Non-lucrative residency is an authorization that allows a non-European foreign citizen to reside in Spain (without working) for a period of more than 90 days, and less than 5 years. It must only be requested by individuals with sufficient economic resources to cover all expenses during the period of non-lucrative residency.

The application procedure for the non-lucrative residency authorization must be initiated along with the Spanish visa. The interested party must go to a Spanish embassy or consular office and inform them of his or her desire to obtain the authorization. The institution where the petition has been processed will collect the request and send it, along with the documents required for the process, to the Government Delegation of the Spanish region where the interested party will reside.

Said Government Delegation will review the application and, if approved, inform the consular office that the interested party is eligible to receive a non-lucrative residency authorization. The applicant will then be informed that the authorization has been granted and will be issued with an initial authorization. This authorization will come into force at the time when the foreign citizen steps onto Spanish territory if he or she does so within one month from the granting of the non-lucrative residency.

During the processing period in which the Government Delegation studies the case (one month), the consular office to which the applicant has gone may arrange an interview with him or her, in order to verify the data delivered and avoid possible cases of fraud. The interested party is obliged to attend this interview. In the case that the interview has a negative outcome, his application for a visa to enter Spain will also be denied.

The validity of the non-lucrative residency authorization is one year. To renew it, the applicant, or his/her representative, must complete a document in duplicate in which he or she requests the renewal, and present it to the immigration agency, provincial delegation, town hall or Government Delegation of the territory of Spain where he or she resides. The timeframe for submitting this renewal application covers the 60 days prior to the end of the validity of the non-lucrative residency authorization, until 90 days after its expiration.

For more information about how to obtain a non-lucrative residency authorization in Spain, we recommend visiting the website of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where you will also find an exhaustive list of the necessary requirements that the applicant must meet.

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Legal Notice: Since legal advice must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case, and laws are constantly changing, nothing on this article should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent legal counsel. The content on this article is offered only as information and does not constitute solicitation or provision of legal advice. You should always consult a suitably qualified lawyer regarding any specific legal problem or matter.

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