Traveling To Tenerife, Spain
A heartfelt true travel story about someone who supposedly "Didn't do travel". Follow his incredible journey to Tenerife, Spain!
Oct 12, 2022
17 min read
In this post, we'll discuss what options you have when looking to retire in Spain. We'll look at the key requirements, document requirements, and how you easily get your Retirement Visa for Spain.
Spain is an attractive option for individuals who plan to retire soon. The country has plenty of benefits for ex-pats who choose to retire there, such as a low cost of living, an excellent climate, and affordable healthcare.
If you are planning your retirement in Spain, the first thing you need to consider is the type of visa you need to apply for.
In short, a Retirement Visa is a permit that allows an individual to travel to their country of choice to legally live and retire there. Many countries have implemented specific types of visas that allow retirees to easily retire in their country.
In most cases, your initial Spain Retirement Visa will be reverted into a Temporary Residence Permit once you enter the country. It's typically valid for 1 year and can be renewed for additional years if you wish to do so, provided that you still meet the minimum requirements.
One of the main requirements for each of these types of Retirement Visas for Spain is that you must be able to prove that you have sufficient funds to support yourself for the duration of your stay.
If you're planning a shorter trip to Spain, have a look at the Spain Tourist Visa that can be easily obtained through Atlys!
The first tip is to use Atlys. With Atlys, it's as easy as downloading the app, entering your travel and personal information, and paying the visa application fee.
Once you've completed the relevant information, Atlys will do the rest for you. No strings attached.
We see that travelers leave their visa applications till the last minute. So please ensure you apply at least 2 months before your planned trip.
You have two options to choose from when it comes to Retirement Visas in Spain, which are the Spain Golden Visa program and the Spain Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV).
Let's take a look at these two options so you can figure out which one is best for you.
The Spain Golden Visa is a popular option amongst wealthier travelers. Spain Golden Visa holders will enjoy the benefit of making investments in Spain, as well as working and living in Spain.
To qualify for the Spain Golden Visa, you must invest substantially in Spain. The investment options include real estate, bonds, company creation, etc.
If this sounds like the type of visa for you, check out our in-depth guide about the Spain Golden Visa and how to apply for one so you can effortlessly retire in Spain.
The Spain Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) is created for non-EU citizens who have the financial means to live in Spain without working. The NLV is the most popular type of visa for retirees. A great benefit of this visa is that it allows you to bring along your entire family, provided that you can meet the minimum financial requirements.
The NLV is simple to apply for and has very few requirements, unlike other types of Spanish visas. You are not required to include a business plan, make substantial investments in Spain, or present a work offer.
After 5 years of living in Spain, you'll be able to apply for permanent residency. Note that you'll need to meet the minimum stay requirements to be eligible for a permanent residence permit.
To obtain a permanent residence permit, you must live in Spain for at least 6 months per year for 5 consecutive years.
Throughout this post, we'll be referring to the Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) as the Retirement Visa for Spain. Later we will discuss how you can retire to Spain from the US.
The Spain Retirement Visa is suited for the following people:
The Spain Retirement Visa is specifically created for non-EU citizens who wish to retire in Spain. Retirees from the EU don't need to apply for a visa to live, work and study in Spain.
There are quite a few benefits that come with spending your retirement days in Spain. Let's take a look at these in detail:
Unlike the Spain Golden Visa program, you are not required to make any investments if you want to apply for a Retirement Visa for Spain. The only requirement you need to meet is that you have the financial means to support yourself for the duration of your stay.
Another benefit of the Spain Retirement Visa is that you'll be able to travel through the Schengen Area with total freedom.
You can visit any one of the following European countries without any hassle:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
With this Spain Retirement Visa, you'll be able to bring along your entire family to Spain with you. The process of doing this is easy, and they'll be able to get their visa at the same time you get yours. The only requirement is that you'll need to present proof that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and those coming along with you.
If your long-term plan includes permanent residency or citizenship in Spain, you'll be happy to know that it can be easily achieved with your Retirement Visa.
Your Spain Retirement Visa will allow you to enter and enjoy Spanish residency for a year. Afterward, you can renew it for an additional 2 years. After that, you'll be able to renew your NLV two times. Finally, after 5 years, you can apply for a long-term residency permit, and you meet the minimum stay requirements.
To obtain your long-term residence permit, you'll need to live in Spain for at least 6 months per year for 5 consecutive years.
Once you have your residence permit, you can start the path toward Spanish nationality. To qualify, you need to live in Spain for 6 months per year for another 5 consecutive years.
Although you don't need to make any investments to obtain your Retirement Visa, you can still invest in Spain. If you choose to do so, you can make any type of investment in Spain, allowing you to create an additional source of income.
When applying for your NLV, the process can take up to 2 to 3 months from the day you submit your documents. Once your visa application is successful, the Spanish Embassy or Spanish Consulate will contact you via email or mail. You'll need to travel to the embassy or consulate in person within 1 month of receiving feedback. Ensure that you bring along your passport and a flight itinerary to Spain.
When you're at the Consulate General of Spain to submit your documents, you'll need to pay the application fee. You can expect to pay around 121.26 EUR for your visa application, payable with money order to the order of Consulate General of Spain. Note that the fee is non-refundable, and paying it doesn't guarantee a successful visa application.
To be eligible for your Retirement Visa, you must meet the following key requirements:
One of the main requirements for a Non-Lucrative Visa (your Retirement Visa) is that you must prove you have the financial means to support yourself for the duration of your intended stay. If you plan to bring your family along with you, you'll need to be able to support them and yourself fully.
To be eligible for the Spain Retirement Visa, you'll need to show that you have a total amount of €27,115.20 per year. Alternatively, you can show that you have a guaranteed monthly income of €2,259.53. Alongside this, you'll need to show an additional amount of €6,778 for each family member you plan to bring along with you to Spain.
Unfortunately, you're not able to access the public health care system of Spain with your Retirement Visa. Due to this, you're required to obtain valid private health insurance that will cover any medical expenses for the duration of your stay. Your health insurance should provide coverage for yourself and any dependents you may have.
Your health insurance must meet the following requirements:
Private health insurance in Spain can be obtained at a fairly low cost. You can expect to pay between €50 to €200 per month, depending on which coverage plan you choose.
If you wish to renew your Retirement Visa, you'll need to spend at least 6 months in Spain during your stay.
Every applicant for the Retirement Visa must present the following documents if they wish to retire in Spain:
You can now use Atlys' free passport photo tool to get yours. It's as easy as taking/uploading a photo, and the tool crops and resizes everything for you.
In addition to the above-mentioned documents, your spouse must also present the following:
You'll need to present the above-mentioned documents along with the following:
Finally, we can start your Retirement Visa application process. Here's where you learn how to retire in Spain.
There are plenty of Spanish Embassies around the world. Each of these Embassies has a slightly different process when it comes to their Spain visa applications. We recommend that you contact your nearest Embassy before applying to ensure that you follow their specific process. This guide will give you a general idea of how you can apply for your Spain Retirement Visa and retire in Spain.
It's an easy 4 step process:
When applying for your Spain Retirement Visa, you'll need to do so in your home country. If you want to lodge an application, you'll need to contact your nearest Spanish Embassy or Consulate via email or telephone call and schedule an appointment. Once you have scheduled an appointment, you'll need to start gathering your documents.
Now that you've scheduled an appointment, you must gather the required documents. You'll notice that there are quite a few documents you must get. We recommend that you create a checklist of the required documents.
This makes the collection process easier and quicker. Also, you must ensure that all your documents are translated into English and get an Apostille Stamp (Only if applicable).
Note that during the examination process of your visa application, embassy officials may require you to add additional documents to your visa application. This is asked to ensure that you meet all the visa requirements.
After you have gathered all the required documents, you need to travel to your appointment at the Embassy. At the Embassy, you'll have an in-person interview with Embassy officials. During the interview, you'll be asked to answer some simple questions about your trip to Spain. Be sure that you answer truthfully and to the best of your knowledge. Furthermore, you'll need to submit all the documents you have gathered and pay the visa application fee.
Once you have completed the interview and submitted your documents, embassy officials will collect your biometric information. Your biometric information will include your fingerprints, a digital photo, and your signature.
You can expect to receive feedback within about 2 - 3 months from the day you submit your documents.
If your Retirement Visa application is successful, you'll be contacted via mail or email. You need to collect your visa in person at the Spanish Embassy where you applied at. You must do this within a month of receiving feedback. Ensure that you bring along your passport and your flight itinerary.
Congratulations, you now have your Retirement Visa. However, you still need to travel to Spain and replace your Retirement Visa with a residency card (TIE).
Once you arrive in Spain, you will need to replace your Spain Retirement Visa with a residency card. Getting a residency card is a crucial part of the process of retiring in Spain.
Your Retirement Visa will be granted for 90 days, so within this time, you must travel to Spain and present it at the Immigration Office. Here, you'll need to apply for the residency card that will replace your Retirement Visa.
To apply for your residency card (TIE), you'll need to make an appointment at the police station in person. Before you attend your appointment, you need to gather and submit the following documents:
At the appointment, you'll provide your fingerprints and receive a temporary residency document. You'll be informed of when you can get your TIE. Depending on where you lodge the TIE application, it can take about a month to receive it.
The Non-Lucrative Visa will grant you a residency permit, which allows you to live in Spain for a year. If you wish to extend your stay, you can renew your NLV for an additional 2 years.
To renew your Retirement Visa, you will need the following documents:
As mentioned, you'll need to submit these documents to the Immigration Office. Once your application has been approved, you'll have 30 days to apply for a new TIE. You can follow the same above-mentioned process to get your new TIE.
I know you will be very excited about this next section because I am.
These tools were created by travelers for travelers to make traveling easier. Here's a list of Atlys' free tools that will make your next visa application a breeze:
Atlys is a visa app that holds the record for the fastest visa application in the worldYou can use this app to obtain a visa for any of the Schengen countries on your next trip
You're finally finished with the entire process, and you can now start your Retirement Visa application and successfully retire in Spain. After reading through this guide, all your questions about how to retire to Spain should be answered.
There is a way to obtain a working permit with your NLV/Retirement Visa. This would be the best alternative for individuals who wish to work in Spain legally.
This will require you to spend 1 year in Spain without working. If you have the financial means to do so, you can easily get a working permit in Spain.
All you need to do is the following:
It's also possible to get a work residency as a self-employed individual. With this status, you're not required to work for anyone. However, the main requirement is that you provide a business plan that shows you'll earn the Spanish minimum wage. This is most suited for entrepreneurs who wish to work in Spain.
Yes. This is not a mandatory requirement, but if you're planning to stay in Spain for a while, a Spanish bank account will make fiscal activities considerably easier. The easiest way to open your Spanish bank account is when you are in Spain. You simply need to go to your preferred bank and bring along the necessary documents. Bear in mind that you might have to bring a translator as there are few English speaking staff.
You'll need to bring the following documents with you:
All of the documents you provide must be in Spanish. If it's not, you can get it certified and translated by a certified translator.
Once you arrive in Spain, you can head over to your nearest bank and open your own Spanish bank account. Note that you'll need to bring along all the required documents. Ensure to make copies of them and keep them safe during your travel.
The NLV requires you to stay in Spain for a minimum of 6 months. This means you'll be considered as a tax resident of Spain. Unfortunately, you'll need to pay tax on your worldwide income.
To avoid double taxation, Spain has formed a specific agreement with certain nations.
You are eligible to pay Spanish income tax on your worldwide income:
A TIE or Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjeros is a residency card that'll allow you to live in Spain legally. The TIE is issued to foreigners who plan to reside in Spain for a duration that exceeds 6 months.
If you plan to apply for a Non-Lucrative Visa as your Retirement Visa, you don't need to apply for a Spanish foreigner identification number (NIE). Your NIE will be assigned to you on your Retirement Visa.
When applying for a Spain Non-Lucrative Visa as a Retirement Visa, you don't need to present proof of accommodation. However, this might not be the case for all Spanish Embassies or Consulates.
It is highly recommended that you contact your nearest Spanish Embassy to ensure that you collect the correct documents and follow their specific visa application process.
No. You are not allowed to work for a Spanish employer in Spain with your Retirement Visa.
We recommend that you start your NLV application at least 3 months before your intended date of travel to Spain.
When applying for your Retirement Visa, you'll need to get an Apostille Stamp on the following documents:
No. The NLV is designed and created for non-EU/EEA and Switzerland citizens. EU/EEA and Switzerland citizens enjoy the benefit of living, studying, and working in Spain without the need to apply for a specific visa. Note that EU citizens who wish to stay in Spain for a long period will need to register themselves with government authorities.
If you are searching for enjoyable Mediterranean weather, cheerful and vibrant towns, here are top 5 destination when planning to retire in Spain
British expats now have the same rights as other 3rd country nationals: US, Canada, etc. UK citizens can follow the same retirement visa and residency process detailed below like other non-EU citizens.
Americans that have passive income sufficient to support yourself and your dependents, you may apply for a Non Lucrative Residence Visa. As this visa does not allow you to work in Spain, your income must come from passive sources: investments, rental income, annuities, retirement pension, etc.
After 2,5 or 10 years of living in Spain with your residency permit, you can easily get Citizenship by residency.
If your parents were Spanish nationals, you can also get citizenship for yourself, as long as you meet the requirements. You or your children must be under 18 years old.
If you get married to a Spanish citizen, you just need to live in Spain for one year in order to qualify for the citizenship.