Living on your own means · Spain

Residence without the right to work in Spain: no lucrativa

We check your sources of funds, living plan and family documents. We help you prepare for the consular application and understand the insurance requirements and later renewal.

Reviewed by: Francisco Romero Jiménez, abogado ICAB 33641, 21.10.2026

In brief

Basis: Articles 60-64 of the Reglamento
residencia temporal no lucrativa, Real Decreto 1155/2024
Work: Not allowed
neither as an employee nor as self-employed
Funds: 400% of IPREM per month for the applicant
plus 100% of IPREM for each family member, for the whole permit period
Application: Through the consulate
in your country of residence, fee paid with modelo 790
Validity: 1 year, then a 2-year renewal
the renewal is filed in the 2 months before expiry
Insurance: Mandatory requirement
seguro de enfermedad, checked separately from the funds

Who it suits and who it doesn’t

What matters more than the size of your savings is where the money comes from and what you do to receive it (article 61 of the Reglamento).

Fits

A pensioner or someone with savings that cover the whole permit period
An asset owner whose income comes from property rather than from current work
A family that is ready to actually live in Spain for more than half the year
Someone who does not plan to work in Spain, either as an employee or as self-employed

Does not fit

You keep working for a foreign employer or clients: that is what the digital nomad residence permit is for
You want to work or start a business in Spain: see work residence
You have money, but its source cannot be explained with documents
You plan to live in Spain for less than half the year: renewal does not allow this

We compare it with the nomad residence permit in the article No lucrativa or Digital Nomad.

Requirements and what they mean in practice

The conditions are set out in articles 38, 61 and 62 of the Reglamento. Below is each requirement and how it is checked.

Requirement	What it means in practice
Funds: 400% of IPREM per month for the applicant and 100% for each family member	Calculated for the whole permit period. For the first year that is twelve monthly amounts. The base is IPREM, not the minimum wage, so figures from Digital Nomad calculators do not apply here
Source of funds: savings or regular income	Any acceptable evidence will do: statements, property documents, regular payments. For foreign accounts you need the bank’s name and address, full account details, opening dates, balances at 31 December of last year and the average balance over the past year
Shares or stakes in a company	You need a certificate from the company and a statement that you do not work there
Health insurance (seguro de enfermedad)	A separate requirement; money does not replace it. The consulate checks the policy against its own list of criteria, so buy the policy only after checking the conditions
No criminal record	Certificates from the countries where you have lived in the last five years, plus a check in Spain that the authority carries out itself. Apostille and translation requirements depend on the consulate
Medical certificate	Confirms that you have no diseases with serious public health implications under the International Health Regulations of 2005 (article 38)
Passport	Valid for at least one year at the time of the visa application
Fee	Paid with modelo 790; the consular visa fee is paid separately.

The funds calculation works like this. Take the IPREM in force on the filing date, multiply it by 4 for the applicant, add 1 for each family member and multiply by the number of months of the permit. Take the IPREM figure from an official source on the day you file: a number from an old article is misleading. More: how to prepare proof of funds and no lucrativa for pensioners and people with passive income.

Family

Together with the applicant you can include a spouse or registered partner, a stable partner, minor children and adult children with disabilities who need support (article 61.3). A stable partner means a couple who have lived together for a year; with children in common, proven stability is enough. Each family member adds 100% of IPREM per month. If there are school-age children in the family, at renewal the authority checks that they attend school. Details: no lucrativa with family.

Step-by-step application

Reviewing the basis. We find out where the money comes from, what you do and how long you will live in Spain. If you have work, we look for a different basis.
Funds calculation. We calculate the amount based on IPREM on the filing date and the permit period, and put together a table of accounts and sources.
Documents and insurance. We confirm the list with your consulate, order certificates, apostilles, translations and the medical certificate, and check the policy against the criteria.
Visa application. The visa application is also the application for the permit (article 63). It is filed at the consulate for your place of residence, following that consulate’s rules. For where exactly, see the article on Spanish consulates and the step-by-step filing guide.
Decision and visa. The consulate sends the file to the oficina de extranjería, which decides on the permit. After a favourable decision the consulate issues the visa.
Entry and TIE. Within one month of entering Spain you apply for the TIE card in person. From then on the renewal calendar runs.

Documents

The exact list depends on the consulate, the country and the family members. The basic set is:

Application on the official form and a passport valid for at least one year
Proof of funds: statements, property documents, share certificates and a statement that you do not work in the company
Health insurance
Criminal record certificates for the last five years, with an apostille or legalisation and a translation as the consulate requires (there is a separate article on the Russian certificate and apostille)
Medical certificate
Proof of relationship for family members travelling with you
Proof of payment of the modelo 790 fee and the consular fee

Sworn translations are paid separately and depend on volume: what makes up the price. Don’t upload documents to the website: once we start work, we’ll tell you what to send and where by e-mail.

Timeframes

Stage	Timeframe under the Reglamento
Decision on the permit	One month from receipt of the consulate’s communication. Silence means refusal
Visa issue	Up to one month after a favourable decision
TIE card after entry	One month, in person
First permit	One year
Renewal: filing window	Within the two months before expiry. An application filed within three months after expiry also extends validity, but a penalty procedure is possible
Decision on renewal	Three months. Silence means approval
Renewed permit	Two years, unless you qualify for long-term residence

The queue for a consulate appointment and the actual processing time depend on the consulate, and we are not responsible for them. More on renewal: timeframes, funds and residence and when to file.

Renewal: what is checked again

At renewal the authority looks at funds for the new period, insurance (it must cover the whole period and beyond), the children’s schooling, payment of the fee and actual residence: more than 183 days in a calendar year. This check follows immigration rules and is not the same as tax residence, even though the figure is the same. Plan trips abroad in advance; see the article on long absences and renewal.

Common mistakes

A salary presented as passive income. Pay for current work and income from assets are assessed differently; renaming one as the other does not change what it is.
Calculating from the minimum wage. For no lucrativa the base is IPREM, not the SMI.
An account with no explanation. You need to show the owner, the source, access to the money and the period it covers. A statement with a balance does not answer all the questions.
Policy bought before checking the requirements. Coverage, co-payments and waiting periods are assessed against the consulate’s criteria. More in the article on health insurance for a residence permit. We don’t sell insurance or recommend companies.
Translations before the list. Some certificates will not be needed or will be out of date by the appointment date.
Side jobs in Spain. Working without authorisation is a breach of the foreigners law.

If the consulate refuses, we go through the steps in the article no lucrativa refusal: reasons and appeal.

How we work and what is paid separately

Case handling: from €1,452 incl. IVA, family member +€450. All prices.

First consultation: 15 minutes free. Full individual consultation: €121 for 45 minutes. After that we price the work individually and draw up an estimate, which you sign before we start. Advance payment: 50% before work begins and 50% before filing. Government fees and translations are paid separately. We handle the case until the authority decides. Corrections in response to requests and a resubmission are included in the price; an appeal is not. We do not promise approval and are not responsible for how long public bodies take to reply: the decision is made by a government authority.

We prepare and check the document package, and we draft replies to the authority’s requests together with you. The visa application is filed at the consulate under its rules, usually in person: we prepare the package and accompany you. We are a relocation centre, not a law firm: the company issues the contract and the quote.

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Frequently asked questions

Can you work remotely with a residence permit that does not allow work?

No. This residence permit is granted without any employment or professional activity, and a foreign payer does not make remote work permissible. There is a separate residence permit for remote work. Details in the article what is prohibited under no lucrativa.

How much money do you need to show?

400% of IPREM per month for the applicant and 100% for each family member, multiplied by the number of months of the permit. We take the IPREM figure from an official source on the filing date. As of 3 October 2026, according to SEPE, IPREM is €600 per month, which means €2,400 per month for the applicant and €600 per family member; we recalculate the amount before filing.

Do you need health insurance, and what kind?

Yes, seguro de enfermedad is one of the requirements. We check which policy conditions your consulate accepts before you buy. We don’t sell insurance.

Can you apply while already in Spain?

A first no lucrativa application goes through the consulate: the visa application includes the permit application. There are separate cases of changing status within Spain, for example under article 191 of the Reglamento, and we check them against your situation.

Does no lucrativa work if you only have savings?

Yes. The Reglamento accepts either sufficient funds for the whole period or regular income. What matters is access to the money, its origin and clear documents.

How many days a year do you need to live in Spain?

For renewal, the authority checks actual residence of more than 183 days in a calendar year. This is a condition of the immigration rules and exists separately from tax residence.

Can you start working later or switch to another basis?

No lucrativa by itself does not allow work. Switching to a residence permit with the right to work is possible under article 191 if you meet the requirements of the new basis. According to the UGE FAQ, remote work during no lucrativa cannot count as experience for the remote worker residence permit. See changing the basis of a residence permit in Spain.

How much does your support cost?

The price is calculated individually in a quote; the first 15 minutes of the consultation are free. Fees and translations are paid separately. More in questions and answers.

Sources

Checked on 03.10.2026. The BOE consolidated text is for reference only. This material is for information only and does not replace an individual consultation with a lawyer or a tax and administrative specialist (graduada social).

How does this apply to your situation?

Choose your first step with a short quiz or discuss your questions with the ReloVictory team.

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Where to start preparing

For the first review, prepare a short description of your situation, your current status and the timing you have in mind. First we clarify the basis and the order of steps, then we agree on the scope of support and the documents needed.

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Deadlines, mandatory payments and requirements are checked for each specific procedure. Approval is not guaranteed.

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