Spain non-lucrative visa: requirements, income and steps
The non-lucrative residence visa is the classic route for moving to Spain without working there: retirees, people living on investments, anyone with income arriving from outside. It does not allow you to work, employed or self-employed, and that is its limit.
You apply at the consulate of your district, in person, and it is processed alongside the residence authorization: two files traveling together.
How much money you have to show
The figure is not open to interpretation: it is 400 % of the IPREM for the first year of residence, plus another 100 % of the IPREM for each family member coming with you. The IPREM is updated annually, so check the current one when you prepare the file rather than trusting a number from a forum.
You can show available assets or a recurring source of income —pension, rent, dividends—. If the money sits in accounts outside Spain you must give the institution and its address, full account identification, opening dates, balances at 31 December of the previous year and the average balance over the last year.
What you file
Besides the national visa form and form EX-01, the file needs a passport valid for at least a year with two blank pages, a photograph, proof of means, health insurance and two documents that hold people up.
The first is the FBI criminal record certificate, apostilled. Local and state police checks are not accepted, and the apostille comes from the Department of State. The second is a medical certificate stating you have no disease with serious public health implications under the 2005 International Health Regulations.
The insurance must be with a company authorized to operate in Spain and cover what the public health system covers. A travel policy will not do.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Main applicant funds | 400 % of the IPREM |
| Per family member | 100 % of the IPREM |
| Criminal record | FBI, apostilled, 5 years |
| Visa validity | 365 days |
| TIE card | within 1 month of entry |
- National visa form and form EX-01
- Passport valid a year with two blank pages
- Proof of funds: 400 % of the IPREM, plus 100 % per family member
- Health insurance from a company authorized in Spain, no co-payments
- FBI criminal record certificate, apostilled
- Medical certificate under the 2005 International Health Regulations
- Driver’s license as proof of residence in the district
- Fee: form 790-052, heading 2.1
How to book
National visas are not booked through the general appointment portal: they are arranged by email with the consulate's national visa section.
In New York, write to [email protected] with your full name, phone, passport number, visa type and scanned copies of your driver's license and passport, all in a single email.
Timing and what happens next
The legal decision period is one month from the favorable residence authorization. The visa is collected in person, no appointment needed, and is valid for 365 days.
Once in Spain you must apply for the Foreigner Identity Card (TIE) within one month of arrival, at the Immigration Office or the relevant police station. Skip that and the visa does not get you far.
If the visa or the authorization is refused, the decision arrives in writing with its reasons, and you can lodge an appeal with the consulate within a month or take it to the High Court of Justice of Madrid within two.
Local and state police checks do not count: it has to be the FBI one, apostilled.Details verified on 8 September 2026.
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