By Camila Sánchez García · Immigration Lawyer at MoveWise · Last updated: 12 November 2026

💡 The short answer: Yes, US citizens can retire, or simply live, in Spain without working on the Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV). In 2026 you must show €28,800 for the first year (about $32,000 on Washington's checklist), plus €7,200 per family member, Spanish health insurance with no co-payments and an FBI check with a federal apostille. You apply in person at the Spanish consulate covering your state, and it has up to three months to decide.

Key facts for 2026

• Money: €2,400 a month or €28,800 for the first year, plus €600 a month (€7,200 a year) per family member: 400% and 100% of the IPREM (art. 62 Real Decreto 1155/2024).
• In dollars: Washington's checklist shows about $32,000 a year plus about $8,000 per family member; Miami's visa centre has published $2,600 and $650 a month. The euro figure is the legal one.
• Where: the Spanish consulate for your state of legal residence. Washington, Miami and Houston receive NLV files through BLS International; in our files, New York receives them directly at the consulate.
• Fees: $140 visa fee for US citizens and $13 for Form 790-052 at Washington from 1 January 2026; the residence fee is €10.94 under Orden PJC/617/2025.
• Criminal record: an FBI Identity History Summary issued within 6 months, with a federal apostille from the US Department of State. State checks and state apostilles are not accepted.
• Health insurance: from an insurer authorised in Spain, with no deductibles, co-payments or caps, for at least one year.
• Decision: up to three months from the day after you submit.
• Family: spouse or partner and minor children; parents are excluded (art. 61.3 RD 1155/2024).
• Renewal: every two years, only with more than 183 days in Spain in the calendar year (art. 64.2.f RD 1155/2024).

As a US citizen you can spend up to 90 days in any 180 in Spain as a visitor. Anything longer, without working, means the NLV, and the NLV is a consular application filed from the United States.

This guide is for American retirees living on Social Security, pensions, 401(k) or IRA distributions and savings, and for anyone who wants a long stay in Spain without working. After reading it you will know which consulate covers your state, how it receives files, how to present US retirement income, and how to get the FBI check and its apostille right the first time.

It was prepared by MoveWise's Spain Legal Managers from the files we prepare for Spanish consulates in the United States. Every figure comes from the regulation or a consular checklist, with links; where a point is our experience rather than a written rule, we say so. The pitfall it helps you avoid: an FBI check that is out of date, apostilled by the wrong authority or missing a page, which is the document most often redone in US files.

In this guide:

• What changed recently
• Is the Non-Lucrative Visa the right route for you?
• The requirements in brief
• Which consulate covers your state
• Proving your means: Social Security, pensions, 401(k), IRA and savings
• Health insurance without co-payments
• The FBI check and the federal apostille
• The medical certificate from a US doctor
• Bringing your spouse, partner or children
• Visitor days, the EES and timing your move
• How to apply from the US, step by step
• Timeline and costs
• Your first months in Spain
• Renewal and the 183-day rule
• Tax: what to check before you go
• Most common reasons for refusal
• Frequently asked questions
• How MoveWise can help

What changed recently

Two changes matter most for American applicants in 2026; the rest of the NLV is unchanged.

👉 A new regulation. Real Decreto 1155/2024 has applied since 20 May 2025. Parents can no longer be included, and renewal requires more than 183 days of real residence in Spain in the calendar year. Washington's checklist still mentions dependent parents aged 65 or over; the regulation prevails.

👉 Bank certificates with set balances. Washington asks for a certificate for each account showing the balance on 31 December of the previous year and the average balance for the last 12 months, in Spanish. Many US banks have no template for this, so request it early.

👉 The EU Entry/Exit System (EES). Since 10 April 2026 it replaces passport stamping for short-stay visitors, including Americans. Holders of long-stay visas and residence permits are outside it.

Fees in dollars changed on 1 January 2026 at Washington and are revised quarterly, while the IPREM is still €600 a month.

Is the Non-Lucrative Visa the right route for you?

Yes, if you can live on money you do not earn by working and plan to spend most of the year in Spain. There is no minimum age and no investment requirement.

✅ Retirees on Social Security, a public or private pension or an annuity

✅ Early retirees living on 401(k) or IRA distributions, brokerage accounts or savings

✅ Green Card holders and long-term visa holders living legally in the US, who apply at the consulate for their state

❌ Anyone who will keep working, even remotely for a US employer or US clients: Washington's checklist excludes remote and online work. Our comparison of the non-lucrative and digital nomad visas explains the alternative.

❌ Foreign nationals in the US on a B-1/B-2 visitor visa, who cannot apply from the US

❌ People who want to split the year evenly between the US and Spain. Renewal needs more than 183 days a year in Spain; the 90-day visitor allowance may suit you better.

Comparing countries? The Portugal D7 visa and the Italy Elective Residence Visa are the closest equivalents. Our Spain Non-Lucrative Visa service covers the Spanish route from the US.

👉 Check whether your retirement income fits the Spain Non-Lucrative Visa with a MoveWise Client Manager — tell us your state and what you live on, and we will tell you honestly whether the NLV fits.

The requirements in brief

The NLV rules are the same for every nationality; what changes for Americans is the consulate and the US documents that prove each rule. Our complete Non-Lucrative Visa requirements checklist explains each requirement in depth. In short, every applicant needs:

• Passive means of 400% of the IPREM, plus 100% per family member
• Spanish health insurance with no co-payments
• A criminal record certificate from every country of residence in the last five years
• A medical certificate issued within the last 90 days
• A passport valid for at least one year, with two blank pages, issued within the last ten years
• Proof of legal residence in the consular district
• The national visa form, Form EX-01 and Form 790-052, signed, with fees paid

Which consulate covers your state

Your consulate is decided by your state of legal residence, proved with a driver's licence, state ID or lease. Spain's consulates in the US do not all receive files the same way, and the district rule is strict.

Districts we can confirm from official sources

• Washington: District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina, through BLS Washington, according to the BLS Washington NLV checklist
• Houston: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas, as listed on the Houston consulate's visa page-.aspx). Since 2 April 2024 Houston has handled NLV applications through BLS Houston, and files sent to the consulate itself are returned
• Miami: Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, through the Miami BLS visa centre

How the other consulates work

• New York: in our files, NLV applications are submitted directly at the Consulate General, not through a visa centre
• Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Juan (Puerto Rico): each consulate publishes its own district and checklist. Chicago's checklist, for example, asks for unlimited health cover and the 31 December and average balances, and does not accept passports issued more than ten years ago

💡 Pro tip: Read your own consulate's checklist line by line, and prepare the rest of the file to the most detailed one, Washington's. We build every US file to that standard, because a file that meets it rarely falls short elsewhere.

⚠️ Common mistake: Applying at the consulate of a winter home. A Florida condo does not put a New Jersey resident in Miami's district: your driver's licence, tax return and lease must all point to the same state.

What Washington's checklist adds

Washington publishes the most detailed NLV list of the US consulates. Beyond the common requirements, it asks for:

• A notarised affidavit describing your professional background, your reasons for moving and the planned length of stay, committing you not to do any paid work in Spain, on-site or remote, and giving a Spanish postal address for at least your first three months, in Spanish or translated
• An employment termination letter or an approved sabbatical letter (advised)
• A lease of at least three months signed by both parties, or a Spanish property deed (advised)
• A school enrolment letter for children of compulsory school age (advised)
• The last three months of statements from every checking, savings and investment account, plus a bank certificate for each one
• Your latest tax return, which needs no translation

Proving your means: Social Security, pensions, 401(k), IRA and savings

You must show €28,800 for the first year as a single applicant, or €36,000 as a couple, from sources that do not depend on work. Most American retirees combine several, which works well when each is documented.

Income that continues

✅ Social Security, with your latest benefit statement or verification letter from the Social Security Administration

✅ Public or private pensions and life annuities, with the payer's letter confirming the amount and that payments will continue for at least the next 12 months

Washington asks for these documents in Spanish, so plan sworn or certified translations.

Retirement accounts: 401(k) and IRA

Consulates look at whether the money is actually available to you. In our files the strongest presentation is a 401(k) or IRA from which you already take regular distributions: the plan statement, the distribution history and the deposits arriving in your bank account.

A balance you have not started drawing is a weaker argument, because a consulate may not treat it as available means. We present it alongside your other income and savings, never as the only source.

⚠️ Common mistake: Taking a large distribution just to reach the threshold. Money that appears in a lump sum shortly before the appointment needs an explanation, and the distribution itself can have tax consequences. Speak to a US tax adviser before you move retirement money for a visa.

Savings and investments

• Checking, savings and brokerage accounts in your name: three months of statements for Washington (12 months at many other consulates), with a bank certificate for each account
• The bank certificate: bank name and address, full account identification, the opening date, the balance on 31 December of last year and the average balance for the last 12 months, translated into Spanish
• Rental income from US property you keep, with leases and the rent arriving in your account

💡 Pro tip: Plan for at least 20% above the minimum. The threshold is in euros, and a weaker dollar between your bank certificate and the decision can push a borderline file under the line.

💡 Pro tip: In our files, every large recent deposit, such as the sale of a house, gets a signed explanation with the closing statement. A married couple with joint accounts can present one economic summary for both applications.

👉 Want a MoveWise Client Manager to check your Social Security, 401(k) and bank documents before you book? We compare your sources with your consulate's current standard and tell you what is missing.

Health insurance without co-payments

You need a Spanish policy that covers what the Spanish public system covers, from your first day. US plans do not meet the requirement, because the insurer must be authorised to operate in Spain.

Washington's checklist sets the standard most US consulates apply:

✅ An insurer authorised in Spain, covering all the risks of the Spanish public system

✅ Unlimited cover: 100% of medical, hospital and outpatient costs, with no deductibles, co-payments or caps

✅ Valid for one year, with start and end dates, and kept for your whole stay

✅ A certificate in Spanish or officially translated

❌ Insurance cards and travel insurance are not accepted

💡 Pro tip: Buy from a Spanish insurer and ask for a certificate in Spanish that states "sin copagos", "sin carencias" and unlimited cover. International policies that "also cover Spain" rarely produce that wording. Our guide to healthcare in Spain for expats explains how private and public cover fit together.

After one year of residence with padrón registration, the convenio especial lets you join the Spanish public system for €60 a month under 65 or €157 from 65, according to the Ministerio de Sanidad. Until then, private cover is the only route.

The FBI check and the federal apostille

Every applicant aged 18 or over needs an FBI Identity History Summary, apostilled by the US Department of State and translated into Spanish. It is the document that sets the timing of every US file.

• Issuer: the FBI. State or local police checks are not accepted
• Validity: issued no more than 6 months before you submit
• Apostille: a federal apostille from the US Department of State in Washington DC, certifying the signature on the FBI check itself. Houston states that state background checks and state apostilles are not valid
• Not a notary's copy: the apostille must certify the FBI document, not a notary's seal on a copy
• Condition: the original, unaltered and undamaged (Washington warns against removed staples), plus a photocopy that is not notarised
• Translation: certified or sworn, into Spanish. Washington notes that the translation and the apostille do not need an apostille or translation of their own
• Other countries: a certificate from any country where you lived for more than 180 days in the last five years (Washington; Miami asks for six months or more), apostilled or legalised. Certificates from EU countries need no apostille

💡 Pro tip: Count backwards. The FBI check must still be within six months when you submit, after the federal apostille and the translation. In our files we request it first and book the appointment around it, and we keep the original exactly as the Department of State returned it.

⚠️ Common mistake: Sending the FBI check to your state's Secretary of State. A state apostille on a federal document is rejected, and the six-month clock keeps running while you redo it. Our guide to apostilles for Spain explains the legalisation chain for other documents and countries.

The medical certificate from a US doctor

Every applicant needs a certificate stating that they do not suffer from any disease with serious public health implications under the International Health Regulations 2005.

✅ Signed by a physician: Washington does not accept a nurse practitioner or physician assistant

✅ Issued within 90 days of submission, with the medical centre's stamp, the doctor's signature and licence number

✅ On the doctor's letterhead, or on the consulate's official template, which needs no translation

✅ An original and a copy, in Spanish or officially translated if you do not use the template

💡 Pro tip: Use the consulate's bilingual template whenever there is one. It saves a translation and the most common error: a certificate rewritten in the doctor's own words.

Bringing your spouse, partner or children

Your spouse, registered or stable partner and minor children can apply with you, at the same consulate and at the same time. Since May 2025 parents cannot be included (art. 61.3 RD 1155/2024), even though Washington's checklist still mentions parents aged 65 or over; a parent with their own income can apply for their own NLV.

• Unregistered partners: proof of at least one year together; if you share children, their birth certificate and proof of living together are enough (Washington)
• Adult children: only with a disability needing support or a health condition that prevents them from providing for themselves
• Children of school age: a school enrolment letter is advised

Total means for the first year:

• Single applicant: €28,800 (€2,400 a month)
• Couple: €36,000 (€3,000 a month)
• Couple with one child: €43,200 (€3,600 a month)
• Couple with two children: €50,400 (€4,200 a month)

Birth and marriage certificates must be apostilled and translated. They are usually issued by a state, so their apostille normally comes from that state, unlike the federal apostille on the FBI check. Forms for minors are signed by a parent or legal representative.

💡 Pro tip: Names must match the passport exactly across every document. A middle name missing from a marriage certificate is a classic reason for a follow-up request and, later, for a blocked TIE appointment.

Visitor days, the EES and timing your move

As a US citizen you can spend up to 90 days in any 180 in the Schengen area without a visa, as the EU's EES leaflet explains. Those days are for visits; they are not a way into the NLV.

• Apply from the US: you file at the consulate for your state, and you cannot switch from visitor to NLV inside Spain
• The EES: your entries and exits as a visitor are recorded digitally, with your passport data, facial image and fingerprints
• With the visa: long-stay visa and residence permit holders are outside the EES, so there is no automatic record of your days in Spain
• A scouting trip before you apply is a sensible way to choose a town and find accommodation for your affidavit and lease

💡 Pro tip: From the day you enter on your visa, keep every boarding pass and booking. You will need them to prove more than 183 days in Spain at renewal.

How to apply from the US, step by step

1. Confirm your consulate from your state of legal residence, and download its current checklist.
2. Request the FBI check for every adult applicant, then the federal apostille.
3. Order your financial documents: Social Security and pension letters, retirement account statements, bank statements and a bank certificate per account.
4. Choose your Spanish province and accommodation: it decides your Foreigners' Office for the TIE and renewals.
5. Buy Spanish health insurance for every applicant, with the certificate in Spanish.
6. Book the appointment through BLS or directly with the consulate, as your consulate requires.
7. In the last four to six weeks, get the medical certificates, the notarised affidavit and the translations.
8. Complete and sign the forms: national visa form, Form EX-01 and Form 790-052, plus a cover letter on your income and plans.
9. Attend in person with every applicant, pay the fees and keep the sealed copies of your EX-01 and 790-052.
10. Answer quickly any request for documents or an interview.
11. Collect the visa within one month of the decision.
12. Enter Spain within the dates on your visa, and apply for your TIE within one month of arriving.

Our step-by-step NLV timeline gives a week-by-week calendar.

Timeline and costs

Plan for three to five months from requesting your FBI check to landing in Spain. Typical ranges, not guarantees:

➡️ FBI check and federal apostille: order them first; the federal apostille step adds weeks, so check the Department of State's current processing times

➡️ Bank certificates and pension letters: typically two to four weeks

➡️ Translations: typically two to five working days once the documents are ready

➡️ Consular decision: up to three months by law. Miami's visa centre has quoted about four to six weeks, and our files usually take one to two months

Fees at the consulate or visa centre:

• Visa fee for US citizens: $140 at Washington from 1 January 2026; other nationalities pay according to reciprocity
• Residence fee (790-052): $13 at Washington, the dollar collection of the €10.94 set by Orden PJC/617/2025
• BLS service charge where your consulate uses BLS
• Washington notes that fees are non-refundable and revised quarterly

Other costs: the FBI check and federal apostille for each adult, state apostilles on vital records, translations, the notary for the affidavit, medical certificates, Spanish insurance, and in Spain the TIE (790-012, €16.08).

Our cost of living in Spain breakdown helps you budget the years that follow.

Your first months in Spain

👉 Padrón: register at your town hall with your lease or deeds; see our padrón registration guide.

👉 TIE: apply within one month of entering Spain, with Form EX-17, your passport and visa, a photo and the 790-012 fee. Our guide to the Spanish residency card explains the appointment.

👉 Bank account: a Spanish account makes rent, utilities and renewal evidence simpler; see our guide to opening a bank account in Spain.

💡 Pro tip: TIE appointments are scarce in the main cities and on the coast in high season. Arrive with 45 to 60 days of margin on your visa, not in its last week.

Renewal and the 183-day rule

The first permit lasts one year; you then renew for two years at a time, proving that you lived in Spain for more than 183 days in the calendar year (art. 64.2.f RD 1155/2024).

For Americans this usually means limiting long trips home: Thanksgiving, summers with grandchildren and travel in Europe all count as time away. If your first permit starts mid-year, ask how your Foreigners' Office counts the days before you book long trips.

You also show means for the two-year period (€57,600 for the main applicant), continuous insurance and a clean record, applying in the two months before expiry or up to three months after. MoveWise contacts its clients about 120 days before expiry so the evidence is ready. After five years you can apply for long-term residence in Spain.

Tax: what to check before you go

More than 183 days a year in Spain generally makes you a Spanish tax resident, taxed on worldwide income; our guide to tax residency in Spain explains how residence is decided. Spanish residents with assets abroad may also have to file information returns, such as Modelo 720 when a block of foreign assets exceeds €50,000.

How Spain and the US treat your Social Security, pensions, 401(k), IRA and investments is a question we do not answer. MoveWise is not a tax adviser: before you move, speak to a qualified tax adviser who handles both US and Spanish returns.

Most common reasons for refusal (and how to avoid them)

1. Applying at the wrong consulate. Fix: the consulate for your state of legal residence, with a matching driver's licence or lease.
2. A state background check, or a state apostille on the FBI check. Fix: FBI Identity History Summary with a federal apostille.
3. An FBI check older than six months at submission. Fix: request it first and plan the appointment around it.
4. Means that rely on an undrawn 401(k) or IRA. Fix: combine income that continues with savings in personal accounts.
5. Bank certificates without the 31 December or average balance. Fix: request them early, for every account, and translate them.
6. Insurance with deductibles, co-payments or caps. Fix: a Spanish policy with unlimited cover and a certificate in Spanish.
7. A medical certificate from a nurse practitioner, or in the doctor's own words. Fix: a physician, using the consulate's template.
8. A parent included as a family member. Fix: parents apply on their own NLV.
9. Continuing remote work for a US employer. Fix: stop working and document it, or consider the Digital Nomad Visa.

If you are refused, our guide to appealing a Spanish visa refusal explains the options.

Frequently asked questions

Can a US citizen get a non-lucrative visa in Spain?

Yes. US citizens can apply for the Spain Non-Lucrative Visa at the Spanish consulate covering their state of legal residence. In 2026 you need €28,800 of passive income or savings for the first year, plus €7,200 per family member, Spanish health insurance with no co-payments, an apostilled FBI check and a medical certificate. You must not work in Spain.

Is it easy for a US citizen to retire in Spain?

Yes, if your income is passive and your file is complete. The NLV has no minimum age or investment, and the visa fee for US citizens is $140 at Washington. What makes it hard is detail: the federal apostille, bank certificates with set balances, unlimited insurance, and consulates that do not accept partial files.

Can I retire in Spain and collect Social Security?

Yes, for the visa. Spanish consulates accept Social Security as periodic income towards the NLV threshold; Washington lists it alongside pensions and annuities. Present your latest benefit letter, translated into Spanish. How your benefits are paid while you live abroad is a question for the Social Security Administration, so confirm it with them before you move.

How much money do I need for the Spain non-lucrative visa as an American?

€28,800 for the first year as a single applicant, and €36,000 for a couple, in 2026. Washington's checklist converts this to about $32,000 a year plus about $8,000 per family member, and Miami has published $2,600 a month. Show at least 20% more, because exchange-rate moves can push a borderline file under the threshold.

Can I use my 401(k) or IRA for the non-lucrative visa?

Yes, with care. Regular distributions from a 401(k) or IRA, documented with plan statements and deposits into your bank account, are a solid form of means. An undrawn balance is weaker, because a consulate may not treat it as available. Combine it with other income or savings, and ask a US tax adviser before taking distributions.

Which Spanish consulate do I apply to in the US?

The one for your state of legal residence. Washington covers DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina; Houston covers Texas and seven nearby states; Miami covers Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Juan publish their own districts, so check yours before booking.

Do I need an FBI background check for the Spanish non-lucrative visa?

Yes. Every applicant aged 18 or over needs an FBI Identity History Summary issued within six months, with a federal apostille from the US Department of State and a Spanish translation. State or local police checks and state apostilles are not accepted. You also need a certificate from any other country where you lived for a significant period in the last five years.

Does Medicare or my US health insurance count for the visa?

No. The policy must come from an insurer authorised to operate in Spain, covering everything the Spanish public system covers, with no deductibles, co-payments or caps, for at least one year. Washington does not accept insurance cards or travel insurance. Buy a Spanish policy and ask for a certificate in Spanish.

Can I apply for the non-lucrative visa from Spain?

No. The NLV is a consular application filed in person at the consulate covering your US state of legal residence. You cannot switch from visitor to resident inside Spain. A visitor trip before you apply is fine for choosing a town, but those days count towards your 90-day allowance in any 180.

How long does the Spain non-lucrative visa take for US citizens?

3 to 5 months from requesting your FBI check to landing in Spain is realistic. The consulate has up to three months by law to decide; Miami's visa centre has quoted about four to six weeks, and our files usually take one to two months. The FBI check and its federal apostille usually take the longest.

How MoveWise can help

A US NLV file fails on details: the apostille authority, the bank certificate, the insurance wording, the consulate's own list. Your Spain Legal Manager handles them.

• Eligibility assessment first (Module 1). We review your Social Security, pensions, retirement accounts, savings, family and state, and tell you honestly whether the NLV fits or another route suits you better.
• Full preparation and submission (Module 2). A document list for your consulate, the FBI check and apostilles sequenced so nothing expires, bank certificates with the 31 December and average balances, the notarised affidavit, translations, forms and cover letter, and follow-up until the decision.
• Your first months in Spain. Help with insurance, the padrón, the TIE and, later, your renewal.
• Tax questions. MoveWise does not give tax advice, but we can put you in touch with independent, qualified tax advisers we work with.

Our guarantee: a full refund of our fee if your application is refused, under the conditions of our service agreement. Our clients have left more than 500 client reviews on Trustpilot.

👉 Book a free consultation with a MoveWise Client Manager — we will look at your income, savings and state, and tell you which consulate covers you and what your file needs.

Sources and legal references

• BLS International Washington — Non-working (non-lucrative) residence visa checklist
• Consulado General de España en Houston — Telework visa page (consular district and FBI check rules)-.aspx)
• Consulado General de España en Houston — Externalización de visados de residencia no lucrativa con BLS
• Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones — Hoja 6: Autorización inicial de residencia temporal no lucrativa
• BOE — Orden PJC/617/2025 (fees for Forms 790-052 and 790-012)
• Ministerio de Sanidad — Convenio especial de prestación de asistencia sanitaria
• European Commission — Entry/Exit System
• European Union — EES information leaflet
• Real Decreto 1155/2024, de 19 de noviembre (Reglamento de Extranjería), arts. 60–64 — Boletín Oficial del Estado, BOE-A-2024-24099

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules and consular practice change frequently; the information was verified on 12 November 2026. For advice on your situation, speak to a qualified professional.

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