Non lucrative visa

Hi Ian, having just been through this process and living in Puerto del Carmen I can say it’s quite an ordeal but worth it if your going to stay. It’s best to look on line but briefly you have to apply through the Spanish embassy in the uk and pay them roughly 500 euros for each person. That’s the start. Good news is if your over 65 then health is free under 65 and you have to pay roughly 900 euros per year. There is a lot more but it would take hours to tell it all. I learnt it all through Google. Glynn B

Hi.  For the right individuals this is a good visa - but if you are not intending staying 6 months of the year the standard Schengen Visa waiver that all Uk residents have and it’s length of stay restrictions I.e. 90/180, may be the best option with no bureaucracy 

Yes you and all applicants on the visa have to stay for the 183 days in Spain in total over the year or you lose the visas access rights.  As it is renewed after the first year and you cannot prove that you spent the required time in Spain you will be refused a renewal and the same in year 3 and final year before full residency when it is further reviewed. It is your responsibility to provide proof of stay for the minimum period 

If you were applying as the main person and wished your partner to be on the visa you will need to prove in the first year that you have annual income or savings of approximately 35000€ - again that will be reviewed and probably increased after years 1,3 and 5. Proof of financial support can be a combination of continuous salary in the Uk, state and private pension and individual savings to achieve that annual figure. Bank statements for the last 3 months will be required as evidentiary proof. This total income threshold can be met as a combined total between both applicants - other applicants like children or supported individuals require a further 6k € approx per person

You or any applicant cannot undertake any paid work whatsoever in Spain under this visa. 

You will not be taxed on this Uk income as there is an agreement in place to prevent double taxation. You will however have to pay local taxation for utilities and local council facilities etc

If you are of state pensionable age in the uk your UK-gov S1 form covers you for full medical. If you are not of that age band you will all require to take out full private medical insurance (not travel insurance). You will likewise  require a letter usually from your GP stating you are not carrying any of the noted diseases that would prohibit residence in Spain   Most GP surgeries have this letter template which if the case, will be authorised by the practice manager and stamped 

Once you have applied for the visa from your Spanish embassy in the Uk you only have 3 months and 2 weeks to apply for residency otherwise the visa procedure is terminated - as such once the visa is provided for you you will need a Spanish address either rented or purchased within that short period - also prior to submission, your form should be double checked for errors as it will be rejected entirely without mitigation if even slight errors including typos are made - you must have your NIE numbers and certificates in place beforehand   The fees to the local embassy will be displayed on line or can be requested 

You will need a police report on all applicants clearing you of any criminal convictions in the last 5 years.  Your passport needs to have a min 1 year remaining but that’s cutting it fine - 2 years or renewal would be sensible 

The application is definitely something an individual can complete and submit by themselves as long as they do the groundwork on timings and Spains’ requirements- a spreadsheet and timeline checklist would be invaluable, however if you are not comfortable with that there are responsible agents that will do the heavy lifting and lead you through the process at a fee of around £2-£3k  

Please note this is not legal advice and should not be viewed as such, but from experience only from our own process of inat the time when looking at alternatives to full residency. Best of luck 

Hi again, you do have to be in Spain for 183 days but they don’t have to be consecutive. Your finances are 6 months of consecutive bank statements showing your income plus savings etc any property you own here does not count. After 1 year you then apply for 2 years and again 2 years later, you will then be a resident but not a citizen unless you are fluent in Spanish. Good luck. Gl

Hi Ian,

Some very useful info from other replies. My wife and I went through to the NLV process in early 2021 and were one of the first British people to do it. There wasn’t much help around at the time but we muddled through and did it all ourselves. I wrote a blog about our experiences and below is a link to part 1 - currently up to part 14. 
The visa is a residency visa and so you are expected to be residents. When you come to do the renewal after year 1 and again after year 3, they will look at how much time you have spent in Spain as part of the determination of the renewal. After 5 years you can apply for permanent residency but any years in which you have not spent the required time in Spain will not count. If I remember rightly it’s a maximum of 10  months out of Spain in the 5 years and a maximum of 6 months in any one year.

The financial requirements are based on the IPREM, which changes each year in line with inflation. It is now €600 per month. So the first applicant needs 4 x that and any dependants an additional 1x. The rules say it can be made up of any means - so just income, just savings or a combination of both and any other means you have.

No you don’t get dual citizenship through the visa. You can apply for Spanish nationality after 10 years but that’s a whole different process.

Hope this is of some help. Personally, I think it is worth all the hassle. But if you’re only intending spending part of the year here then it may be easier to stick to the 90 in 180 days. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

https://davidwaters4.wordpress.com/2021/08/21/moving-to-spain-after-brexit/