Non-lucrative visa Spain 2026: retiring and buying a home

Alveo Search

· Published on

24 October 2026

In short:

Who it is for: non-EU nationals who will live on savings, pensions or investment income, with no work at all, remote work included.
Money in 2026: €2,400 a month for the main applicant (400% of the IPREM), or €28,800 for the first year, plus €600 a month for each family member.
Where to apply: in person, at the Spanish consulate that covers the place where you legally live, before you move.
How long it lasts: one year from the day you enter Spain, then two-year renewals if you still meet the conditions, including more than 183 days a year in Spain.
Your home: a title deed or a lease supports the application, but buying property gives no right to residence. The golden visa closed to new applications on 3 April 2025.

What the non-lucrative visa allows

The visa, and the residence authorisation that comes with it, let you live in Spain without any work or professional activity. Spain's immigration regulation, Real Decreto 1155/2024, has governed it since 20 May 2025 (articles 61 to 64).

The Spanish consulates in Washington, New York, Los Angeles and Edinburgh all state that this visa excludes remote work, and Washington asks for a notarised statement in which you promise not to work, on site or online. If you want to keep working remotely, the consulates point you to the digital nomad visa.

Your family can apply with you: a spouse, registered partner or stable partner, unmarried minor children, and adult children who have a disability or cannot support themselves for health reasons. Each family member submits their own forms, along with proof of the relationship.

How much money you need in 2026

The amount is based on the IPREM, a Spanish public income index. The 2023 budget law fixed the IPREM at €600 a month (€7,200 a year), and Spain's public employment service still lists that figure for 2026. The regulation asks for:

400% of the IPREM for the main applicant: €2,400 a month, or €28,800 for the one-year first authorisation;
100% of the IPREM for each family member: €600 a month, or €7,200 a year.

A couple therefore needs €3,000 a month, or €36,000 for the first year. A couple with one child needs €3,600 a month, or €43,200.

You can show a regular income that reaches the monthly amount, such as a pension or an annuity, or savings that cover the whole period. Consulates ask for a certificate from each bank with the account details, the balance on 31 December of the previous year and the average balance over the last year. They also want recent statements (three months in Washington, twelve in Edinburgh), and Washington and Los Angeles ask for your latest tax return.

The regulation accepts property titles as evidence of means, but the consulate checklists focus on bank balances and income. If you pay cash for your Spanish home before you apply, your balances drop, so check that what remains still meets the threshold.

Documents the consulate asks for

Each consulate publishes its own checklist. The UK and US consulates we checked share this core list:

the national visa application form and form EX-01, signed, with a recent passport photo;
a passport valid for at least one more year, with two blank pages, issued within the last ten years;
proof of financial means and of health insurance;
a criminal record certificate covering the last five years, issued within the last six months, with an apostille and an official translation into Spanish. UK applicants need an ACRO police certificate (Edinburgh refuses Disclosure Scotland). US applicants need an FBI check with a federal apostille from the US Department of State;
a medical certificate issued within the last three months, stating that you have none of the diseases with serious public health effects under the International Health Regulations 2005. The UK consulates require an apostille on it;
proof that you live in the consulate's district, such as bills or bank statements in the UK, or a driver's licence or state ID in the US;
the fee, paid with form 790 code 052 or online.

Some consulates ask for more. Edinburgh wants evidence that you have stopped working, such as a P45, or a pension certificate and an HMRC employment history if you are retired. Fees depend on your nationality: in Washington in 2026, the visa costs $140 for a US citizen and $691 for a UK citizen, plus $13 for the residence authorisation.

Health insurance that meets the rules

You need public or private health insurance with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain, covering every risk that Spain's public health system covers. The US consulates spell out what they mean: no co-payments, no deductible, no waiting period and no cap, with 100% of medical, hospital and outpatient costs covered. The policy must last at least a year, and travel insurance does not qualify.

The London and Edinburgh consulates use shorter wording. They also accept a UK S1 form, as long as you have registered it online with Spain's social security and attach the receipt. Keep your cover running: at renewal, you must prove that you held health insurance throughout your permit.

Where and when to apply

You apply in person at the Spanish consulate that covers the place where you legally live, so you cannot file the application during a visit to Spain. In the UK, Spain has consulates in London, Manchester and Edinburgh. In the US, each consulate covers a group of states. If you live in the US without US citizenship, you need a green card or a long-term US visa; B-1 and B-2 visitors must apply in their country of residence.

Most consulates book appointments through BLS, their outside service provider, while New York takes requests by email. London quotes a legal decision period of two months, Edinburgh and the US consulates three, and any of them can take longer if they ask for an interview or more documents. After a favourable decision, you have one month to collect the visa in person.

The regulation allows a residence visa of up to one year. Consulates differ in practice: London, Edinburgh and Washington state one year, New York and Los Angeles 90 days. Plan your move around the dates printed on your visa, and enter Spain before it expires.

After you arrive: TIE card, padrón and renewals

Your first authorisation lasts one year from the day you enter Spain. Within one month of arrival, you must apply in person for your TIE, the foreigner's identity card, at the police station or foreigners' office for your area. The police take your fingerprints at that appointment. Register on the padrón, your town hall's list of residents, too: you need the certificate for public healthcare and school enrolment. According to the UK government, a TIE also exempts you from registering with the EU Entry/Exit System at Schengen borders.

You renew online during the two months before your authorisation expires. A late application within three months of expiry is still possible, but it can lead to a fine. To renew, you must show:

more than 183 days of actual residence in Spain during the calendar year;
financial means for the whole renewal period: the regulation ties the total to the length of the permit, so two years means €57,600 for the main applicant at the 2026 IPREM, or a regular income of €2,400 a month;
health insurance held throughout and still in force;
school enrolment for any children of compulsory school age.

The renewed authorisation lasts two years. The immigration office has three months to decide, and if it does not reply in that time, the renewal counts as granted. After five years of continuous legal residence, you can apply for long-term residence. Absences of up to six months at a time, and ten months in total over the five years, do not break that continuity.

Tax residence after 183 days

Spain treats you as a tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in the country in a calendar year, or if your main base of business or economic interests is in Spain (article 9 of the income tax law, Ley 35/2006). The law also presumes residence when your spouse and minor children live in Spain. Renewal requires more than 183 days a year in Spain, so in most cases you will become a Spanish tax resident.

Spanish tax residents pay income tax on their worldwide income. The UK government's guide reminds residents that they must declare the assets they hold outside Spain and may need to file an annual tax return. The UK and Spain have a double taxation agreement, so you do not pay tax twice on the same income. See a tax adviser before you move.

Buying or renting a home for your application

Buying a home in Spain does not give you the right to live there. Spain used to offer investor residence, the golden visa, to some property buyers, but Ley Orgánica 1/2025 abolished it, and Spain has accepted no new applications since 3 April 2025. Our group's article on the end of the golden visa covers the transition rules.

A home still strengthens a non-lucrative application. The Washington consulate recommends proof of accommodation: a lease of at least three months signed by both parties or, if you own the property, the title deed or a Land Registry certificate. Washington and New York also ask for the address where you will live in Spain.

A typical order of steps for a buyer:

NIE: get your foreigner's identification number at a Spanish consulate before you travel, or in person at a police station in Spain. See how to get a NIE.
Bank account: open a Spanish account for the purchase and your bills. See opening a Spanish bank account.
Purchase or rental contract: view homes as a visitor within the 90/180-day rule, and sign through a power of attorney if you cannot be there.
Visa application: file it at the consulate where you live, with the deed or lease in your file.
Arrival: enter Spain before your visa expires.
TIE and padrón: apply within your first month.

If the purchase will not complete before your consulate appointment, a lease of at least three months can serve as proof of accommodation in the meantime. If you plan to finance part of the price, Alveo Finance, the group's mortgage broker, can go through the options with you.

How Alveo Search can help

Alveo Search is a buyer's agent for English-speaking buyers, with offices in Valencia, Alicante, Málaga (Benalmádena), Madrid, Barcelona and Vinaròs. We handle the property side: search, viewings, legal checks, negotiation, completion and your NIE. For the visa, we can coordinate with your immigration lawyer so that the deed or lease matches your application.

We do not give immigration or tax advice, and nobody can guarantee that a consulate will grant a visa. Requirements vary between consulates and change over time, so check them with your consulate or an immigration lawyer before you apply. Book a call to talk through your plans, or read our page on retiring in Spain.

Official sources

Checked on 24 October 2026. Rules change: check them with the consulate or official site before you act.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work remotely on a non-lucrative visa?

No. The Spanish consulates in Washington, New York, Los Angeles and Edinburgh state that the visa does not allow remote work. They direct remote workers to the digital nomad visa.

Does buying a property in Spain give me residency?

No. Spain stopped accepting golden visa applications on 3 April 2025, and owning a home gives no right to live in Spain. A title deed or a lease does support a non-lucrative visa application as proof of accommodation.

How much income does a retired couple need in 2026?

€3,000 a month: €2,400 for the main applicant and €600 for the partner, based on an IPREM of €600. For the one-year first authorisation, that means €36,000 in savings, or pensions or other regular income of at least €3,000 a month.

Can I apply while I am in Spain?

No. You apply in person at the Spanish consulate that covers the place where you legally live. You can visit Spain beforehand to view homes, within your visa-free allowance (see our guide to the 90/180-day rule).

How long can I spend outside Spain on this permit?

To renew, you must have lived in Spain for more than 183 days in the calendar year. For long-term residence after five years, absences must stay within six months at a time and ten months in total.

Will I become a Spanish tax resident?

In most cases, yes. More than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year, which renewal requires, makes you a tax resident, taxed on your worldwide income. The UK and Spain have a double taxation agreement so that the same income is not taxed in both countries. See a tax adviser before you move.