Spain’s non-lucrative Visa is one of the most popular residency options for citizens of non-EU countries to be able to live in Spain, but there are many factors to take into consideration before deciding if it’s right for you, from taxes to perks, the amount you need and how the NLV’s requirements stack up against other visas.
The non-lucrative or NVL, in the way it is commonly described is an authorization that allows non-EU foreigners to live in Spain without having to work or carry their professional duties in the event that they prove that they have the financial capacity for themselves , and, if appropriate, their family.
In Spanish it’s referred to as a ‘visado of residencia without profit or ‘visado de residencia no lucrativa’. It is also to as a retirement visa as this is the best option for retired people from non-EU countries that want to spend their old age in Spain.
So what are the pros and cons of this particular visa, compared to other visas you can obtain to be able to live in Spain?
Pros
You may apply to apply for a joint or family NLV
One of the main pros that this visa has is that you can include your spouse as well as other members of your family on your visa application, meaning that they can live in Spain alongside you and don’t need to apply for an individual visa. It is important to note that for each family member you include in your application, you have to demonstrate that you’ve an additional EUR6,948 in the year.
You are able to invest
Although the NVL does not permit you working, the NVL will allow you to invest while you’re being in Spain. You can invest in stocks or funds to earn extra income or even invest in the property you want to use to rent out. However, unlike the golden visa it is not necessary to invest a minimum amount of EUR500,000 to purchase a home in Spain or even more when it’s an investment in bonds or shares.
You’ll be able to enjoy unlimited circulation within Schengen Zone
While the NLV visa will be granted for residency in Spain holders are allowed to travel around the Schengen Area, without applying for additional visas from other countries in the bloc. This means that if you want to travel within Europe while you’re in Spain, it’s easy for you to do so.
It’s the only option for some non-EU people to gain residency in Spain
Sometimes the NLV could be the sole visa that you have for living in Spain as someone from a non-EU country. Work visas are quite complicated to obtain (unless you intend to be the Au Pair or seasonal worker) since you’ll need to be highly skilled and you will have to locate the job included on Spain’s “Shortage Occupation’ list. Employers will be required to show that there aren’t any other suitable candidates in the whole of the EU who have the same skills.
Golden visas require a spare EUR500,000 in order to buy real property in Spain and entrepreneurs visas require that you submit an application for a business license to the appropriate authorities and follow many complicated steps in order before it is approved.
You can exchange it to another visa
The good news is that after one year in Spain on an NLV that it will be simpler to apply for a different visa – one that will permit you to work. It is feasible to obtain a work permit or to make yourself self-employed (autonomo) through a process called residence modification.
It could open the door to Spanish citizenship.
There are many ways to earn Spanish citizenship, allowing you to live in Spain indefinitely when starting out with the NLV.
You can do that by renewing your NLV for another two years, provided you have an additional EUR55,584 to do this. After these two years are over, you are able to apply to renew the two-year NVL for a second time (once again , proving you have sufficient funds).
After the end of this time at the end of this time, you’ll been living in Spain for a total of five years, meaning that you can be eligible for long-term or permanent residency that lasts for a period of ten years.
Spain’s permanent residency can also be renewed, or you can apply for Spanish citizenship after ten years of living in the country. You can also get long-term residency or citizenship by going through the residency modification process described above . You must renew your visa every two years until you’re eligible for long-term permanent residency after five years.
Cons
You will need an amount of money
One of the most important prerequisites for applying for NVL is that you need to be able and able to support yourself financially. For 2022, that means that you need to be able to prove that you’ve got EUR27,792 for the year. Each family member you include within the applications, you must have an extra EUR6,948 per year. This is equivalent to 28955 euros per month from things such as investments, pensions, savings or any other asset.
In addition there is the need to pay for health insurance that is private typically, a plan that doesn’t require co-payments.
You must keep it in good condition and also show that you have more money
The NVL is only valid for one year, but when you decide you want to stay in Spain after that period and you want to renew it you’ll have to prove the proof that you’ve got more money than you did when you first applied for. You can renew the visa for another two years, however this means that you will be required to prove that you have EUR55,584 in your account to reside on for the next two years and also EUR13,896 for each family member that you have in Spain.
It isn’t a way to get a job or be self-employed in Spain
As the name suggests – the NLV is only for those who aren’t employed in Spain It means it doesn’t allow you to find a job in Spain or to become self-employed and be self-employed. Because of this, it can be difficult to renew your visa and prove that you’ve earned more in the event that you haven’t been working. But, as stated above, it is possible to modify your visa after one year to be able to exchange it in exchange for a self-employed or working residency permit.
Taxes must be paid
The non-lucrative Spanish visa is a residency visa, so you have to spend more than 183 total days in the country in order for it to be valid. This means you’ll legally be considered to be as a tax-resident here.
In other words, you need to be taxed on your global income. You should verify if there is double tax agreements between your country and Spain.
While you’re not working, you could still receive income from investments, property rentals, from dividends and pensions from companies, which could be taxed.
You can’t spend as much time in Spain without NLV expiring
One of the benefits that I mentioned previously is that the NLV permits freedom of movement within the Schengen Zone. However, if your plan is to travel around the EU as much as you possibly can and maybe travel for a few months in the meantime, you need to be aware that you’ll need to spend more than the 183-day limit in Spain in order to have your visa be valid, particularly in the event that you wish to renew it after the initial year.
It’s true that you could technically use this visa to spend more than 90 consecutive days, however you’ll need to be under 183 which means you won’t be considered tax residents, but it’s not a strategy that will always work for you over the long term. If you’re planning to spend more than 90 consecutive days in Spain without becoming a tax-resident or a tax resident, Spain’s Golden Visa may be a better choice for you.
It’s a little time to take care of things
If the visa request is successful If it is successful, then you’ll only be given three months to get into Spain after it’s approved, at which point you’ll need apply for a non-EU identity card for foreigners called the TIE. This can be a challenge particularly if you have lots of things to arrange prior to departure for a trip, like renting out or selling your property or arranging for a place to stay in the event of arriving and filling out any extra documentation you’ll need. There are often delays, especially when dealing with official processes in Spain, so the three months might not be enough of time.
GREY AREA: Can I work remotely with an NVL?
This is a question that numerous people ask, and it’s an area of confusion. As the name of the visa suggests it’s not allowed to work while you’re in Spain using the NLV, either for either a Spanish employer or for a Spanish company, but the law doesn’t mention anything specifically about working for clients and companies in other countries.
Lawyers differ about this subject – some have said you can, others that you can’t, and, as is often the case, sometimes it’s up to interpretation.
Be aware , however, that certain consulates won’t give you a visa if they think you’ll be working remotely. The positive news is that the Spanish government has made plans to introduce a digital nomad passport, which will allow the possibility of working remotely from Spain for up to a year.
How much money will Britons have to spend to move into Spain in 2023?
It’s not easy for UK citizens looking to move to Spain post-Brexit. Here’s what you’ll need to present in 2023 to get the visa that is non-lucrative (an amount that’s more than the previous).
Since Brexit was implemented on January 1st 2021, UK citizens who want to relocate to Spain or spend part of the year there have a much harder task ahead than they had to.
It’s more difficult to find work or set up working for oneself in Spain in the EU as a non-EU resident and the conditions for residency are higher in comparison to Britons who were registered as residents prior to 2021. They are also protected under the Withdrawal Agreement.
The second major problem for Britons who reside in Spain is that, without residency or the visa required, they can only stay 90 of 180 calendar days within Spain (and in the Schengen Zone).
But, proving that you have the funds to support your family members and yourself is among the most effective methods to address this issue that can be achieved through Spain’s non-lucrative residency visa.
What is Spain’s non-lucrative residency permit?
The non lucrative visa Spain is an authorisation that allows non-EU nationals to remain in Spain for longer than 90 days, without having to work or carrying out professional activities in Spain in the event that they prove they have sufficient financial means for themselves and, if applicable their family.
In Spanish it’s called a Visado of residencia no lucrativa, and it’s sometimes referred as a retirement-related visa since it’s the best alternative for those who are retired of non-EU countries looking to relocate to Spain.
However, it is open to nationals of third countries of all ages , provided they can prove they have the money to pay for it and is an excellent option for UK citizens who wish to visit Spain for the first time, and to know Spain better for a year before considering working there.
To demonstrate your adequate financial resources, you’ll need to provide official documents, including bank account statements, proof of assets, pensions and other investments. You’ll also need to take out comprehensive private healthcare, have no criminal convictions and satisfy other conditions.
The name suggests that you’re technically not allowed to work with this visa and must instead rely on passive income. Therefore, if this doesn’t suit your purposes Spain’s new digital nomad visa could work best for your needs. If you have enough cash to purchase a EUR500,000 home, the golden visa in Spain could be suitable for you.
The non-lucrative residency permit of Spain is a visa for temporary residence that is valid for one year initially. Britons will still need to apply for the TIE residency card after they have their ‘NLV’ (non-lucrative visa).
Once they have their non-lucrative travel visa and temporary residence permit, Britons will also be allowed to travel around the Schengen Area without having the same restrictions on 90 days for Britons living in the UK.
Second and first residency renewals last two years, following which five years of residency are granted, and hence the possibility of applying for long-term residency. This lasts for ten years and doesn’t come with the same requirements for financial support.
After ten years of living in Spain, British citizens can obtain Spanish citizenship, but they’ll have to renounce their British citizenship during this process.
How much money do UK citizens need to pay in order to be granted a non-lucrative Spanish visa?
There are a few variations in the definition of “sufficient financial means” between the regions of Spain, provinces and even the Spanish consulates around the world from which foreigners are able to apply for visas. (For UK-based applicants, you need to apply at the general Spanish consulates in either London, Manchester or Edinburgh in the UK, and in addition to Spain).
But , generally speaking the Spanish Royal Decree states that sufficient financial means “will not be more than the sum of social assistance is granted to Spaniards or the amount of the minimum Social Security pension”.
There is a reason for this. Spanish government is talking about the IPREM, an indicator that 2023’s GDP will grow to EUR600 (PS532 at today’s exchange rates – EUR1 PS0.89) PS0.89) monthly, about EUR21 more per month than in 2022 and EUR42 more than in 2021. This may not seem to be a huge increase however it adds up.
The financial standard for visa applicants who are not lucrative includes 400 per cent of IPREM: EUR2,400 (PS2,126) per month.
That’s why for the UK citizen who wants to apply for the non-lucrative permit in Spain in the very first instance (it lasts one year) the amount they need to be able to prove is EUR28,800 (PS25,516) More than the EUR1,000 required for applicants who applied in 2022.
Each family member you include in the residency application it’s an additional 100% of the IPREM you’ll need to prove you have: EUR7,200 (PS6,379) per year.
In other words, if an applicant is a British couple applies for the tax, it’s 36,000 euros (PS31,895) for the whole year in savings, or a monthly income through pensions, investments, or any different assets. Or EUR3,000 (PS2,657) a month.
For a UK couple with three children,, that’s an amount of €43200 (PS38,275) of income per year. For a family of four it’s EUR50,400 (PS44,655) and it goes on and on until you reach the amount of EUR7200 (PS6,379) every family member.
If you’re renewing your non-lucrative Visa for the second and first time, remember that you will have to prove that you’ve earned 800 percent of the IPREM to prove that the new residence permit is valid for two years.
For an individual, that is EUR 57,600 (PS51,038) that they are able to prove they’ll be able to access for two years. It’s the equivalent of EUR14,400 (PS12,759) for every family member with you in Spain.
Keep in mind that these figures serve to provide a basis for comparison, so if you have more assets, money , or investment options to help your case, then show them.
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