Spain non-lucrative visa from the UK: income, insurance and the £516 fee
The non-lucrative visa is the residence visa for living in Spain without working there, employed or self-employed, on income or savings you already have. It is the usual route for British retirees since Brexit, and the one with the clearest rules.
It is applied for from the UK, before you move, and lodged at the BLS centre of your consular district: London, Salford or Leith.
How much money you have to show
All three consulates use the same rule: 400% of the IPREM, Spain's public income indicator, for the main applicant, plus 100% of the IPREM for each family member who comes with you. The money has to cover the first year, as savings or as a regular income.
Health insurance has to be with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain and cover everything the Spanish public system covers.
What you file
The national visa form and form EX-01, one each per applicant, and a passport valid for at least a year, with two blank pages and issued within the last ten years.
Then the proof of funds and the insurance, a criminal record certificate from every country you have lived in during the last five years, and a medical certificate under the 2005 International Health Regulations.
Every foreign document must be legalised or apostilled and, if it is not in Spanish, translated.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Main applicant's funds | 400% of the IPREM |
| Per family member | 100% of the IPREM |
| Visa fee (British) | £516.00 |
| Validity | 365 days |
| TIE in Spain | within a month of arrival |
- National visa form and form EX-01
- Passport valid for a year with two blank pages
- Proof of funds: 400% of the IPREM, plus 100% per family member
- Health insurance with an insurer authorised in Spain
- Criminal record certificates for the last five years
- Medical certificate (2005 International Health Regulations)
- Form 790 code 052, section 2.1
What it costs a British applicant
Two payments. The residence authorisation fee, on form 790 code 052, section 2.1, payable online. And the visa fee, which for British nationals is set by reciprocity: £516.00 on the 2026 list of the London and Manchester consulates. BLS charges its service fee on top.
Timing and what happens next
The consulate decides on the visa within a month of the favourable decision on the residence authorisation. You collect it in person, without an appointment.
It is valid for 365 days, and once in Spain you have one month to apply for the TIE, the foreigner's identity card, at the immigration office or police station.
The TIE is applied for in Spain within a month of arriving: the visa does not replace it.Related guides
Checked against the official pages on 10 November 2026.
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The information comes from official sources that sometimes disagree with one another, and it is reviewed regularly. Confirm before you travel.