Non-Lucrative Visa Spain

While most Spanish national long-stay visa permissions require official employment or an equivalent, the Non-Lucrative visa offers an employment-free alternative for individuals who have the means to live off their savings.

The Non-Lucrative visa pathway is often used for retirement purposes, as Spain doesn’t have an official retirement visa, but may also be suitable for individuals who simply wish to experience the Spanish lifestyle without needing to work.

In line with most national visas, the Non-Lucrative visa offers a long-term immigration path, as it can usually be renewed for up to five years after which individuals may apply for permanent residence and eventually citizenship.

Filipino nationals should note that this may not be necessary to follow.

However, as there is an arrangement between Spain and the Philippines that allows Filipino-born individuals to qualify for Spanish citizenship after only two years of legal residence.

Page Contents

• What is the Non-Lucrative Visa in Spain?
• Who Is Eligible for a Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa?
• Financial Requirements for a Non-Lucrative Visa Spain
• Required Documents for Non-Lucrative Visa Spain
• How to Prove Your Financial Means
• How To Apply For Spain Non-Lucrative Visa?
• Non-Lucrative Visa Application Fee
• Processing Times for a Spain Non-Lucrative Visa
• Non-Lucrative Visa Renewal and Residency in Spain
• Permitted Work Activities under the Non-Lucrative Visa
• How Long Can I Stay in Spain With a Non-Lucrative Visa?
• Tax Implications of the Non-Lucrative Residence Permit
• How Can Total Law Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

The main eligibility requirement for the Spanish Non-Lucrative visa is to have sufficient financial means to sustain yourself in Spain without needing to earn additional income by working or engaging in any other paid activities.

Beyond this, the general immigration requirements apply, which means that you must show that you are of good character and that your residence in Spain will not affect the public interest negatively.

Usually, this means that you will need to provide a criminal record certificate, showing that you have not engaged in any illegal activities. You will also need a medical certificate that declares you free of any serious conditions that may pose a risk to the Spanish public through contagion.

You may also apply for this visa as the spouse or unmarried partner of another individual who was granted a Non-Lucrative visa, or as a child or dependent parent of a Non-Lucrative visa holder.

In these cases, the original visa applicant will need to show sufficient financial means to support themselves as well as you.

Since the Spanish Non-Lucrative visa doesn’t permit employment, it is important that applicants have the necessary financial means to live independently without seeking additional income except for passive income.

As such, applicants’ means are assessed based on the Public Indicator of Multiple Effects Income Index (IPREM). If you are applying for a Non-Lucrative visa just for yourself, you will usually need to show financial means that are at least 400% of the annual IPREM.

When applying with additional dependents, you will need to show an additional 100% of the IPREM per family member who you will be supporting.

Since traditional employment is not allowed under this permission, you might want to explore the permitted types of passive income, which could help you afford the non-working lifestyle in Spain. At a glance, passive incomes may stem from:

• Real estate outside of Spain
• Royalties
• Trust funds or disbursements
• Endowment or annuity
• Interest from Savings
• Dividends from shares in a limited company or investments

When applying for a Spanish Non-Lucrative visa, you will need to submit documents to support your application.

While these may vary based on your circumstances, you will usually need the following:

• Your valid passport and one photocopy (this must be valid for at least another year and have a minimum of two blank pages left)
• A passport photo that is visa-compliant
• Your application form
• Proof of financial means
• Medical certificate
• Evidence of health insurance covering you for at least €30,000
• Criminal record check certificate
• Birth certificate, if applicable
• Documents showing relationship to any dependents who are applying with you

Remember that you may need to provide official translations if the original documents that you are providing are not in Spanish.

To prove that you meet the financial requirements for the Spanish Non-Lucrative visa, you will usually need to show that you have the necessary savings or passive income through acceptable means. You may need to provide bank statements covering the most recent 6 months to a year.

Alternatively, you may provide payslips or government pension details, or show evidence of any assets through which you wish to qualify for the income requirements.

As the type of proof required for the Non-Lucrative visa can vary greatly based on circumstance and place of application, it can be a very confusing process. Seeking the support of an immigration lawyer can help you prepare for this part of your visa application, as it is imperative that you are able to show all of the required financial evidence to prevent undue delays or even a visa rejection.

Our experts at Total Law have decades of experience with Spanish visa applications for Filipino nationals and we will be happy to help you with your application. You can call us today at +44 (0) 333 305 9375 for immediate support.

The application process for a Non-Lucrative visa mirrors the other Spanish national visa applications. As such, you will usually need to gather your documents and apply for a visa appointment with your local immigration authority.

As Spanish Non-Lucrative visas must always be applied to from your country of residence, Filipino nationals will likely need to schedule their interview with the Spanish embassy in Manila.

You will also need to apply for a residence permit, which you may do at the same time when filing your visa application.

Remember that you might need to request several appointments if you have any family members travelling with you, as each visa applicant will need to have an individual interview.

If you are applying for an underage child, you will usually need to attend on their behalf as a legal representative.

Attending the Visa Interview

When attending your visa interview, you will be asked to provide your biometric data such as your fingerprints, unless you have previously done so for another Spanish visa within the last five years.

You will be asked to submit your accompanying evidence and the immigration officer handling your appointment may ask additional questions about your plans in Spain and financial means, to make sure that you understand the limitations of the Non-Lucrative visa and are not planning to work.

The application fee for a non-lucrative visa can vary, but Filipino nationals should usually expect to pay around €516.

When applying for your Spanish Non-Lucrative visa, you should take care to allow plenty of time for your application to be processed.

While the general processing time tends to sit at between two to five weeks, you should be prepared to wait for up to three months.

It is essential that you take the time to double-check your application and documents before you submit them, as incomplete or incorrect applications tend to be the most common reason for notable delays in processing times.

Beyond this, you might even face a visa rejection or legal consequences if your application is missing information, or if there are any misleading details.

The Non-Lucrative visa is usually issued with an initial validity period of one year, after which you may apply to renew it. To do so, you will need to prove that you continue to meet the financial requirements, meaning that you will need to show that you can meet the standard of 800% of the IPREM, to cover you for the two years that will be the renewal period.

Filipino nationals should note that a renewal for more than one more year might not be necessary, as Spain permits citizenship applications for individuals from the Philippines once they have lived in the UK for at least 2 years. Seeking support from an immigration specialist can help you navigate these special conditions and plan ahead when you are preparing to renew your Spanish Non-Lucrative visa.

You may submit a renewal request up to 60 days before your current visa expires and within 90 days past expiry, if you missed the chance to do so ahead of time.

While you will not be allowed to seek any form of employment or otherwise engage in paid activities, the visa restrictions are usually lifted once an individual has acquired Spanish citizenship.

As such, the Non-Lucrative visa can sometimes pose a challenging visa to obtain citizenship under the standard residential pathway, as living ten years without employment is not always feasible.

However, applicants from the Philippines should note that due to the special citizenship allowance for Filipino nationals, it becomes a much more feasible option as you will only need to be able to live on your savings or passive income for two years before becoming eligible for naturalisation, which will allow you to seek employment freely after you have obtained citizenship.

Once you have qualified for citizenship, you will need to remember that you must still apply for a work permit in Spain and to follow any other rules that may apply to professionals in Spain.

The Spanish Non-Lucrative visa follows the same validity standards as other Spanish national visas, being usually offered for an initial one-year period, after which it may be renewed for up to five years in total, allowing individuals to qualify for permanent residence and eventually citizenship.

Filipino nationals will only need to maintain their Non-Lucrative visa permission for two years, after which citizenship generally becomes an available option, for individuals who were born in the Philippines.

Individuals who are classed as resident in Spain will usually also be considered resident for tax purposes. This generally applies if you are spending six or more months in the country.

While a non-working visa may make you think that you won’t have any taxes to pay, you should remember that any income that is earned in Spain may be liable to Spanish taxes. This includes passive income, such as any income earned from Spanish investments or interest paid on savings in Spanish bank accounts.

When moving to Spain, it is important that you take the time to familiarise yourself with the tax rules, to make sure that you remain compliant throughout your time in the country.