Non-lucrative residence visa for Spain: requirements and documents (2026)

Before we start: this is general information, not legal advice. I'm not an immigration lawyer, and every case has its own particulars, so if yours gets complicated, please consult an immigration professional or the consulate directly.

Along with the general checklist, this is the visa I get asked about most: mostly by retirees, rentiers and people living off savings or passive income who want to settle in Spain without working here. Let's go through the official 2026 figures, no detours.

What exactly is it?

The non-lucrative residence visa is for living in Spain without carrying out any work or professional activity. It's designed for people living off a pension, rental income, investments or savings — not for anyone who's going to work, not even remotely for a foreign employer: that's a point that generates real legal debate, and if that's your situation, I'd recommend confirming it with an immigration lawyer before applying.

How much money you need to show in 2026

This is where the maths gets confusing, so let's go slowly. The law requires, on a monthly basis:

• 400% of the IPREM for the main applicant.
• An additional 100% of the IPREM for each family member included in the application.

The 2026 monthly IPREM is frozen at €600. With that figure: €2,400/month for the main applicant, plus €600/month more per additional family member.

In practice, most consulates ask you to prove that capacity for the whole year the initial permit lasts, which usually works out to having around €28,800/year available for the main applicant (and about €7,200/year per family member), typically in savings, pension, rental income or a combination of these. The exact calculation can vary slightly by consulate, so confirm the specific figure with yours before gathering your documents.

Documents you'll need

• EX-01 application form, completed and signed.
• Full passport, with a minimum validity of one year.
• Criminal record certificate covering the last 5 years, apostilled or legalised and translated into Spanish.
• Documentation proving your financial means (bank statements, pension certificates, property deeds, income...).
• Health insurance taken out with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain.
• Medical certificate.
• Payment of the corresponding fee (form 790, code 052).

Health insurance: where most of the questions come from

It has to meet the same requirements as any visa: comprehensive coverage equivalent to the National Health System, no copayments, no waiting periods, and repatriation included.

But there's one specific point about this visa that almost nobody asks me until they're already stuck: the consulate requires the full year to be paid upfront — it won't accept monthly payment as proof. The reason is simple: the insurer only issues the certificate the consulate asks for — the one confirming the policy is paid and active for the full 12 months — once the whole year has been paid in full. If monthly payment were accepted, some people would stop paying as soon as the visa was approved and would be left without real cover. So if you're budgeting for this visa, plan to pay the insurance in full upfront, not in instalments.

If you're applying from the United States (Los Angeles consulate)

This checklist is the official one used by the Spanish Consulate General in Los Angeles (jurisdiction: Southern California, Arizona, Colorado and Utah). A few consulate-specific details that don't appear in the general guide:

• If you're not a US citizen, you need to prove your legal status in the US (Green Card or a long-term visa). Holders of B-1/B-2 visas cannot apply from the US: they must apply from their country of permanent residence.
• The criminal record certificate must be issued by the FBI, cannot be older than 6 months, and needs the Federal Apostille from the US Department of State in Washington D.C. A state-level apostille is not valid.
• Bank statements must show the balance as of 31 December of the previous year and the average balance for that year, plus the last 3 months of statements and a copy of your latest tax return. This consulate also requires that you have no open loans or mortgages in the US when applying.
• This visa does not allow remote work: the consulate's own website states this explicitly, so if you work remotely for a US company, confirm with a lawyer before applying.
• 2026 fees: $140 for Americans or $106 for other nationalities for the visa, plus $13 for the residence permit.
• Decision timeframe: around 3 months from the application date. Once granted, the visa is valid for 90 days to enter Spain.

A note on dollar figures that often circulate in checklists prepared by advisors: the legal requirement is set in euros (400% of the IPREM), not dollars. Any dollar figure is a conversion at the exchange rate from whenever the document was prepared, so it may be out of date. Before gathering your documents, check the current euro equivalent, around €28,800/year for the main applicant, so you don't fall short or overprepare.

If you're applying through a different US consulate (Washington, Houston, Chicago, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Boston...), the process is very similar, but always confirm with your specific consulate's page, since there can be small differences.

What happens after approval

• You have one month from notification to collect the visa at the consulate.
• Once collected, you must enter Spain within the visa's validity period (never more than three months).
• Within the first month after entering, you must apply in person for your TIE (foreigner ID card) at the police station that covers your address.
• The initial permit lasts one year; after that, it's renewed as long as you keep meeting the requirements.

Still have questions about the health insurance?

I'm not an immigration lawyer or caseworker, so for the application itself, an immigration professional or the consulate is your best option. But on the insurance side — meeting the requirements, having the payment properly documented, getting the certificate consulates actually ask for — that's where I can help, with what I've learned accompanying other people through this exact process.

If you'd like, tell me about your situation on WhatsApp at +34 742 060 375 and we'll go through it calmly.

Official sources: Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration — Sheet 6, Initial authorisation of non-lucrative temporary residence; Royal Decree 1155/2024, of 19 November; Spanish Consulate General in Los Angeles — Non-working (Non-lucrative) residence visa, and official 2026 IPREM figures.