A considerable number of British citizens enjoy summer holidays in their Spanish holiday home and after a number of years take the decision to retire to Spain. It is estimated that there is a British population of over .262,000 drawn to Spain for the climate, the culture and the cuisine. The Office of National Statistics (ONS) confirms that as many as one third of British citizens living in Spain are over the age of retirement.

Brexit changed the face of immigration in Europe, however Giambrone's experienced Spanish immigration lawyers in our Spanish offices point out that a non-lucrative visa which permits the possessor to travel to Spain without limit on the number of days they can stay in Spain. A non-lucrative visa is designed primarily for individuals who have retired or do not intend to work in Spain. For individuals who wish to work a non-lucrative visa has a certain flexibility and once it has been obtained there is an opportunity to convert to a working visa after the first year. A non-lucrative visa also brings with it the added advantage of also allowing free travel throughout the 26 countries within the Schengen Area that have officially abolished all border control including passports, at their mutual borders.

Our immigration lawyers in Spain can assist you with every step of the way when applying for a non-lucrative visa.

Gonzalo Butori, a partner, stated "Spain is extremely British friendly, many Spanish people speak English particularly in the service industries, hospitality and retail. The temporate climate is ideal for the mature person." Gonzalo further commented "there are various criteria required to apply for a non-lucrative visa and our lawyers can brief you for the mandatory interview at the consulate. A non-lucrative visa opens the door to many opportunities"

The applicant must apply for a non-lucrative visa themselves, except in certain circumstances where an application to be made by a third party with notarised authorisation if there is a justifiable reason.

The documentation required to support your application is as follows:

  • A valid passport.
  • Evidence of payment of the visa application.
  • Completion of a national visa form and EX01form.
  • Documentary evidence proving you have no criminal record in Britain or Spain.
  • Comprehensive private health insurance is a requirement and it must be with a company authorised to operate in Spain.
  • A medical certificate, complying with the International Health Regulations, must be present and have been issued at least three months before submission of your visa application.
  • Form 720-052 must be completed and the fee paid to permit temporary authorisation for residence.
  • You must be able to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to support yourself for one year in the shape of a monthly income of €2,259.60. or you have over €27,000 in your bank account. Evidence to this effect can take the form of payslips, a State or Government pension, pension scheme, or possession of investment capacity that generates sufficient income to guarantee sufficient income.
  • If you have dependents you must have an additional income of €564.90 per month per dependent.

There is a mandatory interview that you must attend, which is held at the consulate office, that will go towards the decision on granting a visa. Giambrone's experienced Spanish immigration lawyers will advise and guide you through the entire procedure to ensure that all the documentation required to support your application is valid, compliant and that there are no omissions that will result in rejection.

Once the visa has been granted you have a period of one month to collect it from the notification of acceptance. There are limited circumstances where the consular office will request additional documentation.

Initially a non-lucrative visa is granted for a period of one year and there is a requirement of residence of at least 183 days of residency in Spain each year to enable the non-lucrative visa to be renewed at its expiration. The renewal process is very straightforward, the first renewal, after one year, grants a non-lucrative visa for two years. Once the applicant has lived in Spain continuously for five years, an application for permanent residency can be made. Non-lucrative visa has the added advantage of also allowing free travel throughout the 26 countries within the Schengen Area that have officially abolished all border control including passports, at their mutual borders.

Gonzalo is recognised for his pragmatic approach and solution-based strategies as well as his robust capacity when pursuing his clients' best interests. When heavy disclosure in foreign languages is required, he develops and delivers technical solutions to ease the cost burden for clients.

He has assisted in a number of cross-border transactions involving various EU jurisdictions and achieved successful results. He also specialises in the conflict of laws and jurisdiction.

Gonzalo regularly advises international clients in connection with family and inheritance-related cross-border matters. Throughout his experience, he has dealt with high-value and complex matters both contested and non-contested which have given him valuable exposure and experience.

In addition to being admitted to practise in England & Wales as a Registered Foreign Lawyer (RFL), Gonzalo is admitted in to practice as an Abogado, a Spanish-qualified lawyer in Spain, as well as Avvocato Stabilito in Italy and divides his time between the London and the Barcelona offices.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.