General regime · Royal Decree 1155/2024

Non-lucrative residence (EX-01)

Residence for people who want to live in Spain on their own means without working. What the regulation requires from the applicant, how the consulate application works, how much money you must show and how to renew.

What this permit is

It is residence without the right to work: you live in Spain on your own means, and neither employment nor self-employment is covered.

Family members of the applicant can be included. The initial permit lasts one year. A renewed permit lasts two years, unless you become eligible for long-term residence earlier.

What you have to prove

The regulation sets five specific requirements for the initial permit.

Who counts as a family member: spouse, registered partner or duly proven stable partner (marital cohabitation of at least one continuous year; with children in common, proven stable cohabitation is enough); unmarried minor children of the applicant or of the spouse or partner; adult children with a disability requiring support or who cannot provide for themselves due to their health.

How much money you must show

The minimum is calculated from IPREM, the public reference indicator used for thresholds in Spain: 400 % of IPREM per month for the applicant, plus 100 % of IPREM per month for each dependent family member. The amount is multiplied by the validity period of the permit and refers to the moment of applying for the visa or the renewal.

How to prove it. By any means of proof admitted in law: property titles, certified cheques or credit cards accompanied by a bank certificate of the available credit. For accounts abroad, the certificate must include the full name and address of the bank, full identification of the accounts, opening or closing dates, balances on 31 December of the previous year and the average balance over the last year. If the means come from shares or holdings in Spanish, mixed or foreign companies based in Spain, you prove with a company certificate that you do not work there, plus a responsible declaration (declaración responsable).

How the procedure works

1. Visa at the consulate. The initial application is filed as a residence visa at the Spanish consulate; the visa application also counts as the application for the permit.
2. Assessment in two places. The consulate checks the general visa requirements plus means and insurance (art. 61.2 a and b). The immigration office checks the other three: no return commitment, no threat to public order, fee.
3. Criminal record reports. The office itself requests the central criminal register report and the police report, issued within seven days.
4. Decision. The competent body decides within one month of receiving the consulate communication. Silence within that period means refusal.
5. Visa. The consulate issues the visa within one month after the favourable decision. The visa incorporates the permit.
6. TIE card. Within one month of entering Spain you must apply in person for the TIE card.

General visa requirements (art. 38): completed and signed application form; not being in Spain irregularly; not listed as inadmissible in countries with an agreement with Spain; passport valid for at least one year; for adults, no criminal record in the countries of residence over the last five years for offences under Spanish law; visa fee paid; medical certificate that you do not suffer from diseases with serious public health implications under the 2005 International Health Regulations.

Renewal

File with the immigration office during the two months before the permit expires. Filing within that period extends the validity of the previous permit until the decision. It is also extended if you file within three months after the validity ended, without prejudice to a penalty procedure under art. 52.b of Organic Law 4/2000.

Renewal requirements

• A valid permit, or within three months after it expired.
• Sufficient means for the renewal period, on the terms of art. 62.
• Health insurance kept during the validity and still in place.
• Children of compulsory school age are enrolled in school.
• Fee paid.
• Real and effective residence in Spain for more than 183 days in the calendar year.

The renewed permit lasts two years. The application is decided within three months and silence means approval (unlike the initial application). After notification you must apply in person for the TIE at the police station within one month. If school enrolment of children is not proven, the office informs the education authorities and gives one month to provide the report, otherwise the permit is not renewed. A report on integration effort from the regional authorities is also assessed, especially if some requirement is not met.

What it costs

Amounts from Order PJC/617/2025. They are increased each year by the budget law, so check the current amount before paying. The visa fee is paid separately under another order and is not shown here. The fee is self-assessed (form 052) and the voluntary payment period is ten working days from filing.

Document checklist

Tick items as you get them. The final list is set by the consulate; this one follows the requirements of the regulation.

• Passport valid for at least one year
• Completed and signed visa application form
• Documents proving means (accounts, income, property) in the amount required by art. 62
• Health insurance
• Criminal record certificate from the countries of residence over the last five years
• Medical certificate under the International Health Regulations
• Marriage or birth certificates if family is travelling
• Proof of payment of fees (code 2.1.1 and the visa fee)
• Copies and translations required by the consulate

Common mistakes

• Showing income that does not cover the whole period. The total amount for the entire validity is calculated, not just one month.
• Planning the initial application from inside Spain. Art. 63 provides for the initial application through a visa at the consulate. Confirm the procedure with your consulate in advance.
• Missing the renewal window. The window is two months before the end; afterwards three months remain with a penalty risk.
• Not spending enough time in Spain. Renewal requires more than 183 days in Spain in the calendar year.

Rules: RD 1155/2024 (arts. 38, 39, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64); Order PJC/617/2025; Law 31/2022 (IPREM).