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No investment — documented income only

Spain residence
without investing

The full cost is almost entirely symbolic government fees — there is no capital to invest here, only documented passive income to prove.

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Income from
€28,800/year
Time to status
4–8 mo.
Stay requirement
over 183 days a year
Citizenship after
10 years (2 for some countries)

This is not an investment programme

The only financial requirement is documented passive income, scaled by family size. This visa does not permit local employment — income must come from abroad: a pension, rent, dividends, or income from a business you do not personally run.

REQUIREMENT
AMOUNT
WHAT TO KNOW
Applicant income
AMOUNTfrom €28,800/year
400% of the annual IPREM (frozen at €600/month since 2023 due to the absence of a new national budget).
Spouse income
AMOUNT+€14,400/year
+50% of the base amount for the first additional adult.
Child income
AMOUNT+€8,640/year
+30% of the base amount per minor.

What the full cost consists of

The government fees really are this small. The family’s real expenses go toward comprehensive health insurance, document translation, apostilles, and — for US/UK nationals — a reciprocity-based consular fee.

COST ITEM
RATE
APPLIES TO
Application review fee (Modelo 790, code 052)
RATE€10.94
per applicant
TIE residence card
RATEup to €19.30
per applicant
Reciprocity consular fee (select countries only, e.g. the US)
RATEup to $140
per applicant from that country
Comprehensive health insurance, translations, apostilles
RATEmarket rate
per family, the bulk of the budget

How the process runs

01
Gathering documents
Proof of income, comprehensive health insurance with no co-pays, an apostilled criminal record certificate — the full package is assembled in your home country.
02
Filing at the consulate
The application is filed in person at the Spanish consulate covering your home address, not in Spain. Fees vary by consulate.
03
Visa decision
4 to 8 months from the first document to the visa — the longest step in the whole process.
04
Entry and the TIE card
After entering Spain, the foreigner ID card (TIE) must be arranged in person within 1 month.
05
Renewals
The first residence status runs 1 year, then two renewals of 2 years each. After 5 years of continuous lawful residence you become eligible for permanent residence.

A good fit if

You have stable passive income from abroad and do not need to work locally in Spain.
Your budget is limited: the real costs are insurance, translations and apostilles, not an investment.
You hold citizenship of an Ibero-American country, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, or Portugal — naturalisation takes just 2 years instead of ten.
Your priority is a life in Spain, not a passport as fast as possible.

A poor fit if

You plan to work for a Spanish employer or run a business in Spain — this visa explicitly prohibits local employment.
Your income cannot be documented as passive (a salary from active work generally does not qualify).
You need a result in a matter of weeks, or EU citizenship on a short timeline without belonging to one of the fast-track nationalities — ten years for most applicants.
You are looking for an investment asset — this programme does not offer one.

Who runs this programme

Your request goes to two or three firms from this list. You see exactly which ones before it is sent, and you can exclude any of them.

La Vida Golden Visas
Лондон, Великобритания · since 2002
Over 20 years of experience, clients from 160+ countries; specialises in Portugal’s Golden Visa and other EU programmes.
Global Citizen Solutions
Лондон, Великобритания / Лиссабон, Португалия · since 2016
Global mobility consultancy with a Lisbon office; specialises in Portugal’s Golden Visa and Spain’s Non-Lucrative Visa.

This is an independent list of firms in the market, not our partners — we do not forward requests to them or receive payment for referrals. Contact them directly via the link.

Frequent questions

Can you work on this visa?

No — local employment with a Spanish employer or running your own active business in Spain is prohibited. Income must come from abroad and be passive in nature.

Did Spain close its Golden Visa?

Yes, entirely — as of 3 April 2025 (Ley Orgánica 1/2025). The former investment visa (from €500,000 in real estate) is permanently closed to new applicants. The Non-Lucrative Visa is a separate, unrelated programme.

How much time do you need to spend in Spain to keep the status?

Over 183 days in a calendar year — otherwise both tax residency and the renewal of the status itself come into question.

How many years until citizenship?

The standard timeline is 10 years of continuous lawful residence. For nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, and Sephardic Jews — 2 years. A CCSE exam (Spanish constitution and culture, €85) and DELE A2 language test are required, though some fast-track categories are exempt from the language test.

Who can be included in the application?

A spouse and minor children — each adds their own share of income: +50% for a spouse, +30% per child, on top of the applicant’s base amount.

What about health insurance?

A policy with no deductibles or co-pays, valid in Spain, covering the full period of the requested residence status — one of the most strictly checked requirements.

Sources

Real Decreto 1155/2024 — the current residence-permit regulation, in force from 20 May 2025↗Ley Orgánica 1/2025 — abolition of the Spanish Golden Visa effective 3 April 2025↗Consulado General de España — official Non-Lucrative Visa page↗

Figures are for reference only. Verified against official sources on 26 August 2026. A precise quote is issued by the appointed firm after document review. This material is not legal advice, a public offer or investment advice.