Spain Non Lucrative Visa Frequently Asked Questions
Rules vary by nationality. American citizens may only stay in Spain, or any other EU nation, up to 90 days out of every 180 day period. Longer stays require a visa.
The Non Lucrative Visa for Spain allows you to live in Spain “without doing any lucrative activities.” It hinges on your ability prove independent financial means. If you can meet that minimum income requirement, the non lucrative visa will likely be your easiest path to move to Spain. Click here for a description of this visa and detailed steps on how to get one.
Yes. Other Spanish visa options include the Student Visa, North American Language and Culture Assistant Program (NALCAP) visa, the Self Employment Work Visa, and various other possibilities. The Spanish Consulate in San Francisco provides a full list of visa paths here.
At the consulate with governing authority over the state in which you permanently reside. Find your consulate here. No, you may not go to another consulate just because it happens to be more convenient.
No, you must apply in the country where you currently permanently reside.
If you currently are legally resident in the United States, you’ll apply at one of the eight Spanish consulates located throughout the US. Use this page to find your consulate. If you live elsewhere in the world at the time you want to apply for an NLV, use this page to find Spanish embassies worldwide.
First, if you’re living in the US, find your US based Spanish consulate. Next, click the link to the page dedicated to that particular consulate. Each consulate has distinct procedures. Be sure to follow the directions for your specific consulate. Further, consider personalized support to guide you through the process. Be sure to also check out Family Move Abroad’s online ‘how to’ guides for helpful DIY support.
No earlier than 90 days before your desired arrival date in Spain. You’ll specify this date on your National Visa Application Form. Ensure you fill out forms completely and correctly with Family Move Abroad’s guide to How to Complete Your Spanish Non Lucrative Visa Application Forms.
That varies by consulate. Review your consulate’s website to determine if applications are taken in person or by mail. If your consulate does require in person appointments, ALL family members must attend. This includes minor children, even babies. Bummer for those who must travel from far away to reach your consulate.
This too will vary by consulate. Those consulates that do require in person appointments will most definitely require you to have booked your appointment in advance. Do not try to show up unannounced. You will not get in.
If your consulate takes applications in person, review their non lucrative visa application instructions for details on how to make the appointment. Some have an online appointment scheduler. Others require you to email them when you have your documents ready to ask them to schedule you. Whatever the case at your consulate, you will need one appointment for each family member on the application.
Yes. Each family member, including minor children, needs their own visa. Each will be assigned a unique NIE number (Número de Identidad de Extranjero).
Spouses/domestic partners and families moving abroad together will apply as a unit. Designate one spouse as primary applicant. The other spouse and children, if you’re bringing children, apply as dependents on that same application.
This will depend on your consulate. Some require in person pick up of the visa. Some give you the option to leave your passport with them to be returned by mail. Others require you to leave your passport with them to be returned by mail. For those that require pick up in person, some will allow a designated adult applicant to return with everyone’s passports to get the visa. Others require all applicants, including minor children, return in person to get the visa. (Double bummer for those of required to travel far to get to our consulate).
Once again, this depends on the consulate. Some are fast, like two to three weeks. Others more like two to three months. Legally, three months is the maximum allowed turnaround time, but Family Move Abroad clients have occassionally waited longer. On average, expect four to six weeks. If you apply in person, ask what the current expected processing time is at your appointment.
Definitely not. No way. Not happening. The best thing you can do to ensure your visa is processed in as minimal time as possible for that consulate is to present a complete, clear and correct visa application. Contact Family Move Abroad for one on one support or purchase our DIY non lucrative visa application products to assist you.
Obtaining Spanish Health Insurance
You need real health insurance. Travel insurance will not qualify. Read Family Move Abroad’s FREE Guide to Finding Health Insurance in Spain.
Insbrok Spanish health insurance brokerage has been successfully helping Family Move Abroad clients obtain visa compliant insurance policies for over three years. Their English speaking agents will ensure you purchase a policy that meets your visa application requirements. They will provide all necessary documentation for your visa application in Spanish, avoiding further translation costs. Better yet, as an agency representing many of Spain’s largest health insurance companies, you’ll get multiple policy options to choose from. Get your free quote here.
Your health insurance policy must be a zero deductible policy with no co-payments, no waiting periods, and minimum coverage equal to that included by Spain’s national public health system. It must include routine as well as emergency health care, along with repatriation of mortal remains benefit. Read detailed instructions here.
Not likely. In theory, you should be able to if your American insurance company is legally authorized to operate in Spain. Demonstrating that to the visa officers at the consulate doesn’t tend to go well. You’ll have a much easier time proving you’ve met this requirement for your application by going with a Spanish health insurer. Plus, using the policy benefits while resident in Spain will be easier.
Dirt cheap by our American standards. Expect anywhere from 550 euros per person (health young children) to 1800 euros per person (older senior citizens with health concerns) PER YEAR. Yes, those estimates are per year. And remember, once you have the policy, it will cover EVERYTHING. Get a free quote from Family Move Abroad’s vetted Spanish health insurance agency here.
The Medical Certificate
The Medical Certificate is a signed letter from your doctor stating in very specific terms that you’re not a threat to public health. It must be printed on your physician’s letterhead, signed, dated and sealed with his or her physician’s stamp. It should be dated no more than 3 months before your appointment.
Your doctor may issue the medical letter in either English or Spanish or in bilingual format. If you’re doctor is willing to issue their letter in Spanish, or that bilingual format, no further translation is required. If you only obtain the letter in English, you must translate it using a sworn translator.
No, so long as your doctor is willing to date the letter so that it’s not older than three months at the time you present your application to the consulate. There’s no need to mention the date of the exam. The date on the letter what matters here.
Provide your doctor with this example, taken directly from the website for the consulate in Houston. If your doctor prefers to author a letter using their own words, that’s fine so long as their statement references the language pertaining to “the International Health Regulations of 2005.” Without that reference, your letter won’t be accepted.
This is the minimum amount of money you are required to possess or earn passivly in order to obtain the Non Lucrative Visa. It is based on IPREM, Spain’s cost of living index. As such, it fluctuates from year to year. The amount is specified in euros. To account for ever changing exchange rates, round up when determining the equivalent amount in USD (or your nation’s currency) when figuring out the amount you must present for your visa application. Click here for more information on proving financial means and current IPREM amounts.
No. Note, however, this wasn’t always the case, and any number of immigration attorneys will tell you that the law that governs the non lucrative visa doesn’t prohibit remote work. Unfortunately, that won’t help you because the consulates are adamant that “working” in any capacity, even online/remotely for a company located outside of Spain, means you don’t qualify for this visa. As such, plan on proving financial means from documented savings or passive income sources only.
All consulates recommend waiting until your visa has been approved before booking airfare. Depending on your consulate, this will be one of the trickier logistical pieces to manage. You can’t apply for your visa more than 90 days in advance of your desired departure date. But the processing time can take a month or more. If you wait until the visa is approved, you may be forced to buy your tickets last minute (at a premium price). If you see a good airfare deal while still waiting on your visa, you might just go for it and roll with the punches in the event you’re not approved.
The date a document was signed and stamped by the office or individual issuing the certificate. Consulates have different rules governing how old certain documents may be at the time of your application. No consulate will accept a medical letter older than 90 days. Rules vary wildly beyond that for issue date of criminal background checks, birth certificates and marriage certificates.
All About Apostilles
The Apostille of the Hague is an official stamp (certificate) that makes government documents or other types of paperwork issued in one country legally recognized for use in other countries. In the US, Apostilles for state issued documents, such as marriage and birth certificates, are obtained by that state’s secretary of state. Documents such as FBI background checks, which come from the federal government, get an Apostille from the US Department of State. Family Move Abroad recommends this private agency to obtain the federal Apostille for FBI reports.
The issuing of Apostilles is a highly controlled process. The relevant issuing office for the Apostille depends on the specific document you’re obtaining it for. Find more information and links to both government issuing offices as well as private agencies legally authorized to obtain Apostilles on your behalf.
Also known as FBI and Apostille Channelers, these are private agencies companies with approval from the respective government bodies they represent to process criminal background checks, secure Apostilles, or offer vital statistics retrieval services. You’ll pay more to use one — sometimes ridiculously more. That said, depending on the document and your timing, the mark up can be worth it, either for their potentiallly faster turn around, or because they shoulder some of the grunt work involved to obtain the Apostille or document you’re requesting. Choose wisely if you use one of these private agencies. For assistance in obtaining the federal Apostille for FBI background checks, Family Move Abroad partners with this agency for their reasonable price, ease of use, and quality customer service.
Translating Documents for Your Visa Application
In the US, there is no governmental regulation or certification for translators. Certain private professional organizations do award certifications for translators meeting their standards. Family Move Abroad recommends working with sworn Spanish translators only for your visa application. Read here for information on translators, and how to find one.
A Sworn Spanish Translator is officially recognized and certified by the Spanish government. Their translations follow a precise protocol and are considered official and acceptable by Spanish government offices in Spain and around the world. Family Move Abroad recommends only working with a sworn translator for your visa application. Learn more about sworn translators and how to find one here.
This depends. If you’re an officially sworn translator, absolutely. If not, then you’ll need to notarize every page you translate. Though less expensive than pay per page translation, there’s still a cost, plus you run the risk that the translations might not be accepted in Spain. Family move Abroad highly recommends working with a sworn Spanish translator for your visa application needs. Find one here.
Absolutely, so long as they’re issued as ‘originals’ from the institution in question and not ‘translated copies.’ Original documents issued in Spanish require NO further translation. This includes documents issued in a multi lingual format that includes Spanish, as might be the case on some state issued Apostilles. In addition, if you speak Spanish, you may author original documents you write yourself inn Spanish with no further need to translate. This might include your letter of intent or affidavit you won’t work in Spain.