The Procedure for the NON LUCRATIVE VISA Application
Dear clients and readers,
Due to the significant number of enquiries received over the past few weeks, regarding the application for residency in Spain, – (specifically for the non-lucrative VISA)-. We are writing to share with you some useful information regarding this important issue.
In the first place, we ought to inform you that the process & paperwork required in 2022 has completely changed, compared to previous years. The NON-LUCRATIVE VISA is applicable for non-working individuals (with a reliable, ongoing source of income and substantial savings); who wish to reside in Spain for more than 6 months. Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa scheme is therefore ideal for instance if you are retired or have passive income. For example from a portfolio of properties or other investments. Likewise, the Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa allows full-time residency in Spain with an expectation of a minimum of 6 months of residence maintained. Moreover, This visa can be requested by third-country nationals who wish to reside in Spain without engaging in any work or professional activity, as indicated before.
In a nutshell, the Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa gives permission to reside in Spain for up to 5 years, providing ongoing eligibility requirements continue to be met. The TIE, in Spanish “tarjeta de identidad de extranjero” is the residency card that is issued. The TIE is initially valid for 1 year, to be renewed consequently after the 2º year, for a period of 2 years, and the final renewal for another 2 years more. When 5 years of full-time residency have been completed, permanent residency can be applied for.
I.- Non-Lucrative VISA General requirements:
First, the application process must be initiated at your nearest Spanish Consulate, not in Spain. You can check through their website under which jurisdiction of the Consulate your residence is situated.
Second. Very important: You must not be irregularly in the Spanish territory or within the period of no return to Spain that the foreigner has assumed when voluntarily returning to their country of origin.
Third. In order to apply for the Non-Lucrative visa applicant, you must:
- Have a valid passport with at least 1 year before expiry
- Not have entered or stayed illegally in Spanish territory, as indicated before.
- Not have been refused entry into any of the 26 Schengen countries.
- Have sufficient financial resources to cover personal and family living costs (please kindly contact our Firm for further details)
- Be 18 years or over, with no criminal record in the countries where they have resided in the previous 5 years.
- Have access to public healthcare, or private health insurance with an insurer authorized to operate in Spain.
- NEW! A medical certificate, issued by a registered medical practitioner, no later than 3 months prior to the date of application.
Fourth. SWORN TRANSLATIONS:
Remember that all official documents (birth certificate/death, marriage certificate/divorce, criminal record) must be legalised through the consular representations of the issuing country or, in the case of signatory countries to the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961, hold the Hague Apostille, except official documents issued by a Member State of the European Union, which will not require to be legalised. For all the sworn translations into Spanish, you should use a Sworn Translator-Interpreter duly registered in Spain.
II.- What Is the Duration Of The Residency Document?
- Once the Spanish authorities have approved the visa, it’s valid for 90 days from the date of issue. During this time the holder must travel to Spain and apply for their residency cards or TIE cards (Tarjeta de identidad de extranjero).
- The application for the TIE card must be made within 30 days of arrival in Spain.
- Applications for the Non-Lucrative Visa cannot be presented by a legal representative and must be applied for in person
- This residence document will be valid for 1 year for those cases whose residences of the national of the United Kingdom of which he is a relative does not reach 5 years and, therefore, the term “Temporary” will be entered in the field corresponding to the Type of Permit, and 10 years for those cases whose residences of the national of the United Kingdom of which he is a relative are older than 5 years and, therefore, in the field corresponding to the Type of Permit, the term “Permanent” shall be entered. After its validity, it must be automatically renewed in accordance with the legal provisions.
To bear in mind
Finally, remember that this information is intended to serve as a guide for visa applicants. While we try to make it as accurate and up-to-date as possible, we recommend double-checking again with the Consulate General before the actual submission of the application is made, just in case any possible change might be introduced to existing Schengen and national regulations. The last thing that you want to do is spend hundreds of sterling pounds or euros, only for your approval to end up being a long-drawn-out process because of a poorly prepared application form.
Similarly, you don’t want to commit to the expense of a visa application if you’re unlikely to get approved. For that reason, if you are unsure whether you qualify, or don’t understand the requirements and process, it’s advisable to hire the specialized services of a Solicitor who does,- like our Law Firm,-to review your situation and advise you, before you commit to the costs of a Spanish Visa application.
III.- WHAT DO OUR SERVICES INCLUDE? WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU FOR A COMPETITIVE FEE.
1.- Legal Report: We will study your case and we will prepare a preliminary accurate legal report for you.
2.- Application file: Once you compile the necessary paperwork, we will discuss everything professionally, and carefully review and double-check several times your file documents, before you arrange an appointment at the Spanish Consulate in advance. Moreover, we will help you fill out your application forms to be submitted at the Spanish consulate, as they are written in Spanish, not English, so it is of the utmost importance that no spelling mistakes or errors are made when filling out the application forms.
3.- We’ll help you manage your TIE card collection in Spain: once you have been granted the VISA, we will arrange with you a visit to the Immigration office located in Alicante, in order to collect the cards, so you will be always accompanied or assisted by a professional.
4.- Follow-up or further assistance: If the Foreign Office might require you to provide any additional documents or clarify any information, we will prepare and answer a formal request to the office on your behalf. (Formal appeals not included).
IV. HOW TO CONTACT US FOR FURTHER SPECIFIC ADVICE?
We hope this information is useful. As independent litigation lawyers, we can help you by assisting you with all kinds of VISA applications (NON-LUCRATIVE, GOLDEN VISA, etc etc). Should you be interested in receiving more specific information, – (either about this particular subject or any other issue of law),- remember that you can contact our firm in several ways:
1. Call us or send us a WhatsApp now at (0034) 687 88 88 73.
2. You can also use our e-mail form at the top of the sidebar of your screen, or alternatively, you can send us an e-mail to info@bestsolicitorsinspain.com
Our commitment, we’ll respond to your e-mail inquiry in less than 24 hours.
We are on social media. Follow us on:
a) Facebook: BZN Lex International Lawyers@oscarricormorales7
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c) and linkedin.com/in/ricorabogados
Finally, thank you very much for your attention, and in case you might have any questions or doubts at all, again please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be glad to help you!
We look forward to helping you and the benefit of our “know-how”.
Kindest regards
Mr Oscar Ricor
“NON-PRACTISING ENGLISH SOLICITOR IN ENGLAND AND WALES”, under the “Solicitors Regulation Authority” (SRA) SRA number 519196 and practising Spanish Solicitor. BZN LEX INTERNATIONAL LAWYER
