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📄 VISADO

Non-lucrative residence for retirees

Residence permit for retirees and pensioners who wish to live in Spain without working. There is no specific retirement visa — it is processed as a Non-Lucrative Residence permit based on passive income (pension, investment income, savings).

Minimum income €2,400/month (400% IPREM 2026) + €600/month per dependent family member. Under art. 61.3, family member means the spouse or registered or stable partner; minor children who are unmarried OR have not formed their own family unit; and adult children with a disability requiring support OR who are not objectively able to provide for their own needs because of their state of health
Initial duration 1 year (renewable for 2-year periods)
Decision time Two consecutive one-month legal deadlines — the immigration office decides on the authorization within 1 month of receiving the consulate's communication, with silence meaning refusal (art. 63.4 RD 1155/2024), and the consulate then issues the visa within 1 month of that favorable decision (art. 39.5). In practice, 1-3 months in total.
Work allowed? ✗ No
Family allowed? ✓ Yes
Fee 2026 There are TWO separate fees — the visa fee at the consulate (art. 38.h) and the residence authorisation fee (art. 61.2.e). Form 790, code 052; check the current amount on the e-office when you apply

💡 There is no specific retirement visa in Spain. The Non-Lucrative Residence permit is used instead. Foreign pensions, rental income, and savings all count as valid income sources.

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Health insurance valid for this visa — a mandatory requirement. Get a policy accepted at the visa office, online in minutes, with no copays or waiting periods.
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Step by step

The application must be submitted at the Spanish consulate in your country of residence.

1
Gather required documents
Prepare all required documents. Have foreign documents apostilled and translated by a sworn translator. Request your criminal record certificate well in advance, as it may take several weeks.
2
Schedule a consulate appointment
Book an appointment at the Spanish consulate responsible for your country of residence. Waiting times can be long at some consulates — book as early as possible.
3
Submit application with Form EX-01
Attend the consulate with your complete documentation. Fingerprints are taken and the fee is paid. Note — these are not two separate procedures, the visa application in itself constitutes the application for the residence authorisation (art. 63.1 RD 1155/2024). The checks are split between two bodies — the consulate assesses the art. 38 requirements — among them, not being unlawfully in Spanish territory (art. 38.b) and not being listed as inadmissible in the territory of countries with which Spain has an agreement (art. 38.c) — and, of the specific ones, only the funds and the insurance (art. 61.2.a and b). The immigration office assesses the other two — not being within the period of a no-return commitment (art. 61.2.c) and not representing a threat to public order, public security or public health (art. 61.2.d). This is set out in arts. 39.2, 39.3.a and 63.2.
4
Decision
The consulate forwards the application to Spain. There are TWO chained one-month legal deadlines — the immigration office decides on the authorisation within one month of receiving the consular communication (art. 63.4 RD 1155/2024), and the consulate issues the visa within another month of receiving that favourable decision (art. 39.5). The legal maximum is two months, not three. If the first month passes with no reply, the application is deemed refused (art. 63.4).
5
Collect visa and apply for TIE
If approved, you have 1 month from the notification to COLLECT the visa at the consulate; if you do not, you are deemed to have waived it and the file is closed (art. 28.4 RD 1155/2024). That month is for collecting it, not for entering — you enter within the visa's period of validity (art. 37.2). Once in Spain, apply for your TIE within one month of entry (art. 63.5 and art. 37.3), in person and at the competent police station.
Publicidad

Mistakes that get applications refused

⚠️ Attempting to work while holding a non-lucrative visa

Consecuencia: Serious infringement that may result in revocation of the permit and deportation

Solución: This visa does NOT permit any form of employment in Spain under any circumstances. If you wish to work, you will need a different visa type (employed, self-employed, or digital nomad).

⚠️ Believing recurring income is required and that savings alone do not count

Consecuencia: Application refusal

Solución: You must demonstrate at least the equivalent of 400% of the monthly IPREM. Ideally, combine pension income with rental or investment income. If relying solely on savings, you must show the full annual equivalent amount in your bank account.

⚠️ Assuming any insurance policy will do

Consecuencia: Request for further documents, or refusal

Solución: What the rule requires is health insurance (art. 61.2.b, RD 1155/2024). In practice many consulates ask for broad cover with an insurer authorised in Spain, with no co-payments or waiting periods, and a minimum of €30,000 is often mentioned — a figure that comes from the Schengen Visa Code, meant for short stays, not from this rule. Taking the best policy you can saves you trouble, but it helps to know which part is law and which is consular practice.

⚠️ Failing to declare a foreign pension in Spain after residing there for more than 183 days

Consecuencia: Tax authority penalty for undisclosed income

Solución: Review the double taxation treaty between Spain and your home country, and file your Spanish tax return declaring your foreign pension income.

Renewal

Renewed for: 2 years

When to apply: During the TWO MONTHS before the expiry date (art. 64.1 RD 1155/2024). Not 60 days — in a 31-day month that conversion would make you file late

Requirements:

  • Keep the financial means (400% of the IPREM) and valid health insurance.
  • Have actually and effectively lived in Spain for more than 183 days during the calendar year (art. 64.2.f, RD 1155/2024). Note the nuance: it is not enough not to have been away for half the year — you have to be able to prove you were here.
  • Have any dependent children of compulsory school age enrolled in school (art. 64.2.d).
  • That your funds suffice without having to carry out any work activity (art. 64.2.b). It is a requirement about sufficiency of means, not a standalone ban on having worked.

Renewal takes your integration effort into account (art. 64.6), evidenced by a favourable report from your Autonomous Community. If they do not issue it within a month and you can show that you asked for it, any other form of evidence is accepted.

Two reassuring things that are almost never explained: filing the renewal on time automatically extends your previous permit until they decide, so you are not left without status while you wait; and if you missed the date, you can still apply within the THREE months following expiry (art. 64.1), although that opens a penalty file. And a third one that matters even more — on RENEWAL, silence works in your favour, the opposite of the initial application. Art. 64.8 states the application is decided within three months and that, once that period passes, it is deemed GRANTED. If it is renewed, you have one month from the notification to apply for the new TIE at the competent police station (art. 64.9).

Legal basis

LO 4/2000 (LOEX) arts. 30 bis and 31; RD 1155/2024 (Immigration Regulation), arts. 61-64.

Checked against the consolidated text on 2026-08-31.

Official sources

🔗 Ley Orgánica 4/2000 de derechos y libertades de los extranjeros → 🔗 Reglamento de Extranjería - RD 1155/2024 → 🔗 Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores - Visados → 🔗 Sede electrónica Policía Nacional - Cita TIE → 🔗 Agencia Tributaria - Convenios doble imposición →

Última actualización: 2026-07-08

ℹ️ La información de esta web es orientativa y de carácter general. No constituye asesoramiento jurídico. Para tu caso concreto, consulta con un abogado especializado en extranjería o con la oficina oficial correspondiente. Emigra España nunca aconseja actuar fuera de la legalidad.