In this guide
- What are the Spain non-lucrative visa requirements in 2026?
- How much money do I need for the non-lucrative visa?
- Which documents go in a non-lucrative visa application?
- What health insurance does the non-lucrative visa accept?
- Can I work on a non-lucrative visa, even remotely?
- How do I renew non-lucrative residence after the first year?
- Which renewal documents need a sworn translation in Spain?
- How long does the process take, from visa to TIE?
Renewing, or applying at a consulate? See our non-lucrative visa Spain sworn translation service, with one fixed price for the whole file.
What are the Spain non-lucrative visa requirements in 2026?
The non-lucrative residence (residencia no lucrativa) is for people who can live in Spain without working. Hoja 6 of the Ministry of Inclusion sets the rules. You need 400% of the IPREM in income, health insurance and no criminal record. You also need good health and a paid fee.
The full list from Hoja 6 (May 2025):
| Requirement | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen | Those nationals use other routes |
| Not in Spain irregularly | First applications are made at a consulate |
| No criminal record | In Spain and in every country you lived in during the last 5 years |
| Financial means | 400% of the monthly IPREM, plus one IPREM per family member |
| Health insurance | Public or private, with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain |
| Medical condition | No disease with serious public-health effects (International Health Regulations 2005) |
| Fee | Form 790, code 052 |
Hoja 6 is clear on translation. Foreign documents must be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator ("traductor jurado"). Foreign public documents also need an apostille or consular legalisation.
How much money do I need for the non-lucrative visa?
You need 400% of the IPREM, Spain's public income index. Consulates list this as €2,400 a month for the applicant, plus €600 a month for each family member. The money must cover a full year, and it must come from savings, pensions or investments, not work.
| Household | Monthly | For one year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant alone | €2,400 | €28,800 |
| Couple | €3,000 | €36,000 |
| Couple with one child | €3,600 | €43,200 |
The euro figures come from consulate pages, such as Montreal; Hoja 6 gives only percentages. Check your consulate's current page.
Proof can be "any means of proof", such as bank statements, pension letters or investment statements. Income from shares in a Spanish company needs a certificate that you don't work there, plus a sworn statement.
Some consulates exempt financial documents from translation; others don't. See bank statement sworn translation.
Which documents go in a non-lucrative visa application?
You need the EX-01 form, a passport valid for a year and proof of means. Add health insurance, a criminal record certificate and a medical certificate. Foreign public documents need an apostille, and each foreign-language document needs a sworn translation into Spanish.
| Document | Validity (examples) | Apostille? | Sworn translation? |
|---|---|---|---|
| EX-01 form and national visa form | Current | No | No, they are Spanish forms |
| Passport | Valid at least 1 year | No | No |
| Criminal record certificate, last 5 years | London: no older than 6 months unless stated | Yes | Yes, if not in Spanish |
| Medical certificate | Issued within 3 months (London, Montreal) | Usually | Yes, if not in Spanish |
| Bank statements, pension letters | Recent | No | Depends on the consulate |
| Health insurance certificate | Covers the whole stay | No | Not if issued in Spanish |
| Marriage or birth certificates, for family | Check your consulate | Yes | Yes |
The medical certificate states you have no disease with serious public-health effects under the International Health Regulations 2005. See medical certificate sworn translation.
Police certificates depend on your country:
- UK: an ACRO police certificate, with a paper FCDO apostille (£45, usually up to 25 working days, plus postage). See does Spain accept an ACRO police certificate.
- USA: an FBI check with a US Department of State apostille ($20 per document, about four weeks by mail plus mailing time). A state apostille on an FBI check is rejected. See FBI background check for a Spain visa.
- Canada: Montreal accepts only the RCMP certificate with fingerprints, apostilled by Global Affairs Canada.
Translation is covered on our police clearance sworn translation page.
Police and medical certificates ready? A certificate is usually translated within 24–48 hours by a MAEC-appointed sworn translator.
What health insurance does the non-lucrative visa accept?
You need public or private health insurance with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain. Consulates add conditions: Montreal asks for cover of all risks of Spain's public health system, with no waiting period, co-payment or coverage limit. Travel insurance is not accepted.
London also accepts an S1 form registration receipt, for those entitled to one. A certificate from a Spanish insurer is normally in Spanish, so it needs no translation.
Common mistake: buying a cheaper policy with a co-payment.
Can I work on a non-lucrative visa, even remotely?
No. The non-lucrative permit does not allow any work or professional activity in Spain, employed or self-employed. Your income must come from savings, pensions or investments. If you plan to keep working remotely for a foreign company, look at the digital nomad route instead.
Our guide to the Spain digital nomad visa requirements compares the rules. Its threshold is 200% of the minimum wage, and you can apply from inside Spain.
How do I renew non-lucrative residence after the first year?
You renew at Extranjería in Spain, in the 2 months before your permit expires, or up to 3 months after. Hoja 7 asks that you lived in Spain for more than 183 days in the calendar year. You must keep sufficient means and health insurance. The renewal lasts 2 years.
The first permit lasts one year from entry. Hoja 7 (May 2025) sets these renewal conditions:
- Real residence. "Haber residido de forma real y efectiva en España durante más de ciento ochenta y tres días durante el año natural."
- Money. Enough means for you and your family for the renewal period, without working. Hoja 7 gives no percentage, so check the amount with your office.
- Health insurance. Held during the first year and kept for the next period.
- Children. Children of compulsory school age must be enrolled in school.
- No criminal record, under the same 5-year rule.
- The fee. Form 790, code 052, section 2.2.1.
File the EX-01 online through Mercurio, or in person. Filing on time extends your current permit until the decision. Once renewed, request the new TIE at the police within one month.
Example: Tom and Sarah, British retirees in Alicante, renew in their second spring. They file new UK bank statements and pension letters. Their Extranjería office wants them in Spanish, so they order sworn translations.
Which renewal documents need a sworn translation in Spain?
Any foreign document you file at renewal needs a sworn translation into Spanish, under Hoja 7. That usually means foreign bank statements, pension letters and investment statements. Foreign public documents, such as a new marriage certificate, also need an apostille or legalisation first.
| Renewal document | Usually issued | Sworn translation? |
|---|---|---|
| Bank and investment statements | Abroad, in English or another language | Yes |
| Pension award letters | Abroad | Yes |
| Spanish bank statements | Spain | No |
| Spanish health insurance certificate | Spain | No |
| School enrolment report | Spain (regional authority) | No |
Tip: statements from a Spanish bank account need no translation, which can cut the number of pages.
A translation itself does not expire, but statements must be recent. See how long a sworn translation is valid. For other procedures at the same office, see Extranjería sworn translation.
How long does the process take, from visa to TIE?
Consulates such as Montreal decide within 3 months of filing. The visa is valid for up to 3 months, and you must enter Spain within that time. You then apply for your TIE (foreigner's identity card) within a month of entry. Renewals are decided within 3 months.
| Stage | Official timing |
|---|---|
| Consulate decision | Up to 3 months (London, Montreal) |
| Enter Spain | While the visa is valid, up to 3 months |
| Apply for the TIE | Within 1 month of entry |
| Renewal decision | 3 months; no answer means approved (Hoja 7) |
Police certificates are commonly valid 3 to 6 months, set by each office. Get the apostille first, then the translation; see apostille before or after a sworn translation. Short on time? Our urgent sworn translation fits single certificates in.
What should be on my non-lucrative visa checklist?
Before your consulate appointment or renewal:
- Passport valid for at least one year
- Proof of 400% of the IPREM, plus one IPREM per family member
- Health insurance with no co-payments, waiting periods or limits
- Criminal record certificate covering 5 years, apostilled
- Medical certificate issued within the last 3 months, apostilled where required
- Marriage and birth certificates for family members, apostilled
- Sworn translations of every foreign-language document, apostilles included
- For renewal: proof of more than 183 days in Spain, and school enrolment for children
Can you trust a translation of your pension letters and police record?
Yes. Pension letters and police records are personal, so here is what you can check.
- Who translates? Every translator we work with is a sworn translator-interpreter appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC). Learn how to verify a Spanish sworn translator from the seal.
- What if Extranjería rejects it? Free, prioritised re-issue if rejected on formal grounds, such as a married name that doesn't match the passport. See our re-issue policy.
- Is my data kept? Files are deleted within 7 days of delivery; see our privacy policy.
Most of these documents are in English; see English to Spanish sworn translation. Country routes are on UK documents for Spain, US documents for Spain and Canadian documents for Spain.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for the non-lucrative visa from inside Spain?
No. The first application is made at the Spanish consulate for your place of residence. Hoja 6 says you file in person there, or at its designated service provider.
Do I need €28,800 in the bank?
It depends on your income. Consulates list €2,400 a month for the applicant, which is €28,800 a year. Pensions, savings and investment income can all count.
Can my spouse be included on my application?
Yes. Each family member adds €600 a month to the required income. Your marriage certificate needs an apostille and a sworn translation; see marriage certificate sworn translation.
Do I need a new criminal record certificate to renew?
It depends. Hoja 7 keeps the no-criminal-record requirement but does not list a new certificate among the documents. Check with your Extranjería office.
What happens if I spend less than 183 days in Spain?
Hoja 7 requires more than 183 days of real residence in the calendar year to renew. Spending less puts your renewal at risk.
How much will the translations cost?
It depends on the pages. See our sworn translation price list.
As an indicative market range, sworn translations in Spain cost about €30–120 a page: roughly €30–80 for the first page and €15–40 for later pages (Cronoshare, January 2026). This is a market range, not our price. Our prices start from €29 per certificate.
These are starting prices. For your final price, send your details through the quote form. We email you a written quotation, and work starts only after you approve it.
Sources: Hoja 6, initial non-lucrative residence (Ministry of Inclusion) · Hoja 7, renewal of non-lucrative residence · Consulate General of Spain in Montreal, non-working residence visa · Consulate General of Spain in London, non-lucrative checklist · FCDO: get a document legalised · US Department of State, Office of Authentications. Last checked: 12 October 2026.
How do I order translations for my non-lucrative file?
Scan every page, apostilles included, and tell us your consulate or Extranjería office and your date. Then get a fixed quote for your non-lucrative file. A couple's documents are quoted together.
What happens next
- 1We list which of your documents need translating for your consulate or renewal.
- 2Once you pay the fixed total, you check a draft of names, dates and amounts.
- 3Your digitally signed PDFs arrive by email; paper follows by courier if your office insists.
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