Non-Lucrative Visa Spain: Everything You Need to Know

The Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) is Spain's main route for people who want to live there without working locally — retirees, people living off savings or investments, and remote workers who don't qualify for, or don't want, the digital nomad visa.

Financial requirement

You must show passive income or savings equal to 400% of Spain's IPREM index, which works out to about €28,800 a year (roughly €2,400 a month) for the main applicant, plus 100% of the IPREM, about €7,200 a year, for each dependent family member.

Key restriction

Unlike the digital nomad visa, the NLV does not allow you to work, even remotely for foreign clients. It's designed purely for people supporting themselves through pensions, investments, rental income or savings.

Other requirements

Private health insurance with no co-payments and full coverage in Spain, a clean criminal background check, a medical certificate, and a valid passport with at least a year of validity remaining.

Process and timing

You apply at the Spanish consulate covering your home address, not inside Spain. Processing commonly takes one to three months. Once approved, the initial visa is valid for one year and can be renewed for two-year periods afterward.