Updated: October 2026

The non-lucrative visa (visado de residencia no lucrativa) lets non-EU citizens live in Spain on their own money, without working. It is popular with retirees, people living on savings or investments and anyone who wants a slower life in Spain. This guide explains who can apply, how much income you need in 2026, which documents the consulate asks for and what happens after you arrive.

Who the non-lucrative visa is for

The visa is for citizens of countries outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland. EU citizens do not need it – they simply register as residents, as explained in our residency guide.

The key word is non-lucrative: you may not work in Spain while you hold this permit. That includes remote work for an employer or clients abroad. Spanish consulates state this clearly, and some, such as the consulate in Boston, write that the visa does not allow any type of work, “including remote”. If you want to keep working online, look at the digital nomad visa instead.

Typical applicants are:

• Retirees with a pension from their home country (see our guide to retiring in Spain for pensions, healthcare and tax)
• People living on rental income, dividends or savings
• Families where one partner has enough passive income to support everyone
• People taking a career break or sabbatical in Spain

How much income you need in 2026

The financial requirement is tied to the IPREM, a public reference index. According to the official information sheet from the Ministry of Inclusion, you must show 400% of the IPREM per month for yourself and 100% of the IPREM per month for each family member who comes with you.

The IPREM has not changed since the 2023 state budget was extended, so in 2026 it is still €600 a month. That gives these figures:

Who	Per month	Per year
Main applicant (400% IPREM)	€2,400	€28,800
Each family member (100% IPREM)	€600	€7,200
Example: couple	€3,000	€36,000
Example: couple with one child	€3,600	€43,200

You can usually prove this with regular passive income (pension, rent, dividends) or with savings that cover the full year. Consulates differ in what they accept and how many months of bank statements they want, so always check the list of your own consulate. Some, for example, do not accept retirement accounts for applicants who are not yet retired. Income from a job – even a job abroad – does not count, because you are not allowed to work.

The IPREM can rise when a new state budget is approved. Check the current figure before you apply.

Requirements and documents

Besides the money, the official requirements are:

• Health insurance: public or private cover from an insurer authorised to operate in Spain. Many consulates require full cover with no co-payments and no waiting periods. Travel insurance is not accepted.
• Clean criminal record: a certificate from your home country and from every country where you lived in the last five years.
• Medical certificate: stating that you do not have a disease that could have serious public-health consequences.
• Passport: valid for at least one year.
• Forms: the national visa application and form EX-01, signed.
• Fees: the residence fee (Modelo 790, código 052) and the consular visa fee, which depends on your nationality.

Foreign documents must be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator and legalised or carry an apostille. Many consulates also ask for proof of accommodation in Spain, such as a rental contract or property deeds.

How to apply step by step

The first application is made outside Spain, at the Spanish consulate that covers the place where you live legally.

1. Gather your documents, translations and apostilles. Criminal record and medical certificates are usually only valid for a few months, so time them carefully.
2. Book an appointment or submit the file as your consulate instructs (some use an external service provider).
3. The consulate forwards the file to the immigration authorities in Spain, which decide on the residence permit.
4. If approved, collect the visa within one month. The visa is valid for up to three months, and you must enter Spain within that time.
5. Within one month of arrival, register on the padrón and apply in person for your foreigner identity card (TIE) at the police.

Processing times vary by consulate. Plan for several months between gathering documents and moving.

After you arrive: renewal and long-term residence

The first permit is valid for one year from the date you enter Spain. After that, you renew for two years at a time. To renew you must show:

• Enough money for yourself and your family for the whole renewal period, without working
• Health insurance that is still valid
• That you actually lived in Spain for more than 183 days a year

Apply in the two months before your card expires. You can still apply up to three months after expiry, but you risk a fine. After five years of legal residence you can apply for long-term residence, which gives you much more freedom, including the right to work.

Tax: the part many people forget

Because the renewal requires more than 183 days a year in Spain, non-lucrative visa holders almost always become Spanish tax residents. That means you file a Spanish income tax return on your worldwide income, including foreign pensions, rent and investment returns. Double taxation treaties prevent you paying twice on the same income, but they do not remove the duty to declare. You may also have to report assets held abroad.

Get tax advice before you move, not after. Our guide to the Spanish tax system covers the basics, and a gestor or lawyer can look at your situation.

Common reasons for refusal

• Income just below the threshold, or income that looks like salary or freelance work
• Health insurance with co-payments, waiting periods or exclusions
• Missing apostilles or sworn translations
• Certificates that expired before the appointment
• For renewals: too many days outside Spain

Useful links

• Ministry of Inclusion: initial non-lucrative residence (Hoja 6)
• Ministry of Inclusion: renewal of non-lucrative residence (Hoja 7)
• Example of a consulate checklist (Spanish Consulate in Boston)
• Retiring in Spain: pensions, healthcare and residency
• Spain’s immigration rules in 2026
• Healthcare in Spain for foreign residents

FAQ: non-lucrative visa

Can I work remotely on a non-lucrative visa?

No. The visa does not allow any work in Spain, and consulates say this includes remote work for foreign employers or clients. The digital nomad visa is the route for remote workers.

How much money do I need in 2026?

With the IPREM at €600 a month, the main applicant needs €2,400 a month (€28,800 a year) and each family member another €600 a month (€7,200 a year). Check the current IPREM before you apply.

Can I apply from inside Spain as a tourist?

The initial application is made at the Spanish consulate for the place where you live. Ask a lawyer whether any exception applies to your situation.

Will I pay tax in Spain?

Most likely yes. If you spend more than 183 days a year in Spain you are normally a Spanish tax resident and must declare your worldwide income.

Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not legal or tax advice. Immigration rules, amounts and consulate requirements change – always check with the official source, and consider a lawyer or gestor before you apply.

Updated: October 2026

For more than a decade, buying a home in Spain for €500,000 or more could give a non-EU buyer and their family the right to live here. That route closed in April 2025. This guide explains what changed, what happens to people who already hold a golden visa, and which options property buyers from outside the EU have in 2026.

What the golden visa was

The “golden visa” was the popular name for the investor residence permit created by the Entrepreneurs Law (Ley 14/2013). Non-EU nationals could get a residence visa and then a renewable residence permit by making a large investment. The options included:

• Property: at least €500,000 in Spanish real estate, free of mortgage above that amount. This was by far the most used route.
• Financial investments: €2 million in Spanish government bonds, or €1 million in shares, investment funds or bank deposits.
• Business projects considered of general interest, for example because they created jobs.

The main attraction was flexibility. Unlike most permits, the holder did not need to live in Spain for most of the year, and close family could be included.

How and when it ended

The government argued that the scheme pushed up house prices in cities and coastal areas where locals already struggled to find homes. The abolition was finally included in Organic Law 1/2025 on the efficiency of the justice system, published in January 2025. The provision took effect three months later, on 3 April 2025.

Since that date, no new applications for investor residence can be filed. Buying a €500,000 villa in Marbella, or putting money in Spanish shares or deposits, no longer gives anyone a right to live in Spain.

What happens to existing golden visa holders

The law included transitional rules, so people already in the system were not cut off overnight:

• Applications filed before 3 April 2025 are decided under the rules in force when they were submitted.
• Visas and permits valid on 3 April 2025 stay valid for the period for which they were issued.
• Renewals are processed under the rules that applied when the first permit was granted. In practice, holders who still meet the conditions, including keeping the investment, can continue to renew.

If you hold a golden visa, keep the qualifying investment in place and apply for renewal in good time. After five years of legal residence, some holders may be able to move to long-term residence, but that permit has its own conditions, including time actually spent in Spain. Investor permits are handled by the Ministry of Inclusion’s unit for large companies and strategic groups (UGE), which publishes guidance on the requirements that still apply to investors after Organic Law 1/2025.

Can non-EU buyers still buy property in Spain?

Yes. Anyone can still buy a home in Spain, whatever their nationality. What has changed is that the purchase no longer comes with residence. For non-EU buyers this means:

• The 90/180 rule applies. Without a residence permit or a national visa, most non-EU visitors can spend at most 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area, including time spent in other Schengen countries.
• You need an NIE to buy, open a bank account and pay taxes.
• You pay non-resident taxes. Owners who do not live in Spain pay non-resident income tax every year, even if the home is not rented out, as well as IBI to the town hall. Our guide to taxes for foreign property owners explains the details.
• Financing is possible but tighter. Spanish banks lend to non-residents, usually with a lower loan-to-value than for residents. See our mortgage guide.

Buyers should also follow the political debate. In early 2025 the government proposed a tax of up to 100% of the property value on homes bought by non-EU non-residents. As of spring 2026 the proposal had stalled in parliament and had not been approved, but it has not been formally withdrawn either. Check the current situation with your lawyer before you sign.

Alternative routes to live in Spain

If your goal is to live in Spain rather than just own a holiday home, these are the most common routes for non-EU nationals in 2026:

Route	Who it suits	Key point
Non-lucrative residence	Retirees and people with passive income	You must show enough regular income or savings and private health insurance, and you cannot work in Spain
Digital nomad visa	Remote workers and freelancers with foreign clients	Minimum income linked to the Spanish minimum wage
Entrepreneur residence	People starting an innovative business in Spain	The business plan needs a favourable report
Highly qualified professional	Senior staff hired by a Spanish company	Salary threshold set by the authorities
Work permit	People with a Spanish job offer	Usually requires the employer to start the process

Unlike the golden visa, most of these permits expect you to actually live in Spain. Our guides to the digital nomad visa and to Spain’s immigration rules in 2026 explain the conditions. EU and EEA citizens do not need any of these: they simply register as residents if they stay more than three months.

Useful links

• Ministry of Inclusion: Unit for Large Companies and Strategic Groups (UGE)
• Ministry of Inclusion: types of residence authorisation
• KPMG legal alert: end of the golden visa (PDF, Spanish)
• Residency in Spain 2026: step by step
• The housing market in Spain: renting or buying as a new resident

FAQ: the end of the golden visa

Can I still get a golden visa if I buy property now?

No. Since 3 April 2025 no new applications for investor residence can be filed, whatever the value of the property.

I already have a golden visa. Can I renew it?

Yes. Existing permits stay valid, and renewals are assessed under the rules that applied when your first permit was granted, as long as you still meet the conditions.

Does owning a home in Spain help a residence application?

It can help show you have somewhere to live, but on its own it gives no right to residence. You still need to qualify under a route such as non-lucrative residence or the digital nomad visa.

Has the 100% tax on non-EU buyers been introduced?

Not as of the latest reports in 2026. It was proposed in 2025 but had not been approved by parliament. Check the current position before you buy.

Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not legal or tax advice. Immigration and tax rules change often – always check with the official source or a qualified immigration lawyer or gestor before you buy or apply.

Updated: October 2026

If you own a home, a car or a bank account in Spain, a Spanish will can save your family months of paperwork and a lot of money. This guide is for foreign residents and holiday-home owners. It explains which country’s law applies to your estate, how to make a will at a Spanish notary, what it costs, and the mistakes that most often cause trouble later.

Why foreigners should make a Spanish will

A will made in your home country is usually valid in Spain. The problem is using it. Spanish banks, notaries and the land registry will ask for an official copy, an apostille, a sworn translation and often a legal opinion on the foreign law. Your heirs may also need proof from your home country that the will is your last one. All of this takes time while bank accounts stay frozen.

A Spanish notarial will avoids most of that. It is already in Spanish, it is registered centrally, and the notary who keeps the original can issue copies to your heirs straight away. If you die without any will, your heirs must first obtain a declaration of heirs (declaración de herederos), which adds cost and delay.

Which country’s law applies to your estate

Since 17 August 2015, the EU Succession Regulation (Regulation 650/2012) decides which law governs an inheritance in Spain and most other EU countries. The basic rules are:

• Default rule: the law of the country where you were habitually resident when you died applies to your whole estate, wherever the assets are.
• Choice of law: you can choose in your will that the law of your nationality applies instead. This choice is open to nationals of any country, including non-EU citizens such as Britons and Americans.

This matters because Spanish succession law is strict. Under the Civil Code that applies in most of Spain, two thirds of the estate are reserved for your children (the legítima), and a surviving spouse has a life interest in part of it. You can only leave one third freely. Several regions with their own civil law, such as Cataluña, Aragón, Galicia, the Balearics, the Basque Country and Navarra, use different shares, and Navarra allows almost complete freedom.

If you are a resident and want to leave everything to your spouse, or to divide your estate in a way Spanish law does not allow, the choice of your national law is the key clause. Whether that works depends on your home country’s rules, so ask a lawyer who knows both systems.

Choosing a law does not change the tax. Spanish inheritance tax still applies to Spanish assets, and to worldwide assets received by heirs who live in Spain. See our guide to inheritance and gift tax by region.

Types of will in Spain

• Open will (testamento abierto): made before a notary, who checks your identity and capacity, writes it and keeps the original. This is by far the most common and the one most foreigners should use.
• Closed will (testamento cerrado): you write it yourself and hand it to a notary in a sealed envelope. Rare, and more likely to cause problems.
• Handwritten will (testamento ológrafo): written and signed entirely by hand. It is valid but must be validated by a notary after death within a time limit, which adds cost and risk.

How to make a will at a Spanish notary

1. Get an NIE if you do not have one, and bring your passport or residence card.
2. Decide who gets what, who your executor (albacea) will be, and whether you want to choose your national law. Many people also name a guardian for minor children.
3. Contact a notary (any notary in Spain, you can choose). Send your instructions in advance so they can prepare a draft.
4. Bring an interpreter if needed. If you do not understand Spanish well and the notary does not speak your language, the notary will ask for an interpreter. Many notaries on the coasts prepare bilingual wills.
5. Sign at the notary’s office. The notary reads the will, confirms you understand it and signs with you. Witnesses are not normally needed.
6. Registration: the notary reports the will to the General Register of Last Wills (Registro General de Actos de Última Voluntad) in Madrid. You get a simple copy for your records.

A simple open will is one of the cheapest notarial documents. Notary fees are regulated, and a short will is often quoted at roughly €40 to €60, but longer wills, copies and an interpreter add to that. Ask the notary for a quote in advance. Lawyers charge separately if you use one to draft the content.

Common mistakes with two wills

Many expats keep one will in Spain for Spanish assets and another at home for everything else. That can work well, but only if the two are drafted together.

• Accidental revocation: a standard clause such as “I revoke all previous wills” in the second will can cancel the first. Each will should say clearly which assets it covers.
• Contradictions: different heirs or a different choice of law in each will create disputes.
• Out of date: a will written before a divorce, a new marriage, a house sale or a move to Spain may no longer reflect your wishes. Review it after big life changes.
• Joint wills: separate “mirror” wills with matching content are fine, but a single joint will for a couple is not allowed under the Spanish Civil Code. Each partner makes their own.

What your heirs will need to do

After a death, your heirs request the certificate of last wills from the Ministry of Justice, which shows whether you made a Spanish will and at which notary. It can only be requested once 15 working days have passed since the death, and a small fee applies. With it, they get a certified copy of the will from the notary.

The heirs then sign the acceptance of the inheritance (aceptación de herencia) before a notary, pay inheritance tax within six months and the municipal plusvalía if there is property, and register the property in their names. In cross-border cases, a European Certificate of Succession can help prove their status in other EU countries. Our guide to funerals in Spain for foreigners covers the first practical steps after a death.

Useful links

• EUR-Lex: EU Succession Regulation (EU) No 650/2012
• Ministry of Justice: certificate of last wills
• Lawyers in Spain: abogado, gestor or notario
• Understanding the tax system in Spain
• Taxes for foreign property owners in Spain in 2026

FAQ: making a will in Spain

Do I need to be a resident to make a Spanish will?

No. Non-residents who own property or money in Spain can make a will at any Spanish notary. You need your passport and usually your NIE.

Can I leave everything to my spouse?

Under the Spanish Civil Code, not if you have children, because they are entitled to a reserved share. If your national law allows it, you can choose that law in your will instead.

Can I write the will in English?

A notarial will is normally in Spanish, and many notaries prepare a bilingual version with an English column. If you do not understand Spanish, an interpreter is usually required.

How do I change my Spanish will?

Make a new will at a notary. The latest will registered normally replaces earlier ones, so make sure it says what it covers if you also have a will abroad.

Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not legal or tax advice. Succession law depends on your nationality, residence and family situation – always get advice from a notary, lawyer or gestor before you sign a will.