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Spain Retirement Visa Key Summary:
The Non-Lucrative Residence Visa is often called a retirement visa, as the visa does not allow you to work or conduct any economic activity. But, the Non-Lucrative Visa is a long-term stay visa that allows you to live in Spain without an age limitation. If you meet the minimum passive income requirement of €25,560 annually, you have a path to legally stay in Europe long-term.
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Quick Facts On Retiring To Spain
Watch Out For Foreign Exchange Fees. The best way to save money in Spain is by using Wise to transfer money and make payments in Euro. Wise offers you the best exchange rates and lowest bank fees.
Do Get Travel Health Insurance. Your home insurance will not cover emergency healthcare overseas, but you can find affordable travel insurance for less than $50 that will cover your medical bills in Spain.
Do learn some basic Spanish phases. 22% of Spanish people speak English. Learning some basic Spanish language helps. Get a FREE Language Lesson using the same learning technique used by the US State Department, FBI, and overseas military.
Be Careful With Expat Taxes. Spanish authorities may consider you a tax resident after 183 days in Spain. Get a FREE consult with an expat tax specialist to understand how taxes in Spain can impact you.
Retiring in Spain: Quick Facts
Currency: Euro
Languages: Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Occitan
Capital: Madrid
Cost of Living
Total living expenses including rent are ~46% LESS than the Cost of Living in the US. While Madrid and Barcelona, ranked in the Top 100 most expensive cities in the world, the smaller towns, even on the desirable Mediterranean coast are surprisingly affordable.
Health Care
Spain ranks 10th in the World, when comparing overall quality of the health care system: equipment, staff, doctors, cost, etc. The US ranks 29th.
English Score
Only 22% of the country's population speaks English as a second language. However, the ones that speak English, speak well.
Quality of Life
An extremely high Quality of Life driven by low cost of living, affordable rents, low crime, and sunny moderate temperatures.
Are you ready to Retire Early? Ready to dip your toes in the warm water of the Mediterranean? Or sip refreshingly boozy sangrias in a cosmopolitan European city? What about enjoying a mid-day siesta in a charming Old World villa? Spain offers warm sunny beaches with the ease of developed European infrastructure and a surprisingly Low Cost of Living. The entire region is a dream destination for early retirement and Spain's Non Lucrative Visa is how to make it happen.
Other Guides On Expat Life In The Spain
The 2nd largest country in Southern Europe, Spain has a vast changing landscape. There is the natural beauty of the Costa Del Sol Mediterranean beaches, Sierra Nevada mountains, and the Northern vineyards along with the rich culture, arts, and social nightlife you would expect from major European cities. High-speed train and bus routes crisscross Spain to allow for easy exploring and intra-country travel. From Madrid, you can swim on the southern coast in four hours or enjoy tapas in Barcelona in three hours. Madrid and Barcelona are the main airports connecting Spain with the rest of Europe and the World.
What Visa Does an American Need To Visit Spain?
If you are from the United States and Canada, you can enter Spain Visa Free. Spain is part of the Schengen Agreement allowing short-term stays for up to 90 days out of every 180 days. That is 90 days for ALL the 26 European countries that comprise the Schengen Area. There are no renewals or extensions allowed. You can stay for 90 days, but then you must leave the entire Schengen area for 90 days before you can return.
Do I Need A Tourist Visa To Enter Spain?
Spain is part of the Schengen Agreement allowing citizens of 63 countries visa-exempt travel to any of the 26 European Union countries in the "Schengen Area."
The USA and the UK are 2 of the 63 countries that can enter Spain without a visa for up to 90 days out of every 180 day period. No renewals or extensions of the visa are allowed.
Citizens of countries requiring a Schengen tourist visa, will need to apply at the Spanish Consulate in your country of origin. You can locate the Immigrant visa requirements on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
How Can A US Citizen Legally Stay Long Term in Spain?
This short-term visa works if you want to travel through the cities and get an idea of where you’d like to live long-term. Once you chose a city right for you, you must obtain a long-stay visa from the Spanish embassy of your HOME country. You cannot apply for a Spanish Retirement Visa while you are in the country.
For people working toward Financial Independence and Early Retirement, residing in Spain can help accelerate those goals. If you have passive income sufficient to support yourself and your dependents, you may apply for a Non Lucrative Residence Visa. As this visa does not allow you to work in Spain, your income must come from passive sources: investments, rental income, annuities, retirement pension, etc.
Another way to stay in Spain is if your partner is an EU citizen, then a partnership visa might be your ideal solution. I have a detailed article on the Unmarried Partnership Visa for Spain here.
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Can A Brit Retire To Spain After Brexit?
Yes, citizens of the UK can apply for a Non-Lucrative Visa and retire in Spain. The rules that changed after Brexit only meant you lost the special privileges EU citizens enjoyed.
Post-Brexit, British expats now have the same rights as other 3rd country nationals: US, Canada, etc. UK citizens can follow the same retirement visa and residency process detailed below like other non-EU citizens.
RELATED POSTS ON EXPAT RETIREE LIFE IN SPAIN
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How Long Does It Take To Process the Visa Application?
Your visa can take between 3-weeks to 3-months or more to process. Three key factors determine the processing time.
- Is your application missing any requirements? This is the biggest delay. If you are missing any documentation, the Consulate will request additional information. More information means hunting for the requested info, getting another apostille, and certified translation. You must submit all documents in person, which means making another appointment. Meanwhile, your application sits there in limbo.
- Is the local Spanish Embassy or Consulate you are assigned a popular one? If the Consulate has a backlog of applications, your visa application is another one in the pile.
- What mood your Visa Administrator is? Your contact at the Consulate has the power to make the application process a nightmare. The burden of proof is on the applicant to show they meet the requirements. If your administrator is skeptical of anything in your application, the process drags.
The last two points are out of your control. But, the first, and also the biggest potential delay is the is 100% under your control. The visa application process is a beast of paperwork. Use this document organizer to ensure you don't miss an essential forms.
What Does It Cost to Retire in Spain?
Income requirements for a Non Lucrative Visa are a relatively low ~$30,453/€25,816 annually, plus ~$7,613/€6,454 per each additional family member. These minimum income requirements covert to roughly $2,550 per month for a single person or $3,150 per month for a couple.
Assuming a 4% Safe Withdrawal Rate (SWR), you can move to Spain with a retirement nest egg of roughly $722,125.
*US Dollar amounts using estimated exchange rate of 1 EUR to 1.18 USD.
How Long Can I Live in Spain on a Non Lucrative Visa?
The Non Lucrative Residence Visa is a temporary residence permit valid for two years but is renewable, provided you still meet the financial requirements and you have lived at least 183 days in Spain each year. After five years of holding the temporary residence permit, you will be eligible for permanent residency, allowing you to live and work in Spain indefinitely. After ten years of continuous Spanish residency (five years temporary residency and five years permanent residency), you may be eligible for Spanish Citizenship.
*INSIDER TIP*: Spanish Territory Citizenship- People born in the Philippines, Andorra, Spanish-American countries (like Colombia), Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, as well as individuals with Jewish Sephardic origin, are eligible for Spain citizenship after two years of Spanish residency.
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Do Americans Retiring To Spain Still Pay US Taxes?
Maybe. Even after acquiring Spanish residency or citizenship, Americans abroad must file a personal income tax return every year with the IRS.
However, Spain has a double taxation treaty with the US. To understand how to minimize your expat tax liability, speak with a tax specialist for details.
What Are the Requirements for a Spain Retirement Visa?
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Health Insurance Requirements
You will need public or private health insurance either with a health insurance company in Spain or another medical insurance equivalent to Spain's National Health System that explicitly covers you while you are a Spanish resident.
Will My Home Country Health Insurance Cover Me?
Most likely no. Most health insurance will not cover you for any injuries sustained outside your home country. You will either need to get Spanish medical insurance or Expat Medical Insurance.
If you retire abroad, expat health insurance is a more complete option. Expat Medical Insurance is the "normal" insurance you are familiar with to from home. Coverage is built for expats outside the US and insurance premiums are much cheaper than in the US.
What Documents Do I Need To Apply for A Non Lucrative Visa?
Documents, Documents, Documents. The application process to retire in Spain is a beast of paperwork. We created this FREE Document Organizer to ensure you don't miss any of the 22 REQUIRED forms.
Spanish Retirement Visa Application Forms
Home Country (US) Official Documents
Pretty much every document you submit to the Spanish consulate for your application will need a "certified translation" and an Apostille.
What is an Apostille?
An apostille is a certification that a document is “legal” or “authentic” by a Federal or State agency. Basically, it's one government (the US) certifying that the document you are sending to another government (Spain) is legitimate. After your document is apostilled, the document will be attached with an official seal. DO NOT attempt to separate the document from the seal.
For Federal documents (FBI Background Check), your document will need to be apostilled by the State Department in Washington, DC. For state level documents (state police background checks, marriage licenses, birth certificates, etc.), you must get these documents apostilled in the state they were issued. If you lived in several states in the last five years, you will need documents AND separate apostilles from each state.
What is a certified translation?
Spain is very particular about this. Any documents that are submitted in English MUST be translated into Spanish by a Sworn Spanish translator certified by the Government of Spain. The latest list of official translators can be found at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs website. Be prepared to pay between $35 to $50 per page for certified translations. This was easily the biggest expense for my application.
Note that Apostilles must also be translated, but translations DO NOT need to be apostilled. Get your documents Apostilled first, then send everything over to the translator.
Passports and Photos
Optional For Non-US citizens residing in the US: Alien Residence Card (Green-Card) or residence visa valid in the USA. Original and photocopy. Please note, B-1 and B-2 Visa holders cannot apply in the United States. You will need to apply in your home country.
Medical Documents
Additional Documentation
Required Documents for Spouse and Dependent Children of Primary Applicant
In addition to the documents above, your spouse will need a lot of the same documents you need. The easiest way to keep track of everything is using our FREE Document Organizer.
What Is Proof of Income vs Proof of Funds?
Ideally, you will have verifiable Proof of Income equal to or greater than €2,152 per month. Proving your income is straightforward if you have easily documented income: annuities, social security, state pension, etc. If you are are like me (and most early retirees), your ability to fund early retirement is through assets: stocks, ETFs, and/or real estate. You will need Proof of Funds to convince the consulate you have enough savings to support yourself.
This is where it gets tricky. The Consulate gets to decide how they want you to prove you have sufficient savings. The Visa Administrators can request more documents at their discretion, until you can prove to them that you can meet the income requirements.
I've known some people who had to show 6 months of bank statements, while I was asked to only show my most recent. I've known a husband and wife who showed a net worth of less than $700,000 and was approved. As a single person, I showed over $1,000,000 in net worth AND $1500 in monthly rental income and my Visa Administrator was still skeptical.
Can I work doing Digital Nomad, Remote, or Location Independent work while on a Spanish Non Lucrative Visa?
Short answer, no. Non Lucrative means no money. Long answer, maybe? This is another topic that is up to the discretion of the Visa Administrator. I have read about people who successfully argued that all their income came from outside of Spain, that none of their clients were Spanish, and that they had to plans to attract new clients in Spain.
I have also read Immigration Attorneys suggesting that Spanish Consulates are no longer allowing remote work on Non Lucrative Visas. The safe answer is do not count on working and prepare to show sufficient Proof of Funds.
Benefits of Retiring To Spain
Live Legally in Europe Long-Term with a Spanish Retirement Visa
Pros
Cons
Conclusions: Retiring To Spain
With no minimum age requirements, a reasonable income requirement, first-class infrastructure and health care, a low Cost of Living, and a High Quality of Life, Spain should be on the top of the list of anyone looking to Retire Early in Europe.
Retiring To Spain Key Takeaway:
Warm climate, European charm, and Low Cost of Living make Spain an ideal Early Retirement destination.
If Early Retirement is in your future, you can enjoy a European lifestyle, First Class infrastructure, and some of the best food and wine around for about 50% less than the US. In Spain, you really can have it all: sunny beaches, scenic mountains, sprawling vineyards, and sophisticated cities. And, even better, living here is a fraction of the cost of the US, Canada, or the UK. Spain has one of the lowest costs of living across all of the EU. If you’ve ever dreamed of an affordable European retirement, it's time to check out Spain.
photo credit: Miradortigre/Photopin
FAQs: Retiring To Spain
There is NO Spanish language requirement.
Unlike many other countries' retirement visas, Spain allows anyone over the age of 18 years old to apply. The Spanish Non Lucrative Visa ideal for Early Retirees.
After residing in Spain for 10 continuous years, you qualify for Spanish Citizenship. However, dual citizenship is only available in LIMITED circumstances. Most US citizens would have to give up their US citizenship.
To start, you will need to show:
- Income sufficient to support yourself
- Proof of private Spanish medical insurance
- Police background checks from your country of residence
Next Steps: Find out more about retiring in Spain. View my guides to the Best Cities In Spain to Retire.
Are you looking to retire to Spain? Be prepared for LOTS of paperwork. The easiest way to ensure you don't miss a form is to use our FREE Document Organizer with the 22 REQUIRED forms you need to retire to Spain.
Looking for More Information About Living in Spain? Check Out These Articles
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Useful External Websites For Legal Immigration
Does Spain tax your US pension like Portugal will do under the new NHR law change?
Yes, Spain will tax defined pension benefits. Spain’s taxes are a bit confusing when it comes to retirement income. Pension and social security income is taxed. Savings is not, but Capital gains is. You also have to be aware of a wealth tax on worldwide assets (though there are several exclusions = 700,000 Euros + 300,000 of primary residence). With Spain, I do suggest using a tax attorney to determine your exposure. I do my own taxes in the US, but I wouldn’t try and do that in Spain. I’ve used the Barcells group for some services (not taxes, though). It might be worth a consult.
https://balcellsgroup.com/taxes-in-spain-for-expats/
Hi Marco, If I understand correctly the FBI background would cover if I lived in 2 states during the last 5 years? For example if I used the state department of justice I would need to go to Idaho and California because I lived in both states.
Thanks for the confirmation
Hi Refugio, you are correct. The FBI check would cover you. Usually, the State check is cheaper and faster, while the FBI check is more comprehensive. For most people, getting the State check is the easiest option. If you lived in two states, the FBI sounds like a better option.
Great info, but very disappointed to see they have stopped accepting remote work as income. Finally got to a place where I can work completely remotely and was hoping to use this visa, so quite unfortunate.
I really don’t understand why more countries don’t accept remote working as it seems entirely beneficial to the host country: you spend money in their economy which comes from outside supporting local businesses, you pay taxes, and you don’t take away anyone’s job. What is the downside to the host country?
Hi Brian,
I agree with you. I can only guess that governments feel it is difficult to ensure that a remote worker is not taking local clients. The good news is that countries are opening up to remote work/digital nomad visas. Georgia and Estonia are live. Croatia is heavily considering it. Several Caribbean countries have them up and running.
On a purely selfish basis, I think it is more asinine that countries are requiring steady monthly income vs just looking at my total savings. Why do I need to show a monthly income, when I have significant money in the bank?
Hello Marco,
Great info here as I’m beginning this process now. One quick question. Do I need to have and show proof of a ‘domicilio’ in Spain? In other words, do I need to rent or buy a place there before getting the visa approved? Seems like putting the cart before the horse. Also, I’m wondering if my guaranteed monthly pension sum which meets their requirements without the $700,000+ savings will be sufficient to demonstrate financial independence. Thanks for your help!
Hi Brian,
There are a few “cart before the horse things” that you need to show: Proof of accommodation and Spanish health insurance. For accommodation, you don’t need a year contract, I showed a 1-month prepaid rental. For the Spanish insurance, you will need to show a full-year contract, but my insurer allowed me to pay each quarter and allowed cancellations. So I only had to pay 3 months of health insurance in advance.
INSIDER TIP: You will need an “official address” in Spain that you can Register at. Many airBnBs and co-living flats would not allow me to use their address to register. I theorize that they are renting under the table and not reporting the income, so don’t want me registering. That is only my guess, but regardless they wouldn’t allow their address for registration. Make sure you confirm with your rental.
If you have a documented monthly pension that meets the income requirement, you don’t need the savings. The government loves “official” stuff, so pensions are better than rental income, as an example. I had to use my savings as proof of support because my monthly rental didn’t meet the threshold.
Good luck, Brian.
Thank you, Marco. This was very helpful information. Glad to hear the montly pension should be sufficient. Also, I believe I will be able to rent through Spanish friends. Which Spanish insurance company did you choose with that cancellation option? I will take a closer look at Sanitas, which seems to be a fair option but let me know which one you recommend. Again, many thanks for this page and responding. I just got my federal criminal record clearance and will be sending it in for the apostille and have a medical appt set up for that clearance. Good to get the first steps done and look forward to completing the rest. Best, Brian.
The health insurance company is called ASEFA. My coverage was about $50 per month for both health and dental.
Hello Marco,
For the Medical Health Certificate, is it enough to have the Drs. signature on there letterhead? The consulate office has a pdf sample which is translated and I was planning to give that to the dr.s office to use on there letterhead.
Thanks, Refugio
Hi Refugio,
That is exactly what I did as well. You need to let your doctor’s office know ahead of time, as some offices didn’t have access to print a .pdf or .doc file (odd, right?). Also, I recommend asking specifically if they have Spanish language speakers on staff. Some doctors needed confirmation that the English version and the Spanish version said the same thing before they would sign.
In addition,consulates LOOOOOOOVE stamps. Anything to make a document more “official-looking” the better. I had my doctor’s office add a stamp with the doctor’s name and address. Honestly, I think it was just a stamp they use to pay bills, but it didn’t matter.
I went ahead and added a PDF of the medical certificate I used. The certificate is translated in both English and Spanish. Have the doctor’s office print it out on letterhead and stamp it if possible.
Good luck!
Hi Marco, Thanks where did you put the sample pdf?
Also, the Apostille of the Medical Clearance Certificate is this just the stamp of the Drs. office?
Here is a direct link to the medical certificate PDF
In regards to the Apostille, it’s a country-specific requirement. I’ll ammend the article to make that more clear. In some countries (usually developing countries, like the Philippines, where I applied) you need a certificate from the country’s “Department of Health” or similar government board proving the hospital or doctor who examined you is legit.
When I was going to apply in the US, I was not asked to provide one.
Hi Marco, I’m having trouble finding samples of personal statement of intent to address to the Spanish consulate, any ideas where I can find samples?
Thanks, Refugio
Hi Refugio,
Sorry for the delayed response. This ended up in my spam filter. Here is a sample of my personal statement of purpose.
Cheers,
Marco
How many times can a Spanish retirement visa be renewed? Can a (non Spanish citizen) retiree ever qualify for Spanish universal healthcare?
Hi Laurie,
Please see your renewal info below:
How Long Can I Live in Spain on a Non Lucrative Visa?
The Non Lucrative Residence Visa is a temporary residence permit valid for two years but is renewable, provided you still meet the financial requirements and you have lived at least 183 days in Spain each year. After five years of holding the temporary residence permit, you will be eligible for permanent residency, allowing you to live and work in Spain indefinitely. After ten years of permanent residency, you may be eligible for Spanish Citizenship.
You can access the public healthcare system as a permanent resident if you are working or at retirement age. If you decide to apply for Spanish Citizenship, you are also eligible.
Hi Marco, there are a couple of points in this that I’d like to clarify for the person who asked the question. Hope you don’t mind!
(1) NLV validity is initially one year. It can be renewed twice, for two years each time. During this five-year period, you will be a temporary resident of Spain. To get the renewal each time, you will need to have spent more than 183 days of each year in Spain. During the first year of living in Spain on the NLV, you will need to have private health insurance (which you’ll need to obtain to get the visa anyway). But at the end of your first year living in Spain on the NLV, you can apply for the “convenio especial” health care scheme, which allows you to pay a low fee to participate in the public health system while living in Spain on the NLV.
(2) After five years of temporary residency, you can apply for permanent residency. To get the permanent residency, you can’t have been absent from Spain for more than a total of 10 months over the past five years (or a total of 12 months, if you’ve only travelled for work). Once you’re a permanent resident, you need to be physically present in Spain for more than 183 days each year, and also, you can’t be absent from Spain for more than 12 months continuously, or you’ll risk losing your residency.
(3) At the end of 10 years of residency (five temporary and five permanent), you can apply for Spanish citizenship. This requires passing a Spanish language and culture test.
Hope this is helpful to someone!
Hi Jennifer,
I don’t mind at all. Great info. I appreciate the clarification.
Hi Marco!
Please update us on your Spanish adventure.
1. Are you going to live at least 183 days in Spain every year, and apply for permanent residency after 5 years?
2. Are you going to use Spain as your base, live there for +- half of the year, and travel the remainder of the year?
3. Have you identified ideal cities in Spain to retire in?
Thanks for all the great info! Suerte!
Jacob.
Hi Jacob,
Happy Holidays from Split, Croatia. I hope you are getting set for a great New Year. I halted the Non-Lucrative Visa application due to the lockdowns and pandemic. Hopefully, borders stabilize this year and life gets back to normal. I will plan on re-submitting my application then. Alllllthooough…Portugal is starting to look tempting 🙂
Cheers,
Marco
Hi again Marco!
Hope you had a great time in Croatia! Lucky you 🙂
Yep, Portugal sure looks tempting. Portugal may be an even better option than Spain. Unlike Spain, looks like Portugal has no wealth tax, and Portugal may have some added tax benefits for retirees who obtain Non-habitual Residence (NHR) status (D7 Visa). It would be great if you could do a similar write up for Portugal than you did for Spain.
Best,
Jacob.
Will my income be taxed by Spanish?
If you live in Spain for more than 183 days in a year, you will be considered a tax resident. How much you pay in taxes will depend on your citizenship, your income, where your income is earned, and any potential deductions you might have. Nomadic FIRE has partnered with Expat Tax Accountants who have agreed to provide FREE initial consultations. Message me at Contact Marco About Free Tax Consultations and I’ll send you the contact details.
Great detailed information and well organized. How do you buy Spanish health insurance from within the US? Also, how do you provide an address in Spain when you are not yet in Spain, so you don’t yet have an apartment? Also, what was your total cost for translations? Thanks. Franco
Hi Franco,
It is crazy, but you will have to prepay for insurance and rent just for the application, with the risk that you don’t get approved. There is no other way.
You can purchase Spanish health insurance, even if you are in the US. Just email them and then send a bank transfer (I used Revolut) for payment. My insurance company was ASEFA, but there are several.
Same with rent, you can use any online site to rent an apartment (Airbnb or idealist, for example). Make sure you explain to the landlord that you will need to register at their address for immigration purposes. Many short-term Airbnb listings didn’t allow registration.
Each translator sets their own rates. Mine charged me 20 EURO per page.
Feel free to ask any questions. Good luck with your application.
Cheers,
Marco
Hi Marco and Franco, my apologies for getting into your conversation. I tried ASEFA, try to request a quote; but the system as for a Spanish Postal Code (Código Postal) what to do in this case? wait for the rental contract and use its postal code?
Thanks to both!
Hi again Nelson,
Here was my ASEFA broker. They were extremely helpful during my application process. Get ahold of them directly.
Julija Roslova
http://www.mesagseguros.com
E-mail me: [email protected]
Centro de Negocios del Mar
Av Puerto, 189, 3 A1
46022 Valencia
tel. +34 606.110.147
Cheers,
Marco
Thanks Marco!