Are you British and wishing to retire to Spain? If you are not planning on seeking employent in Spain then the non lucrative visa is one option availble to you.
Under a ” Non-Lucrative Visa” or visado no lucrativo, to give it its correct Spanish name, you may may reside in Spain by showing sufficient financial means to maintain yourself and your family. It doesn’t allow any type of economic activity and you cannot work in Spain with this type of visa.
The non luctrative visa is the considred option for example for retirees looking to live in Spain and not have to work. Non-lucrative visa is not a work permit.
The application process is straightforward and is divided into two parts: the initial visa application outside of Spain at the spanish consulate office, and then obtaining the residence card (TIE) once you enter Spain.
In order to have a succesful non lucrative visa application you will need to provide a series of documents to the Spanish consulate in the UK. We can look at the process and documents needed now.
Each applicant will need to have a sufficient economic amount needed to qualify for a Non-Lucrative visa. This amount is currently 2,260 € monthly or 27,115 € annualy for an individual application.
The non lucrative visa also allows for joint application to be submitted for family members. Under these circumstances for each member you are bringing with you, you must demonstrate an additional 100% of the IPREM, which is currently equal to an extra 6.772,03€ annually per additional family member on your application.
In order to prove that you meet the financial requirements for the non lucrative visa your bank must provide a certificate of of having sufficient funds in your acount. This certificate should be dated as close as possible to the date of submission of your application.
The spanish consulates will also allow you to submit bank certified documents regarding assets (stocks, bonds, pensions etc). The certificates can be from one bank account or several, with the only criteria being that the accounts are in the name of the principal applicant.
Each applicant for the non lucrative visa must also have a Spanish private health insurance policy This requirement is another way to prove that you won’t be a burden on the sate or the national health service in Spain, and as a result pay for your own care.
The basis conditions to be met are:
– The policy must be with a Spanish insurance company operating within Spain.
– The term of the insurance policy must be at least one year long ( which is the initial period of the non-lucrative visa)
– It needs to offer full protection with all medical specialties included in the contract with no copayments, (excess), including cover for any pre existing conditions)
The application for the non-lucrative visa must be presented in person at the Spanish consulate office in the country where you are a legal resident or your country of origin. You cannot apply for the non lucrative visa from Spain as a tourist and please keep in mind that you must not be in Spain illegally, having over stayed your initial 90 day visa.
Once you have submitted all the relevant documentation to the Spanish consulate they have 1 month to respond. Once you obtain the non lucrative visa, the visa stamp itself will be added to your own passport, and you will be able to move to Spain and reside full time.
The application process is straightforward assuming the financial threshold can be met. Once you have obtaining the non lucrative visa the final step once you are in Spain is to apply at the National Police Station to get the the actual residence card (TIE).
The non luctative visa is initially issued for 1 year and you can renew it for 2-year periods. Once you have lived in Spain 5 consecutive years, you can convert it into a permanent residency permit.
Once the non lucrative visa has been granted you have three months to arrive in Spain, and once in Spain, you have one month to apply for the TIE card.
The application for the TIE card is an adminstrative process and is straightforward. Appointments at the police station are fairly widely availbale and you can apply at any national police station not just at your nearest one.
At SPANISHVISA4U we can assist with the whole non luctrative visa process from start to finish in native English. We have submitted non lucrative visa applications with a 100% success rate to date.
The documents needed for the application will be as follows:
– All non lucrative visa forms to be filled in by ourselves with your details.
– Private medical insurance. We can provide you with an English broker to apply for the insurance on your behalf.
– Bank certificates with the necessary proof of funds.
– Two photos 3×4.
– Passport with minimum 6 months validity from the date of application for the non lucrative visa.
– A medical certificate, stating that you do not suffer from any recognized diseases that would prevent your entry into the country.
– Certificate of the absence of a criminal record.
All certificates need to be translated and then Hague Apostiled in the UK by an official translator.
Link to the official web site for the non-lucrative visa:
