buying property. 
7. Visa denial and appeals: If the visa is denied, applicants will receive a written explanation. They can appeal by requesting reconsideration at the same Consular Office within one month or by filing an appeal with the High Court of Justice of Madrid within two months. 

What are the next steps after your visa is approved?

Once in Spain, you need to register your home address at the local town hall to get a registration certificate (Certificado de Empadronamiento). This certificate is important because you will need it to access other services like immigration and residency applications.  

The applicant also needs to apply for a TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero), a Foreigner Identity Card. The application for the residence card should be made within one month of the applicant’s entry into Spain at the Immigration Office or the corresponding Police Station. 

End-to-end processing times for the Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa range between 2 and 4 months. Document preparation can take about a month, as the Global Citizen Solutions legal team carefully prepares and reviews all paperwork to meet Spanish consular requirements. Once submitted, the Spanish Consulate typically processes the application within 1 to 3 months, depending on workload and whether additional checks are needed. 

The Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa fee is €90. For nationals of Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom, different rates are applied. This is due to the reciprocity measures that Spain has implemented. In these cases, the application fees for a non-lucrative Spanish residency visa must be consulted with the Consular Office.

If applying for the residence permit from within Spain, the initial validity period is 3 years. If applying outside of Spain, the initial validity period is one year. Both options can be renewed for a total of five years of residence. If applying outside of Spain, the visa can be renewed after one year, for an additional two years. Subsequently, it may be renewed again for another two years, for a total of five years. 

You must spend at least 183 days of the year in Spain and continue to prove that you have sufficient economic means to support yourself to renew the visa. After the final renewal, you may choose to apply for permanent residency in Spain. 

To renew the Spain Non-Lucrative Visa, you need to start the process 60 days before the expiration of your current visa. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to renew your Non-Lucrative Residency Visa in Spain: 

1. Check eligibility: To renew your residence permit, you must meet the basic requirement of spending at least six months in the past year in Spain. On top of that, your current residence permit still needs to be valid. 
2. Gather the required documents: You need the following documents to renew your visa: 
   • Application form: Fill out form EX-01 or another specified by local regulations. 
   • Valid passport: The passport must be valid for at least one more year. 
   • Proof of financial requirements: This will demonstrate that you won’t be seeking employment in Spain. 
   • Medical insurance: You must have private health insurance. 
   • Proof of residency in Spain: This may include your lease or property deeds. 
   • Tax compliance: You need to verify that you don’t have any debts with the Spanish Tax Agency and Social Security. 
3. Submit your application: Submit the renewal application through the online platform. 
4. Wait for approval: The wait time for renewing the Spain Non-Lucrative Visa ranges from 1 to 3 months. 

If you hold a Spain Non-Lucrative Visa and spend more than 183 days per year in the country, you will be considered a Spanish tax resident. This means you must declare and pay tax on your worldwide income, including pensions, dividends, and rental income.  

You will need to file an annual income tax return (Declaración de la Renta), with tax rates ranging from 19% to 47%, and you may also be subject to wealth tax depending on your assets. However, Spain has double tax treaties with over 90 countries, which can help reduce the risk of being taxed twice on the same income.  

Important tax obligations to keep in mind: 

• Annual Tax Return: Mandatory for Spanish tax residents 
• Income Tax: 19% to 47% for EU-sourced income, 24% for non-EU-sourced income with the Beckham Law. 
• Capital Gains Tax: 19% to 28% on global investment profits 
• Wealth Tax: Applies to high-value assets and rates vary by region 
• Modelo 720: Must declare foreign-held assets above certain thresholds to prevent tax fraud and money laundering  

Form 790 Code 052 is needed for specific administrative procedures, including consular fees. 

After five years of holding the non-lucrative visa, you can apply for Spanish permanent residency. After another five years of permanent residency, ten years in total, you can be eligible for citizenship, if you’ve lived in Spain for ten years and spent at least 183 days a year in the country. Permanent residency is not required to apply for citizenship. If you’re from one of Spain’s former colonies, Brazil, of Sephardic origin, Equatorial Guinea, or the Philippines, you can apply for citizenship after just two years of residency.

How Can Global Citizen Solutions Help You?

Global Citizen Solutions is an advisory migration consultancy firm with years of experience delivering bespoke residence and citizenship by investment solutions for international families. With offices worldwide and an experienced, hands-on team, we have helped hundreds of clients worldwide acquire citizenship, residence visas, or homes while diversifying their portfolios with robust investments. 

We guide you from start to finish, taking you beyond your citizenship or residency by investment application.