What visa do I need to retire in Spain in 2025?

Once you have made the decision to retire in Spain, the next step you may have to take is to apply for a visa. However, this will only apply to retirees from outside the European Union (EU). Retirees from within the EU don't need to apply for any visa to retire in Spain. For those who are non-EU retirees, Spain offers the Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV), often referred to as the ‘Retirement Visa’.

Previously, Spain also offered the Golden Visa, designed to attract foreign investment. This visa offered non-EU citizens residency in exchange for a significant property purchase, typically €500,000. However, citing concerns about rising housing costs and speculation, the Spanish government recently announced its withdrawal. Effective April 3, 2025, no new applications for the Golden Visa are being accepted, marking the end of a programme that had been a popular pathway to Spanish residency for many international investors.

Who can apply for a Non-Lucrative Visa?

The Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) was designed for non-EU citizens who can financially support themselves in Spain without working. The NLV is by far the most solicited visa for retirees. One of the main benefits of this visa is that your immediate family will be able to accompany you to Spain. The procedure is straightforward, and you will all be given the visa at the same time. Another benefit of Spain’s Non-Lucrative visa is that you can travel throughout the Schengen area without any additional visas.

After living in Spain for 5 years, you will qualify to apply for permanent residency. However, you will need to have met the minimum stay requirements to be eligible for permanent residency. To meet this, you must live in Spain for at least 6 months per year for 5 consecutive years.

You can apply for a Non-Lucrative visa in Spain if you meet the following criteria:

• You are a non-EU citizen.
• You meet the financial requirements of the Spanish state to live without working.
• You have private health insurance.
• You don’t have a criminal record.
• You are in Spain for at least 6 months a year.
• You have no intention of working in Spain.

How to apply for the Non-Lucrative Visa

To apply for your Non-Lucrative visa you will need to do it at your local Spanish consulate or embassy. We recommend that you contact your nearest embassy or consulate before applying to ensure you follow their specific process as it can differ from country to country.

The visa fees vary depending on your country of origin. The Non-Lucrative visa fees for Spain currently are as follows:

• 123€ for US citizens
• 507€ for Canadian citizens
• 80€ for other nationalities

The Spanish Non-Lucrative visa usually takes between 2-3 weeks to process from the date of submission. However, if there is a backlog of applications it can take up to three months so plan ahead to be sure. Once you have been notified that your visa is ready, you have one month to collect it. If you don’t collect it within the month it will be cancelled.

What documents do you need to apply for the Non-Lucrative Visa?

To apply for a Non-Lucrative visa must present the following documents:

• A filled-out and signed Non-Lucrative visa application form
• A filled out and signed EX-01 Form: You can find the form on the official government website. Unfortunately, this form is only available in Spanish.
• A copy of your valid passport: Your passport must be valid for at least 1 year and have 2 blank pages available for your visa. It must not be older than 10 years either.
• 2 identical recent colour passport photos.
• Evidence of sufficient financial income. You must submit the original and a copy of documents that prove that you can support yourself financially for at least the first year of living in Spain.
• Private health insurance valid for 12 months.
• Medical certificate. The medical certificate should prove that you don’t have any disease that can cause danger to the population. It should be notarized and accompanied by an official Spanish translation.
• Criminal record document. This document proves that you haven’t had a criminal record for the last five years. It must not be older than three months and should be issued in your country of residence before travelling.
• NIE number. A personal unique number is given to every foreigner who plans on staying in Spain for more than six months. You should apply for this number before you apply for a visa at the consulate. To find out how to apply for an NIE please read this article.
• If your spouse is travelling with you, you will also need a recent copy of your marriage certificate. It must be translated into Spanish by a certified translator and must be notarised.
• If your children are travelling with you, you'll need to present the birth certificates for all children. The birth certificates must be translated into Spanish and notarised.

What are the financial requirements for applying for a Non-Lucrative Visa?

The main requirement for a Non-Lucrative Visa is that you must prove you have the financial means to support yourself and your spouse or dependent family without working.

To be eligible for the Spain Retirement Visa, you'll need to prove that you have a total disposable income of €28,800 per year. Alternatively, you can prove that you have a guaranteed monthly income of €2,400. In addition to this, you'll need to show that you can provide an extra €7,200 per year for each family member you plan to bring along with you to Spain.

Examples of documents that prove sufficient financial means are:

• Bank statements for the last three months
• Pension or annuities statements
• Evidence of earnings from rented property
• Tax returns

How to prove that you have private health insurance

The non-lucrative visa does not give you access to the public health care system in Spain. As a result, you're required to obtain private health insurance that will cover any medical costs for a period of 12 months. Your health insurance is required to provide full coverage for yourself and any family members travelling with you and must meet the following requirements:

• The health insurance must be provided by a Spanish insurance company.
• Your health insurance must be valid for at least 12 months.
• Your health insurance policy must give the same coverage as that of the public health system in Spain without any co-payments.

Private health insurance in Spain is much cheaper than in other countries. You should expect to pay between €50 and €200 per month, depending on the plan you contract. You can get more information on private health care when retiring in Spain here.

Once you have been a resident in Spain for at least 12 months you can apply for the ‘Convenio Especial’. This is a scheme which allows you to pay a monthly fee and access the public health care system giving you full health coverage. For more information please go to our article on how to access the public health system when retiring to Spain.

Long-term residency and citizenship with a Non-Lucrative visa

If your long-term plans are to become a permanent resident or even apply for citizenship, don't worry as this can be achieved with a non-lucrative visa too.

Initially, you will be granted residence in Spain for 12 months. Afterwards, you can renew the visa for a further 24 months. However, to do this you will need to have spent at least 183 days in Spain during your first 12-month period. After that, you'll be allowed to renew your visa two more times. Once you have lived in Spain for 5 years, you can apply for long-term residency, but only if you have met the minimum stay requirements. To do this, you will have had to have lived in Spain for a minimum of 183 days a year for 5 consecutive years.

Once awarded the long-term residency, your next step can be Spanish citizenship. To be eligible, you need to live in Spain for 183 days per year for a further 5 years. In total, 10 consecutive years.

Once you have your Non-Lucrative Visa, what is the next step?

Once you arrive in Spain, you will need to apply for the Tarjeta de Indentificaión Extranjera (TIE) also referred to as a residency card. Your non-lucrative visa will be granted for 90 days, so you must travel to Spain and apply for it at the immigration office. Here, you'll need to apply for the TIE, which will replace your visa. To find out how to apply for a TIE card please read this article.

Please keep in mind that visa requirements are subject to change, so it is very important to check the latest information with the Spanish consulate in your country of origin. However, if you are happy that you have enough information on visas for the time being, why not start exploring some of the best places to retire in Spain?