Retiring in Spain: the visa situation
EU citizens: no visa required (freedom of movement)
If you hold citizenship of an EU member state, you generally do not need a visa to retire in Spain. Under EU freedom of movement you may live here; you can stay up to three months without registering, and for longer stays you register your residence with the local authorities. Confirm the current steps with the official source before you rely on this.
Source: europa.eu, last checked 2026-07-04. The visa route below is for non-EU citizens.
For non-EU citizens
As of our last check, Spain offers a dedicated retirement route: the Non-Lucrative Visa (Visado de residencia no lucrativa).
The income requirement is in the middle of the range we see for retirement visas. ~EUR 2,400/mo single (400% of IPREM, about EUR 28,800/yr), plus ~EUR 600/mo (100% IPREM) per dependent family member.
Requires full private health insurance covering all risks of the public system with no co-pays (travel insurance not accepted). No work permitted; visa is valid one year and renewable, leading toward long-term residence.
Verified against exteriores.gob.es, last checked 2026-07-03.
The verified fields
~EUR 2,400/mo single (400% of IPREM, about EUR 28,800/yr), plus ~EUR 600/mo (100% IPREM) per dependent family member.
Requires full private health insurance covering all risks of the public system with no co-pays (travel insurance not accepted). No work permitted; visa is valid one year and renewable, leading toward long-term residence.
Before you act on this
Visa rules, income thresholds and processing practice change, sometimes with little notice. This page reflects what we could verify on the dates shown, nothing more. Always confirm the current requirements with the official immigration authority or a licensed immigration adviser before making plans, and treat the linked source as the authority, not us.
See how Spain scores overall
The visa is one of six axes. RetireScore 77/100, ranked 11 of 40 countries on the default weights.