Visas & residence — Spain

What this page covers

This page explains, in plain words, how retirees can live in Spain for the long term.

A visa is official permission to enter a country for a stated purpose. Residence means you are allowed to stay and live there for longer than a short visit. Means of subsistence (also called “means” or “resources”) means money you must show you have—so you can support yourself without needing local welfare.

EU means the European Union. EEA means the European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein). Switzerland has similar free-movement rules. If you hold a passport from one of those places, the path is usually simpler. If you do not (for example, a US passport), you usually need a Spanish residence visa first.

Spain’s main non-work route for people from outside the EU is the non-lucrative residence permit (often called the non-working residence visa). It does not allow you to work in Spain—including remote work. Money floors are based on IPREM (Indicador Público de Renta de Efectos Múltiples—a Spanish public income index used for many official thresholds). The current rules have been in force since May 2025.

If you are comparing countries, Spain’s absolute “no work” rule and its IPREM-based money floors differ from routes such as Portugal’s D7. Retirely can help you compare places to live once your immigration path is clearer—optional, and separate from the visa itself.

This page is general information for planning, not legal advice. Rules change. Always confirm with the Spanish embassy or consulate that covers you before you apply. Immigration offices also use their own judgment. Research behind this text is dated 2026-09-21 (Europe/Brussels).

If you are from the EU/EEA/Switzerland

Citizens of EU countries, other EEA countries, and Switzerland may live in Spain for more than three months if they meet Spanish free-movement rules. The main laws are Real Decreto 240/2007 and Orden PRE/1490/2012 (Spanish regulations that apply EU residence rights).

If you are not working (including many retirees), Orden PRE/1490/2012 Art. 3.2(c) asks for both:

1. Health insurance (public or private), taken out in Spain or another country, that covers you in Spain for the whole stay and is equivalent to the SNS (Sistema Nacional de Salud—Spain’s public health system). Pensioners often meet this by proving they keep healthcare rights from the country that pays their pension.
2. Enough money for you and your family so you will not need Spanish social assistance. Officials look at your own situation. Holding resources above the yearly amount set in the Spanish State Budget Law for a non-contributory pension (PNC)—a basic Spanish pension paid without a full work history—is treated as enough proof, taking your personal and family situation into account.

Flag — EU money floor = PNC, not IPREM: For EU inactive people, the test uses the Budget Law non-contributory pension amount, not the non-lucrative 400% IPREM figure used for non-EU applicants. For calendar year 2026, IMSERSO / RDL 3/2026 publish the full non-contributory pension at €8,803.20/year. Orden PRE treats holding resources above that Budget Law amount as sufficient accreditation, assessed case by case—verify with the Oficina / Policía for your file. Do not use the non-lucrative 400% IPREM figure for EU citizens.

Registration: In person, ask to be entered in the Registro Central de Extranjeros (central foreigners’ register). You receive a Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión (EU citizen registration certificate). It includes your NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero—your Spanish foreigner ID number) and the registration date. Go to the provincial Oficina de Extranjería (foreigners’ office) or, if needed, the local Comisaría de Policía (police station)—usually by appointment—within three months of entry. Issuance is generally immediate once checks are done. After five continuous years of legal residence, you may ask for a permanent residence certificate. Separately, register locally with empadronamiento (your town’s padrón—municipal address register).

Typical documents include form EX-18, proof you paid fee Modelo 790 Código 012, a valid passport or national ID, and evidence under Art. 7 RD 240/2007 / Orden PRE/1490/2012 (job, self-employment, study, or non-active resources + insurance, or family of an EU citizen).

Work rights: EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who live under free-movement rules generally may work as employees or self-employed in Spain (subject to rules for regulated professions).

If you are from outside the EU (main retiree route)

Official name and legal basis: The permit is called Autorización inicial de residencia temporal no lucrativa (initial temporary non-lucrative residence authorisation). The consular entry document is the Visado de residencia no lucrativa / Non-working (Non-lucrative) residence visa. Legal basis (Migraciones Hoja 6, last update May 2025): Ley Orgánica 4/2000, Arts. 30 bis and 31; Real Decreto 1155/2024, de 19 de noviembre (new Aliens Regulation), Arts. 60–63 (initial) and Art. 64 (renewal). RD 1155/2024 took effect 20 May 2025; consular pages warn that only the rules in force when you file apply. BOE ELI: https://www.boe.es/eli/es/rd/2024/11/19/1155

Who it is for: People from outside the EU who want to live in Spain without working—including no remote work—and who can show enough, guaranteed money to support themselves. Consular pages (for example Washington, Los Angeles, Houston) say clearly that this visa is not a work permit and does not allow telework / remote work. If you plan to work online, Spain points you to the telework / digital nomad route instead.

Income / means floors: Migraciones Hoja 6 sets these amounts:

• For the main applicant: 400% of IPREM monthly
• For each family member: 100% of IPREM monthly

IPREM 2026 (Spanish Consulate Los Angeles IPREM table PDF; Washington states the same monthly figure):

Illustrative yearly floors using 12× monthly IPREM (common consular practice for the “annual required amount”):

• Main applicant: 400% × €7,200 = €28,800/year (≈ 400% × €600 × 12)
• Each dependent: +€7,200/year

Houston publishes approximate USD figures that shift a little with exchange rates—use euro IPREM math as the legal reference.

Health insurance: Public or private sickness insurance with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain, covering the same kinds of risks as the Spanish public health system. US consular pages (Washington, LA, Houston) require no deductible / co-payment / coverage cap, 100% medical/hospital/out-of-hospital expenses, about one year validity covering the stay, policy in Spanish or with a sworn Spanish translation; travel insurance is rejected; insurance cards alone are not accepted.

Work ban: Strict and absolute—no paid work or professional activity, including remote/online work / telework. Washington and Houston require a notarised commitment not to work on-site or remotely. Working-age applicants are often asked for employer termination/retirement letters or proof they closed self-employment.

Application path (high level):

1. You must apply from abroad at the Spanish Embassy/Consulate (or designated BLS centre) for your place of residence. You cannot normally start this authorisation from inside Spain as a tourist.
2. File the national visa form + EX-01 + fee 790-052 + supporting documents.
3. The competent authority decides on the residence authorisation (Hoja 6: generally one month from receipt of the consular communication; silence may count as a refusal). Consular pages often cite up to three months for the overall visa decision when consultations are needed.
4. Collect the visa in person within the stated pickup window; enter Spain while the visa is still valid. Hoja 6: visa validity in no case exceeds three months; then the initial authorisation runs one year from the date of entry.
5. Within one month of entry, apply in person for the TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero—foreigner identity card) at the competent police / foreigners office.

Flag — visa sticker wording (do not treat “1 year” as the sole national rule): Migraciones Hoja 6 states visa validity in no case exceeding three months, with the authorisation lasting one year from entry. Los Angeles Consulate states the visa is valid 90 days. Washington (and Houston) language describes the visa as valid 1 year / 365 days. Treat Hoja 6 as the national rule for entry-visa length; confirm what is printed on the sticker by your issuing post. Do not plan travel assuming a one-year sticker unless that is what your issuing post prints.

Duration / renewals: Initial authorisation: one year from entry. Renewal (Hoja 7, RD 1155/2024 Art. 64): generally two years, unless long-term residence applies. File in the two months before expiry, or within three months after (late filing may trigger a sanctioning procedure). Renewal requires continued sufficient means without work, continued health insurance, schooling of compulsory-age minors if any, fees, no serious criminal issues, and real and effective residence in Spain for more than 183 days in the calendar year.

Family members commonly include a spouse/registered or stable partner, minor children, and in some cases adult children who cannot support themselves or dependent parents/grandparents—each needing a full dossier and +100% IPREM per dependent. Civil-status documents generally need an Apostille (international stamp confirming a public document is genuine) + sworn Spanish translation.

If you are from the USA

Applications are lodged in person by appointment at the BLS Spain Visa Application Centre (or as directed) for the Spanish Consular jurisdiction of your residence—for example Washington, D.C. (DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina), Los Angeles (listed Southern California counties plus Arizona, Colorado, Utah), Houston (Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas). Other posts (NYC, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, etc.) publish their own pages—confirm before booking. B-1/B-2 visitors cannot apply from the US; they must apply in their country of permanent residence.

Common issues from official US Spanish consulate pages include: using state/local police checks instead of an FBI Identity History Summary; missing a federal Hague Apostille from the US Department of State; incomplete sworn Spanish translations; bank letters that omit year-end and average balances; travel insurance instead of full Spanish-authorised cover; and incomplete apostilled civil documents for dependents. Fees (Washington example from 1 Jan 2026): US citizens visa fee $140 + residence fee $13 (subject to reciprocity and FX revisions).

Document intensity and affidavit wording differ by US post (e.g. bank-statement depth; LA’s note that applicants “cannot have/leave loans or mortgages in the United States”—not found on Migraciones Hoja 6; treat as post practice). Always verify with the competent Spanish mission. [LAWYER] Case-specific if the applicant has a US mortgage.

Simple checklist

• Confirm whether you use the EU registration path or the non-EU non-lucrative path.
• For non-EU: plan means at €28,800/year for the main applicant + €7,200 per dependent (IPREM 2026 euro math).
• Arrange Spanish-authorised health insurance (no travel-only policy; no cards alone).
• Apply from abroad at the correct Spanish post / BLS; do not assume you can convert from tourist status.
• Read what your visa sticker actually says (90 days / ≤3 months vs “1 year” language at some US posts).
• Within one month of entry, apply for the TIE; diary renewal (2 months before, or up to 3 months after with risk of a sanction).
• Soft tip: Retirely can help you explore regions once the consular timeline is clearer.

Things to double-check before you apply

• [MUST flag kept] Visa sticker: Hoja 6 / LA ≤3 months / 90 days vs Washington (and Houston) “1 year.” Never state a one-year sticker as the sole national rule. Do not plan travel assuming a one-year sticker unless your issuing post prints that.
• [OK] Absolute telework / remote-work ban confirmed on Washington + LA pages—kept.
• [OK] RD 1155/2024 effect 20 May 2025; IPREM 2026 €600; floors €28,800 + €7,200 per dependent—confirmed.
• [OK] EU floor = PNC / Budget Law, not IPREM. Optional 2026 PNC íntegra €8,803.20/year—verify with Oficina / Policía for your file.
• [LAWYER] LA mortgage/loan practice vs Hoja 6 national list—post-specific.
• Re-check Hoja 6/7 PDFs before filing under RD 1155/2024.