# qualifying for retirement non-lucrative visa



## surabela (May 13, 2016)

We have heard different requirements for different areas/cities. Does anyone know how much income and/or savings we need to show if we want to move to Barcelona? Thanks


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

surabela said:


> We have heard different requirements for different areas/cities. Does anyone know how much income and/or savings we need to show if we want to move to Barcelona? Thanks


It isn't so much where you wish to move to, as the requirement of the consulate through which you apply.

Contact your nearest Spanish Consulate & they will tell you exactly what is required by them.


----------



## surabela (May 13, 2016)

We will be applying at the Houston consulate.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

surabela said:


> We will be applying at the Houston consulate.


So contact them. Only they can give you a definitive answer.


----------



## skip o (Aug 1, 2011)

"Contact your nearest Spanish Consulate & they will tell you exactly what is required by them."

... but the consulate very well might change what "exactly" is required on they day you show up. Or one consulate employee might have a different idea of what is required. I went through this process in Chicago. What was required and what they ultimately took from me were pretty different. Fortunately they told me many things were required that they ended up not even taking from me.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

skip o said:


> "Contact your nearest Spanish Consulate & they will tell you exactly what is required by them."
> 
> ... but the consulate very well might change what "exactly" is required on they day you show up. Or one consulate employee might have a different idea of what is required. I went through this process in Chicago. What was required and what they ultimately took from me were pretty different. Fortunately they told me many things were required that they ended up not even taking from me.


True. 

But if they change their minds we have no chance of giving an accurate answer, have we?

If someone applied to the same consulate yesterday, it might change by next week. The only way is to ask them directly & get them to write it down!


----------



## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

surabela said:


> We will be applying at the Houston consulate.


 they are more than cooperative. I would also contact with the expat office with the Madrid consulate here. They have an employee whose only job is to work with expats. Keep in mind that to move stuff here you will need a Spanish form available at the US Consulate in Barcelona or Madrid. It helps to get your personal items through Customs without paying VAT tax on them. If you are using international movers they will do this for you. Just dot all your i's and cross all your t's.


----------



## lorort (Dec 24, 2015)

Surabela, This infö is from the consulate in Houston:
Proof of enough periodic income (investments, annuities, sabbaticals and any other source of income) to live in Spain without working. The minimum income required is 25,560 Euros annually plus 6,390 Euros per each additional family member. All documentation must be certified translated into Spanish.


----------



## surabela (May 13, 2016)

lorort said:


> Surabela, This infö is from the consulate in Houston:
> Proof of enough periodic income (investments, annuities, sabbaticals and any other source of income) to live in Spain without working. The minimum income required is 25,560 Euros annually plus 6,390 Euros per each additional family member. All documentation must be certified translated into Spanish.


Thanks. I saw that, but I had heard somewhere that it actually depends on where you want to live, and that there is a higher figure for Barcelona. Has this been anyone's experience?


----------



## lorort (Dec 24, 2015)

It doesn't matter where you will live in Spain the requirements are the same if you go through the Spanish Consulate in Houston. I have heard that different Spanish consulate have different requirements if you look at the consulate out of Miami they don't have a money amount. This is the website for Houston and if you email them they really good about answering you questions.

https://consulategeneralofspaininhouston.acuityscheduling.com/


----------



## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

lorort said:


> It doesn't matter where you will live in Spain the requirements are the same if you go through the Spanish Consulate in Houston. I have heard that different Spanish consulate have different requirements if you look at the consulate out of Miami they don't have a money amount. This is the website for Houston and if you email them they really good about answering you questions. https://consulategeneralofspaininhouston.acuityscheduling.com/


 The money amount is a Spanish State requirement. Also, as I have said many times, the US Consulates here in Spain have people whose jobs it is to work with expats. There are so few Americans moving here that when you ask them for any information, responses are quick as well via email.


----------



## kdsb (May 3, 2015)

When we applied for a non lucrative visa in Boston we initially just provided evidence of savings but they wanted proof of recurrent income, so we got letters from our employers (my husband will be working remotely). I am not sure how that works for actual retirees who may not have regular income. Perhaps it all still would have gone through without that, but they held our application until we could get the appropriate documentation.


----------

