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VISAS

Worker, retiree or investor: What type of Spanish visa do I need?

If you’re from a non-EU country you will need a visa in order to stay in Spain for longer than 90 days, but knowing which type of permit is best for you can be tricky. Here's how to find the right one for you based on your circumstances.

Published: 12 May 2022 09:32 CEST
Updated: 17 September 2022 09:23 CEST
Worker, retiree or investor: What type of Spanish visa do I need?
What Spanish visa should you apply for if you're a non-EU national wanting to stay in Spain for longer than three months. Photo: Mikhail Nilov/Pexels

If you are a citizen of a non-EU country then you may benefit from the 90-day rule, allowing you to visit Spain for 90 days out of every 180 without needing a visa. Countries including the UK, USA, Canada and Australia all benefit from this rule.

Citizens of certain countries require a visa even for a short trip – find the full list here.

However, the tricky part comes when you want to move to Spain and spend longer than just those three months. What are your visa options, whether you want to move to Spain to retire, to work or even to set up your own business? 

Retirees:

The best option for retirees is to apply for the non-lucrative visa (NLV). This allows you to live in Spain for one year, but as the name suggests you are not allowed to work.

In order to apply an applicant must show they have €27,792 at their disposal for one year (€34,740 if it’s a couple), as well as comprehensive health insurance.

If you want to stay in Spain beyond this year, you can either renew it for a further two years (again proving you have the financial means) or change your visa for a work permit or a self-employed permit through the residence modification process.

The NLV is also the best option for those who want to live abroad temporarily. Those who want to stay in Spain for more than three months, but are not planning on living here permanently. It’s ideal for those on a sabbatical for example who have savings or investments and who do not need to work in Spain while here, but want to stay here for a year. It’s also the best option for those who have the financial means to do so.

READ ALSO: What are the pros and cons of Spain’s non-lucrative visa?

retiree in Spain

The NLV is the right visa for most non-EU retirees who want to live in Spain. Photo: pasja1000 / Pixabay

Workers:

If you plan on moving to Spain for work or in order to look for a job, then you will need a work permit. Unfortunately getting a work permit can be tricky because in most cases as a non-EU national, the position you apply for must be on Spain’s shortage occupation list.

Your employer will also have to prove that there were no other suitable candidates within the EU to be able to fulfill the vacancy. This means that only highly skilled workers or those that work in industries that need workers are likely to be successful. These mostly include jobs in the maritime or fishing industries or sports coaches.

If you are wanting to become self-employed, then the entrepreneur visa could be a good option, allowing you to live in Spain for one year in order to open up a business. Be aware however your business must be considered as anything of innovative character with special economic interest for Spain.

You will have to prove you have the necessary qualifications to set up your business and will also have to submit your business plan to the authorities for it to be approved. The entrepreneur visa can be extended for a further two years after your initial one has been granted.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about Spain’s visa for entrepreneurs

Investors:

If money is no object and you want to invest in a Spanish property then, you’ll want to apply for Spain’s golden visa. To be eligible, you must invest €500,000 before taxes in a property here. It won’t allow you to work, but it will allow you access to the entire Schengen area. This will also allow your spouse and any dependent children to move to Spain with you.

Another option for investors is the entrepreneur visa as described above, if you want to use your investment to set up a business in Spain.

Joining family members:

If you happen to have a family member who is an EU citizen and lives in Spain or a non-EU relative that has residency in Spain, then you have another option. This is called the family reunification visa. However, in order to be eligible, you need to be a spouse or a dependent child and your relative must have the means to financially support you. 

READ ALSO:

Students:

Enrolling on a course and applying for a student visa is one way for non-EU citizens of any age can live in Spain beyond the regular length of a tourist stay. 

You will have to apply for a short-term or long-term student visa, depending on the length of their course. A student advantages can several advantages such as being able to work part-time or bringing over family members. 

READ MORE: What are the pros and cons of Spain’s student visa?

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For members

HEALTH

Does permanent residency in Spain equal free public healthcare?

Permanent or long-term residency gives non-EU nationals in Spain extended rights, but does it also give foreigners access to public healthcare even if they’re not contributing to the country’s social security pot?

Published: 12 April 2024 12:02 CEST
Does permanent residency in Spain equal free public healthcare?

All foreigners in Spain (those with residency papers and those who are undocumented) technically have the right to public healthcare assistance, according to Spanish law. 

However, when it comes to non-EU nationals, this universal ‘right to healthcare’ may only apply in practice to medical emergencies, while access to all other public healthcare services will depend on your residency status.

For example, a third-country national from the UK or the US that moves to Spain on a temporary residency visa will not be able to register with a public doctor for the first five years initially unless they are:

  • Employed or self-employed and therefore paying social security contributions.
  • Able to register a social security exchange form that grants them right to public healthcare in Spain (such as the S1 form for Brits in Spain).
  • Paying into the convenio especial social security scheme that gives access to public healthcare after one year living in Spain.

READ MORE: The pros and cons of Spain’s ‘convenio especial’ healthcare scheme

If you don’t meet this criteria, you will have to get private health insurance cover for your first five years of residency in Spain, which will be a requirement even when applying for your temporary visa (non-lucrative visa, digital nomad visa etc).

READ ALSO: The best private healthcare for foreigners in Spain

Free public healthcare with permanent residency?

After five years living continuously in Spain, you will be able to apply for permanent residency which will theoretically give you the right to public healthcare without the need to pay for it or private healthcare anymore.

That is what the healthcare in Spain section on gov.uk states, as does the Spanish branch of International Organization for Migration (IOM), who say that applying for permanent residency will give you access to state healthcare – la sanidad pública – on the same basis as a Spanish citizen.

However, on online forums Citizens Advice Bureau Spain and Brexpats in Spain, commentators have said that getting public healthcare on permanent residency without paying social security appears to be at the discretion of the regional healthcare systems. 

Whilst Murcia may not allow it, Valencia and Andalusia will – another example of how the interpretation of the rules in Spain can vary depending on who you ask and where you are; but it’s still worth a try.

According to IOM, once you’re a permanent resident, you need to register at your local INSS social security office. 

You may need to show a ‘legislation letter’ (‘documento de no exportación’ in Spanish) stating that you are not covered by your home country for healthcare. You can request this from your country’s healthcare services.

The INSS will give you a document which you need to take to your local health centre.

Remember that if your country pays for your healthcare, you cannot register for healthcare as a permanent resident.

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