# Modify Visa Type? (Non-Lucrative > ??)



## lashend (Dec 6, 2015)

Dear Expat Experts  

I’m awaiting, with fingers crossed, a non-lucrative residence visa now. I hope to make this move to Spain permanent, and I thought I’d laid out a good plan. My good plan is turning out to be not so well laid: I’d thought that I could work remotely as a freelancer, maintaining my tax home in the USA, without violating the no-work-in-Spain terms of the non-lucrative visa. Now I’m understanding that by sitting at my computer on Spanish soil, I’m working “in” Spain, regardless of where my clients and my primary bank account are. (Yes, that was a big oversight: I’m learning as I go along, and I guess it’s obvious.) 

So my “plan” looks like it’s going to fall apart. But! I want to make this move to Spain for the long haul. I bought a home in Spain last year, I feel good here, etc., etc., and I want to “make it happen.” Can you help me figure out the “how”? I think I have two main options now: 

1.	Live very frugally, keep enough money in savings, somehow or other, to keep meeting the financial means minimum of the non-lucrative visa/residence, and keep renewing that way until I get to the five-year mark. (Yes, I think this would mean continuing freelancing but being very “quiet” about it. That’s not the way I want to do things or had planned to do them. But if it’s my only option, I won’t close the door on it, I guess.) 
2.	(This seems like the best possibility.) Try to convert my non-lucrative residence status to another residence status in the renewal process. I understand that I’ll have to renew my residence permit (TIE) according to this schedule:
Year 0 – enter with the non-lucrative visa
After Year 1 – renew TIE for 2 years more 
After Year 3 – renew TIE for 2 years more
After Year 5 (now this renewal would be for permanent residency) – renew TIE for 5 years
After Year 10 – eligible for citizenship

These are all the visa / residency modification possibilities I find authorized by Extranjería: Secretaría General de Inmigración y Emigración. Portal de la Inmigración. PAGINA NO ENCONTRADA among those, I see three possibilities that look like they could be promising:

•Modificación de la situación de residencia a la situación de residencia y trabajo por cuenta ajena inicial (Secretaría General de Inmigración y Emigración. Portal de la Inmigración. PAGINA NO ENCONTRADA) 
•	Modificación de la situación de residencia a la situación de residencia y trabajo de profesionales altamente cualificados; (Secretaría General de Inmigración y Emigración. Portal de la Inmigración. PAGINA NO ENCONTRADA 
•	Modificación de la situación de residencia a la situación de residencia y trabajo por cuenta propia inicial (PORTAL DE INMIGRACIÃ“N Ministerio de Empleo y Seguridad Social: Modificación de la situación de residencia a la situación de residencia y trabajo por cuenta propia inicial.). I know that this would require registering myself as an autonomo. In the case that this is the best option, when would I have to do that? During the time of my non-lucrative residence first year (… seems necessary in order to lay the groundwork for the renewal … but wouldn’t that itself violate the terms of the non-lucrative residence?)

Have any of you tried (and succeeded or failed) to change residency status from non-lucrative to another status? What was your experience? What would you recommend, what would you caution, …? And! I’m sure I’ve not nearly thought of all the possibilities … Please, any other good ideas I could think about!? The bottom line is that I want to make this work. Can you help me figure out how? Thank you!! 

(In case it’s relevant, a few things about me: I’m a USA citizen. I have lived before in other countries of the EU, legally (Italy for 3 years and UK for 3 years) but not long enough to give me EU resident status. I have enough money saved to pull off the non-lucrative requirement for a couple of years but not any longer (i.e., I’m not a retiree with a pension). Let’s say, I don’t know if it’s really true or not, that I have some “skills” that could maybe be considered employable or “in demand”, if I were in the situation to be able to avail of that demand. (I have a Ph.D., I’m pretty good at “learning new stuff,” and I’m a real hard worker.) I don’t have a Spanish partner or Spanish ancestors.

I will be very grateful for any tips you might pass along! Thank you! (And: I’m sorry for the obvious “novice” level of my questions. I hope I’ll be able to come back and pay it forward with some help for the next people to come along …).​


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## wroliveira (Jul 22, 2019)

How did it turn out ? I am in a similar situation


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## GTTSPK (Jun 20, 2016)

YES, you can change your status from No-Lucrative to Cuenta Ajena after residing in Spain 1 year at least... this means on first renewal you can apply modification by securing a job contract that meets min wages requirements for you and your family... law stated on web page is clear and follows the same... nothing much to worry... modification shall succeed.


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## wroliveira (Jul 22, 2019)

GTTSPK said:


> YES, you can change your status from No-Lucrative to Cuenta Ajena after residing in Spain 1 year at least... this means on first renewal you can apply modification by securing a job contract that meets min wages requirements for you and your family... law stated on web page is clear and follows the same... nothing much to worry... modification shall succeed.


once you change, do your family members also need to exchange their ID cards ? Is your spouse entitled to work then ?


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