HOW TO APPLY FOR A SPANISH NON LUCRATIVE VISA

 

You are thinking of spending a year in Spain exploring, by yourself or with your family… perhaps you are thinking of retiring in Spain and spend your days enjoying the sunshine and the Mediterranean diet. “It makes sense to apply for a Non Lucrative Visa” you tell yourself.

 

You visit one of the Spanish consulates websites and scroll down all the requirements. It seems like a lot of work. Don’t give up. Many British nationals have successsfully applied for a non lucrative visa and have now renewed their visa for a second or even third year.

 

First of all, in most instances, a number of core documents will be required:

 

1. A police certificate (ACRO) with an Apostille and a translated by a sworn translator.

 

2. A medical certificate issued by your GP or a private GP with an Apostille and translated by a sworn translator. The doctor must make make a reference to the International Health Regulations of 2005 in this certificate. If you would like to download a template provided by the consulate in Manchester, click here. Please ensure your doctor is willing to register with the FCDO and readily available to reply for authentication requests.

 

3. A marriage certificate may be required, according to your marital and financial situation.

 

4. For minors, birth certificates (along with medical certificates) and where only one parent is applying, a letter of permission from the other parent will most likely be needed (notarised).

 

The certificates are valid for 3-6 months from the date of issue. Therefore, ensure you apply for your Apostilles as soon as you receive them and have agreed something with your preferred translator. If you are in a hurry, there are private companies that provide fast Apostille service, like ECS, based in London and taking UK wide requests. Apply for paper based apostilles as these are accepted at the consulates.

 

5. You will need to provide proof of funds to sustain yourself while in Spain. This is normally done by providing bank statements, but the consulate may require further information, depending on your personal circumstances. According to all three Spanish consulates websites “The minimum required amount is equivalent to 400% of Spain's Public Multiple Effects Income Indicator (IPREM). To this amount must be added 100% of the IPREM for each family member in the applicant's care” The IPREM in 2023 is 600 euro a month or 7,200 euro a year (source, OCU, click here) .

 

6. You will also need to provide proof of having bought medical insurance in Spain. Nowadays, a good number of insurers offer this possibility in Spain and their websites show this information in English. If you are retired, use your S1 and take it to your appointment. Some people provide their P60 and P45, however, I am not sure whether the consulates take a copy of them in.

 

7. Finally and a very Spanish thing, you will need to fill in a couple of forms provided by the consulate’s website and pay the fees for the modelo 790-052 for the region you intend to live in. If you already have  NIE and an address in Spain, the process will be very straight forward.

 

 8. Ensure you have a recent passport photograph ready to take and your passport too. The same rule as with airlines apply, your passport cannot be older than 10 years. The consulate will keep your passport for a little while whilst your application is being processed (1-3 months). If you needed it during this time, I would suggest you make this matter clear before scheduling an appointment.

 

When requesting your appointment, you need to use your nearest consulate, click here for a UK map with shows what consulate to attend depending on where you live. You will proof of your current address at the appointment too. Each consulate has a different number of requirements to request an appointment: for Manchester click here. In any case, you will need to attend your appointment at a BLS office, an external company.

 

For London click here (then scroll down to "procedure").

 

For Edinburgh click here (then scroll down to "place of submission")

 

Once your visa is granted, you will be asked to visit the consulate to collect in person.

 

(Information obtained from the Spanish consulate in Manchester)

 

 

Good luck!

 

(Disclaimer: the information provided in this page cannot be deemed legal advice. The consulates may update requirements at any time and so I strongly recommend that you visit their website for information and email them should you have any questions).