When it comes to residency in Spain, one of the documents that has the greatest impact on non-EU citizens who wish to reside in Spain is, without a doubt, this visa.

However, although the application requirements are very clear, those for renewal are not so clear. That is why we want to clear up any doubts in the article you are about to read about Spain’s Non Lucrative Visa by Pellicer & Heredia.

Renewal possibilities

After the first year of residing in Spain, there are two options for renewal:

1- Renew the card, thus extending the Non-Lucrative Visa for a couple of more years.

2- Modify the Visa to apply for a residence permit that gives you the option to work in Spain.

The Non-Lucrative Visa, as is well known, does not allow for any work activity during the stay in Spain, so applicants must demonstrate sufficient economic capacity throughout their stay.

The requirements for each of these situations will, of course, be different.

When must the visa be renewed?

The visa is valid for one year. It is a temporary, non-profit visa.

At the end of the year, there is the possibility of a renewal for a further period of two years, and after that a further renewal for two more years.

The renewal must be made 60 days before the end of the year or 90 days after the expiry date of the visa.

Once all the renewals have been covered, the 5 years of residence in Spain will have been completed. You will then be eligible for long-term residence.

Requirements for renewal.

Renewal only requires that the same requirements are maintained as when the visa was applied for and granted. However, there may be some differences:

Basically, to renew this card you must prove that all the requirements you had to meet for the initial application are still valid.  However, there are some differences:

Sufficient funds

You will still have to prove financial solvency. 400% of the IPREM for the main applicant and 100% for each extra family member included in the joint application. In total more than 26,000 euros.

Therefore, the conditions must be maintained from the application.

The details are as follows: as this is a 2-year renewal, the funds required will now be doubled: 800% of the IPREM; 52,000 euros.

In the case of having a spouse and/or children, double the amount will also be required for them.

Health insurance

Maintain private health insurance in Spain and abroad.

Being a resident in Spain

This residence permit requires legal residence. Therefore, to be granted, you must stay in Spain for more than 183 days a year.

Failure to prove residency would result in automatic rejection of the visa. Bank statements or telephone or electricity bills can be provided for this purpose.

It is important to note that the reference year starts from the date of obtaining the residence card until 365 days later. This means that it does not coincide with the calendar year.

Cédula de habitabilidad (certificate of habitability)

This document certifies that the dwelling where you are going to live meets the minimum requirements for all the members of the family to be able to live together in habitable conditions.

Schooling of the children

The resident must certify that the children of school age are in school. A certificate from the school itself will suffice.

Up to date with the Tax Agency and Social Security

No debts with the Agencia Tributaria or with the Seguridad Social must be paid in order for the renewal to be granted.

This means that there must be no unpaid fines, fees, taxes or property liabilities.

Criminal and police records

The visa will also not be renewed if there is a criminal record in force.

These are the requirements that must be taken into account when renewing the so-called Non-Lucrative Visa.