The non-lucrative visa: living in Spain without working
This is the route for people with pensions, rental income, dividends or savings who want to live in Spain and do not need to work here. It does not permit any economic activity in Spain.
Last reviewed 1 August 2026 · MJ Barba Consulting, Madrid
THE SHORT ANSWER
You must show 400% of the IPREM per month — around €2,400 a month, roughly €28,800 a year in 2026 — for the main applicant, plus 100% of the IPREM for each family member. You also need private health insurance with an insurer authorised in Spain, with full cover, no co-payments and no waiting periods.
The two documents that decide the outcome
Almost every refusal comes down to money or insurance. Everything else is paperwork you either have or can get.
On money, consulates look for stability, not a balance. Recurring income — a pension, rent, dividends — is far stronger than a lump sum that appeared in the account last month. If you are relying on savings, expect to be asked how they got there.
On insurance, the requirement is stricter than most people assume: an insurer authorised to operate in Spain, full coverage equivalent to the public system, no co-payment and no waiting period. Travel policies do not qualify. Neither do many well-known international policies that include a franchise.
What this visa does not let you do
You cannot work in Spain, employed or self-employed. That is the whole point of the category, and it is enforced.
Remote work for a foreign employer sits in a grey area that has narrowed considerably since the digital nomad permit was created in 2023. If you intend to keep working remotely, that permit is the correct route and it is now the one that will be expected.
You can, however, study, volunteer, and invest passively.
The full document list
- Form EX-01, completed and signed, in duplicate.
- Proof of 400% of the IPREM per month for you, plus 100% for each dependant — bank certificates, pension statements, rental income or dividend records.
- Private health insurance as described above.
- Criminal record certificate from your country of origin and from any country where you have lived in the last five years, apostilled and translated by a sworn translator.
- A medical certificate confirming you do not have any disease with serious public health implications under the 2005 International Health Regulations.
- A passport valid for at least one year with at least two blank pages.
- Proof of accommodation in Spain: rental contract, deeds, or an invitation letter.
After you arrive
The visa lets you enter. Within a month of arriving you register on the padrón at your local town hall, and then you apply for your TIE — the physical residence card — at a police station, which involves a fingerprint appointment.
The first permit lasts one year. Renewals are for two years at a time, and the income requirement is checked again at each renewal.
Not sure whether your situation fits? Send us the details and we will tell you whether it works before you spend anything on documents. We answer in English, usually within 24 hours. An initial consultation costs €50.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Questions we get every week
Yes. Ownership deeds work as proof of accommodation and, in practice, strengthen the application.
No. Foreign accounts are fine, but statements must be translated and the origin of funds must be clear.
It will be rejected. This is the single most common refusal, and it is entirely avoidable — check the policy wording before you buy.
Yes, after one year of residence you can modify the permit to allow work, subject to the requirements of the new category.