Spain's non-lucrative visa for Americans

If you can live on savings, a pension or investment income, the non-lucrative visa is the classic way for Americans to move to Spain, as long as you're truly not working.

The short version

The money test is 400% of IPREM for the main applicant plus 100% for each family member [1][2]. With IPREM frozen at €600 a month, that's €2,400 a month (€28,800 a year) for you and €600 a month (€7,200 a year) per dependent in 2026 [3].
Health insurance must be from an insurer authorized in Spain, with no copays, no deductibles, no waiting periods and no coverage caps [1].
You apply in the US, at the Spanish consulate that covers the state you live in, usually through an outside visa center [1].
No work, and no remote work either. The Los Angeles consulate says plainly that teleworking isn't allowed on this visa [1]. Remote workers should look at the digital nomad visa instead.
The first permit lasts one year, then renewals run two years at a time, as long as you spent more than 183 days a year in Spain [2][4].

USD conversions in this guide use the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of October 30, 2026 (USD 1.1163 per euro).

The income requirement for 2026

Spain ties the money test to IPREM, the Indicador Público de Renta de Efectos Múltiples, a public reference figure used for benefits and grants. It hasn't been updated by law in years: because Spain's 2023 budget was rolled over again, IPREM stays at €600 a month, €7,200 a year (12 payments) in 2026 [3].

Who	Rule	Per month (2026)	Per year (2026)
Main applicant	400% of IPREM	€2,400 (about USD 2,680)	€28,800 (about USD 32,150)
Each family member	100% of IPREM	€600 (about USD 670)	€7,200 (about USD 8,040)
Couple	500% of IPREM	€3,000 (about USD 3,350)	€36,000 (about USD 40,190)

The consulates don't always print the euro amounts; the Los Angeles page, for example, gives the percentages and links to a separate IPREM sheet [1]. Ask your consulate how it calculates the annual figure before you gather statements, because offices don't all present it the same way.

What counts as income or savings. Spain wants proof that the money is guaranteed for the first year [1]. The Los Angeles consulate accepts:

a Social Security or private pension, or a non-capitalizable life annuity, paid in convertible currency;
investment and bank accounts, with three months of statements and your latest tax return;
bank documents that show the bank's name and address, the account number, open and close dates, the December 31 balance from the prior year and the prior year's average balance [1].

If you're of working age, you also have to show you won't be working: a pension, a letter from your employer confirming your job has ended, or, if you're self-employed, a notarized statement promising not to work in Spain [1]. Los Angeles also says applicants can't have or take on US loans or mortgages, a rule worth asking your own consulate about if you have a house back home [1].

Health insurance: the no-copay rule

This is where most Americans need a new policy. Your US plan, Medicare or a travel policy won't qualify. The consulate's requirements [1]:

public or private cover from an insurer authorized to operate in Spain;
valid for one year and covering everyone on the application;
covering everything Spain's public system covers, with 100% of medical, hospital and outpatient costs;
no deductible, no copayment, no waiting period and no coverage limit.

Spanish insurers sell policies built for this visa. Read the fine print: a plan with even small copays for a doctor's visit can get your application sent back. Our guide to healthcare in Madrid explains how private and public care fit together once you arrive.

Applying at the consulate in the US

You must apply at the consulate whose jurisdiction covers where you live, and prove it with a state ID, a driver's license or a student ID [1]. Los Angeles, for example, covers Southern California plus Arizona, Colorado and Utah, and takes non-lucrative applications by appointment only at the BLS International office on Wilshire Boulevard [1]. Other consulates have their own territories and booking systems, so start with your consulate's page.

The core document list from the Los Angeles consulate [1]:

Form EX-01 and the national visa application form, both signed, with a passport photo.
Passport valid for at least one year with two blank pages. Passports issued more than 10 years ago aren't accepted.
Proof of income or savings (above).
Health insurance certificate (above).
Medical certificate saying you have no disease that could seriously affect public health under the 2005 International Health Regulations, signed and stamped by a doctor and dated within 90 days. An English certificate needs a Spanish translation unless you use the consulate's model form.
FBI criminal record check for anyone over 18, issued within six months, with a federal apostille from the State Department in Washington, D.C., and a certified Spanish translation. A state apostille won't do. If you've lived in another country in the past five years, you need that country's record too.
Proof of family ties for dependents: civil registry certificates issued within six months, apostilled and translated.
Fees: the Los Angeles page lists a USD 140 visa fee for Americans from January 1, 2026, plus a USD 13 residence permit fee (form 790, code 052). Fees aren't refunded if you're turned down [1].

Apostilles and translations

Every US public document (FBI check, marriage certificate, birth certificates) needs an apostille, then a Spanish translation by a sworn translator [1]. The FBI check is the bottleneck: it must carry the federal apostille, and it must still be under six months old on the day you apply. Line it up last.

Timeline

The consulate has three months to decide, longer if it asks for an interview or more papers [1]. Once approved, you pick up the visa in person within one month. The visa itself is good for 90 days: you enter Spain, then apply for your TIE card within one month of arrival [1]. Our NIE and TIE guide walks through that appointment.

Can you work or work remotely?

No. The visa "does not constitute a work permit," and the Los Angeles consulate adds that teleworking isn't allowed [1]. Spain's new immigration regulation, Royal Decree 1155/2024, took effect in May 2025; the Migration Ministry's updated pages still describe this permit as residence "without carrying out work or professional activities" [2]. We didn't find any 2025 change that opens it up to remote work.

If you want to keep your US job and move to Madrid, the digital nomad visa is built for that. Some people switch permits later; the rules for changing status are technical, and an immigration lawyer can check your case.

Renewals and staying long term

The initial permit lasts one year from your entry date [2]. After that, renewals are for two years at a time [4]. To renew, you need to [4]:

apply in the two months before your card expires (late filing up to three months after is possible, but can bring a fine);
show you still have enough money to live without working, for you and any family;
show you kept your health insurance and still have it;
show you actually lived in Spain for more than 183 days in the calendar year;
pay the fee on form 790, code 052.

Filing on time keeps your old permit valid while the office decides [4]. After five years of legal residence, you can usually move to long-term residence.

The US side of the move

Taxes. Living in Spain for more than 183 days generally makes you a Spanish tax resident, and Uncle Sam still wants his return too. The foreign earned income exclusion (up to $132,900 for tax year 2026, $130,000 for 2025) only covers earned income, which you shouldn't have on this visa [5]. Pensions, dividends and capital gains are where the US–Spain tax treaty and foreign tax credits matter. A US expat tax preparer can check your situation.
Social Security payments can follow you to Spain. Medicare generally doesn't pay for care abroad, which is one reason the Spanish insurance rule matters.
FBAR and Form 8938 apply once you open Spanish accounts.

Want to hear how other Americans handled their consulate? Ask in our community group for Americans in Spain.

Spain's non-lucrative visa: how Americans move to Madrid without a job