Spain
Spanish digital nomad visa
if you live on remote work
Onboard Living · Spain
Spain without working – on a pension, rental income or savings
Non-lucrative residence is for people who want to live in Spain but not work there: retirees, investors, people living on passive income. One year, then two-year renewals; your spouse and child under 18 can come with you; the time counts towards long-term residence. We handle your case from the consular application to the residence card.
Spain
The programme in brief
- Who it is for
- A non-EU national who lives in Spain without working, supported by a pension, rental income, dividends, interest or savings
- Financial means (2026)
- EUR 2,400 per month (400% of IPREM), i.e. EUR 28,800 per year; a further EUR 600 per month for each family member (EUR 7,200 per year)
- Validity
- First permit: 1 year from entry
- Renewal
- For 2 years, then again for 2 years (1 + 2 + 2 = 5 years, if the requirements are met throughout); condition: more than 183 days of actual presence in Spain in each calendar year
- Family
- Spouse and child under 18
- spouse : yes
- child under 18 : yes
- parent : no
- Work
- Not permitted in Spain; after 1 year the permit can be modified to a work permit
- Appearance in person
- Yes: at the Spanish consulate for your place of residence, then in Spain for fingerprinting (TIE)
- Processing time
- The Spanish authority decides on the residence permit within 1 month; the consulate then issues the visa – 1–3 months in total, depending on the consulate
- Official fees
- Visa EUR 90 (may differ on the basis of reciprocity); permit EUR 10.94; TIE EUR 16.08
- Route to settlement
- Yes: long-term residence after 5 years
Benefits
Why it works for you
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No employer and no investment needed
Proven income that does not come from work, or savings, is enough. No company to set up, no obligation to buy property.
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Five years, with settlement
One year, then two two-year renewals; after five years of legal residence you can apply for long-term residence.
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The family together
Your spouse and child under 18 can come with the same application or later; the required means rise by EUR 600 per month for each family member.
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A bridge to work
If you later receive a Spanish job offer or start working for yourself, the permit can be modified to a work permit after one year – no need to start again.
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Moving around Schengen
With a Spanish residence permit you can spend 90 days in any 180-day period in the other Schengen countries.
Who it is for
Who it is for – and who it is not for
Who it is for
- A retiree wishing to live in Spain whose pension meets the threshold.
- Someone living on rental income, dividends, interest or other passive income.
- Someone spending a year or two in Spain without working – say, a sabbatical with the family – funded by their savings.
- Someone who plans to work in Spain later, but not yet: switching is possible after one year.
Who it is not for
- Anyone working remotely for a foreign company: consulates treat remote work as work and ask for a declaration that you do not work, locally or remotely. The Spanish digital nomad programme is for this.
- Anyone taking a job with a Spanish company – that needs a work permit.
- Anyone whose only means is the value of a property, with no liquid assets.
- Anyone spending fewer than 183 days a year in Spain: renewal requires proof of actual presence, and staying longer makes you tax resident in Spain – worth clarifying with a tax adviser in advance.
Requirements
Requirements and documents
Requirements
- Financial means: 400% of IPREM, EUR 2,400 per month in 2026 (EUR 28,800 per year), plus a further 100%, i.e. EUR 600 per month, for each family member. The source cannot be work in Spain; pensions, rental income, dividends, interest and savings are accepted.
- No work in Spain; the application includes a declaration to that effect.
- Health insurance: public, or from a private insurer authorised in Spain, covering all the risks of the Spanish public health system – with no excess and no waiting period.
- A medical certificate stating that the applicant has no disease posing a public health risk under the International Health Regulations (2005).
- No criminal record in your countries of residence over the past 5 years.
- No irregular stay in Spain and no Schengen entry ban.
- The application must be submitted at the Spanish consulate for your place of residence.
Documents required
- National visa application form
- Residence permit application form (EX-01)
- Passport (valid for at least 1 year) and photograph
- Proof of financial means: bank letter and bank statements (typically 12 months), pension award letter, land registry extract and tenancy agreements, dividend statement
- Health insurance policy meeting the conditions above
- Medical certificate (consulates typically accept one no older than 3 months)
- Police clearance certificate from your countries of residence over the past 5 years, with apostille, no older than 6 months
- Declaration that you do not work in Spain
- Proof of payment of the official fee
- For family members: marriage and birth certificates with apostille
- A certified Spanish translation of every foreign document
Reasons for refusal
Why applications are refused – and how we prevent it
Two bodies decide on the application: the Spanish Government Sub-Delegation (Subdelegación del Gobierno) in the province decides on the permit, and the consulate on the visa. The most common ground for refusal is not too little money, but means that are not ‘stable and sufficient’, or a source that points to work.
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Income from work
Salary, remote work, freelance invoices – the consulate treats these as work and refuses the application or refers you to the digital nomad programme.
We: recommend the digital nomad programme from the outset if your income comes from work.
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The means are not stable
Property value only, with no liquid assets; large deposits just before the application; an unproven source of funds.
We: compile statements showing a 12-month history and document the source of funds.
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Unsuitable insurance
Travel insurance, or a policy with an excess or a waiting period, is not accepted.
We: recommend an insurer authorised in Spain, with no excess.
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Expired or incomplete certificates
A medical certificate that is too old, a missing police clearance certificate from a former country of residence, a missing apostille or certified translation.
We: give the time limit and the certification method for every document on the checklist.
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Not the competent consulate
Only the consulate for your place of residence accepts the application.
We: check jurisdiction before submission.
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Contradictory information
Different tax residence, address or income in the application, the declaration and the documents.
We: reconcile the whole package before submission.
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At renewal
Fewer than 183 days of actual presence in Spain, or a missed submission window of 2 months before expiry (3 months after it).
We: remind you of the renewal deadline and the number of days.
Legal basis: Organic Law 4/2000 (Aliens Act), Articles 30 bis and 31; Royal Decree 1155/2024 (Immigration Regulation, in force since 20 May 2025), Articles 60–64 (initial permit and renewal), 182–185 (long-term residence) and 191 (modification to a work permit).
Process
How the process works
In total typically 3–5 months
- Pre-screening and financial plan duration: 1–2 working days
- Preparing the documents duration: 3–6 weeks
- Consular submission and processing duration: 1–3 months
- Entry and card (TIE) duration: 2–6 weeks
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1. step: Pre-screening and financial plan
we look at which income and savings count and how best to prove them.
Duration: 1–2 working days
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2. step: Preparing the documents
medical certificate, police clearance certificates, insurance, translation, apostille.
Duration: Typically 3–6 weeks
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3. step: Consular appointment and submission
in person at the Spanish consulate for your place of residence; the consulate forwards the application to the Spanish Sub-Delegation.
Duration: 1 day
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4. step: Processing
a decision on the residence permit within 1 month; after a positive decision, the consulate issues the visa.
Duration: 1–3 months in total
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5. step: Entry and residence card (TIE)
you enter with the visa and apply for the card within 1 month of entry, with fingerprinting.
Duration: 2–6 weeks, depending on the appointment
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6. step: Preparing the renewal
2 months before expiry, with proof of your days in Spain and your financial means.
Who does what
What we handle – what you need to do
We
- pre-screening and financial plan
- personalised document checklist
- drafting the declarations
- arranging translation and apostille
- choosing the insurance
- booking the consular appointment and preparing the application
- arranging the TIE appointment
- preparing the renewal and tracking deadlines
You
- original income and bank documents
- obtaining a medical certificate and a police clearance certificate
- appearing in person at the consulate and for fingerprinting
- spending more than 183 days a year in Spain
Afterwards
After the permit
- at the start Permit for 1 year (permit)
- year 1 Renewal for 2 years (renewal)
- year 3 Further renewal for 2 years (renewal)
- year 5 Eligible to apply for long-term residence (settlement)
Leads to settlement: long-term residence after 5 years; after 1 year it can be modified to a work permit.
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Renewal
for 2 years, then again for 2 years; conditional on continued financial means and more than 183 days in Spain each calendar year.
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Switching to work
after one year, you can request a modification based on employment or self-employment; the new permit runs for 1 year.
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Long-term residence
after 5 years of continuous legal residence; absences of no more than 6 months at a time and 10 months in total over the 5 years.
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Citizenship
usually after 10 years of legal residence; 2 years for nationals of Ibero-American and a few other countries.
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Tax residence
anyone who spends more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year becomes tax resident there and is taxed on their worldwide income. Plan this with a tax adviser; we provide the legal framework.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I work remotely for a foreign company?
No. Consulates treat remote work as work too and ask for a declaration that you do not work, locally or remotely. If your income comes from work, the digital nomad programme is the right route.
How much money do I need?
EUR 2,400 per month in 2026, i.e. EUR 28,800 per year, for the main applicant, plus EUR 600 per month for each family member. For a married couple, that is EUR 36,000 per year. The amount is linked to IPREM; in 2026 IPREM did not change.
Are savings enough without income?
Yes, if they cover the whole permit period and their source can be proven. A single large deposit just before the application does raise questions – which is why the 12-month history matters.
How much time must I spend in Spain?
More than 183 days per calendar year for renewal. This also makes you tax resident in Spain.
Does the time count towards settlement?
Yes: time on the non-lucrative permit is legal residence, and after 5 years you can apply for long-term residence.
Do I need to speak Spanish?
Not for the application. Documents need a certified Spanish translation – we arrange it.
News
Related news
Sources
Sources and updates
Last checked:
- Spain's Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration – initial non-lucrative permit (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration – non-lucrative permit renewal (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration – modification to a work permit (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration – long-term residence (opens in a new tab)
- Embassy of Spain in Budapest – non-lucrative visa (opens in a new tab)
- Order AUC/891/2024 – consular fees (national visa EUR 90) (opens in a new tab)
- Order PJC/617/2025 – official immigration fees (opens in a new tab)