Non-Lucrative Residency
Spain’s residency route for people who can support themselves and their family without working. It requires no investment, no property purchase and no business — only the financial means to live in Spain, private health cover and a clean record. It is the route most of our families from the Gulf and Iran use, and the one where small evidential mistakes cause most refusals.
Thresholds are indexed to Spain’s official reference figures and change when those figures are updated. We confirm the figure that applies on the date your file is actually submitted — not the one in force when you first enquired.
Who it is for
- Retirees, investors and families living on savings, rental income, dividends, pensions or other passive income.
- Business owners who hold shares or sit on a board abroad but do not manage or work in the business day to day.
- Families who want to settle in Spain first and decide on work or business later, with the option to change status once the legal conditions are met.
What’s included
- Preparation and submission of the full application, with every document reviewed one by one before filing.
- Fingerprint appointment and issue of your TIE residence card.
- Opening of a Spanish bank account.
- An administrative appeal (recurso de reposición) if the application is refused.
- Applications for your spouse, children and dependent parents, filed together with yours.
Not included
- Sworn translations, apostilles and legalisations of documents.
- Government fees and administrative charges (tasas).
- The private health insurance policy, which you take out with an insurer authorised in Spain.
- A contentious-administrative appeal before the courts (recurso contencioso-administrativo), which is quoted separately.
How we work
- 01 · Initial assessment. We test your income and savings against the threshold in force and confirm the route fits before anything is paid to a consulate.
- 02 · Strategy and document map. We tell you exactly which documents to obtain in which country, in what order, and how each one must be legalised.
- 03 · Preparation and filing. National visa application and EX-01 form, submitted at the consulate or visa centre with jurisdiction over your place of residence.
- 04 · Approval, TIE and settling in. Entry within the visa’s validity, fingerprint appointment for your TIE within the first month, empadronamiento and your Spanish bank account.
- 05 · Obligations and renewals. We diarise the renewal window and plan your presence so the 183-day requirement is met each year. Renewals are handled under Residency Renewal & TIE.
What you must evidence
- Sufficient means for the full year: regular passive income, savings, or a combination — with a traceable origin. Consulates increasingly look at the last six months of movements, not a single balance certificate.
- Private health insurance from an insurer authorised in Spain, with full coverage equivalent to the public system, no co-payments, no waiting periods and repatriation cover.
- A criminal record certificate from every country you have lived in during the last five years, legalised or apostilled and translated.
- A medical certificate confirming you do not suffer from diseases with serious public-health implications under the International Health Regulations.
- Family documents — marriage and birth certificates — with the full legalisation chain required by the issuing country.
What it does not allow
- No work in Spain in any form: no employment, no self-employment and no remote work for foreign employers or clients. If you intend to keep working, the Digital Nomad route is the correct one.
- Holding shares and receiving dividends is permitted; acting as managing director or actively running a company is not.
Family members
- Spouse or registered partner, minor children, dependent adult children and dependent parents can be included, each adding 100% of IPREM to the threshold.
- Family members can apply at the same time as the main applicant, so the whole household moves together.
Tax consequence
- Living more than 183 days a year in Spain makes you Spanish tax resident, taxed on worldwide income and required to report overseas assets. Review this with your tax adviser before you apply. Non-Lucrative residents cannot use the Beckham regime.
Where files are refused
- Funds that cannot be traced, or that arrived in the account shortly before the application.
- Health policies with co-payments, waiting periods or excluded treatments.
- Evidence suggesting ongoing work, including remote work, and applications filed at a consulate without jurisdiction.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need for Non-Lucrative Residency in 2026?
€2,400 per month (€28,800 per year) for the main applicant — 400% of IPREM — plus €600 per month (€7,200 per year) for each family member. The funds must have a traceable origin, and we confirm the figure in force on the date your file is submitted.
Can I work in Spain with Non-Lucrative Residency?
No. It does not allow employment, self-employment or remote work for foreign employers or clients. Holding shares and receiving dividends is permitted. If you intend to keep working, the Digital Nomad route is the correct one.
How many days a year do I have to live in Spain?
More than 183 days a year, which has been required for renewal since May 2025. Living in Spain that long also makes you Spanish tax resident, which you should review with your tax adviser before applying.
Can my family apply with me?
Yes. Your spouse or registered partner, minor children, dependent adult children and dependent parents can apply at the same time, each adding 100% of IPREM to the financial threshold.
What is included in the service?
Preparation and submission of the application, the fingerprint appointment and TIE card, the opening of a Spanish bank account and, if the application is refused, an administrative appeal (recurso de reposición). Sworn translations, apostilles and government fees are not included.
What happens if my application is refused?
The service includes an administrative appeal (recurso de reposición) against the refusal. A contentious-administrative appeal before the courts is not included and is quoted separately.