# retirement visa US citizens - we got it!!!



## thiswildride

Hi everyone.

Xabiachica asked me to update our retirement visa process...We Got It!! 

We thought we'd be ready to turn in our paperwork in December...we finally turned it all in the last of February. 

I'm happy to report it only took 2 months for the approval. Even the consulate staff said it'd be 3-5 months. (I think Spain needs our Very Small income.)

Here's what happened...

The consulate notified us by email that visas are approved.

We went back to the consulate and dropped off
1) our passports
2) our date of travel so they could date the visa (copy of a air reservation?) 

They emailed us again when when passports were ready to pick up. They'll gave us an official letter in Spanish along with it. We were Really Happy to discover when we got home that part of all the tons of paperwork we did for the consulate was actually for our NIE (non-EU national identity number) which is what the letter contained.

Another major hurdle passed. 

The visa is dated. We have 30 days to pass through Spanish customs/immigration and have our passports stamped. Then, get a physical address (a signed lease) and register at the city hall.

Another registration is the empadronamiento. Since I'm not real clear on that yet, it'll have to wait for the next update. A bank account is needed too.

So we're off on a 3 wk trip beginning 5/28. 

The big adventure heats up again...


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## xabiaxica

thiswildride said:


> Hi everyone.
> 
> Xabiachica asked me to update our retirement visa process...We Got It!!
> 
> We thought we'd be ready to turn in our paperwork in December...we finally turned it all in the last of February.
> 
> I'm happy to report it only took 2 months for the approval. Even the consulate staff said it'd be 3-5 months. (I think Spain needs our Very Small income.)
> 
> Here's what happened...
> 
> The consulate notified us by email that visas are approved.
> 
> We went back to the consulate and dropped off
> 1) our passports
> 2) our date of travel so they could date the visa (copy of a air reservation?)
> 
> They emailed us again when when passports were ready to pick up. They'll gave us an official letter in Spanish along with it. We were Really Happy to discover when we got home that part of all the tons of paperwork we did for the consulate was actually for our NIE (non-EU national identity number) which is what the letter contained.
> 
> Another major hurdle passed.
> 
> The visa is dated. We have 30 days to pass through Spanish customs/immigration and have our passports stamped. Then, get a physical address (a signed lease) and register at the city hall.
> 
> Another registration is the empadronamiento. Since I'm not real clear on that yet, it'll have to wait for the next update. A bank account is needed too.
> 
> So we're off on a 3 wk trip beginning 5/28.
> 
> The big adventure heats up again...


thanks so much for the update

I think the BIG QUESTION is just how 'small' is the income they required, if you don't mind telling us?

Spain is now saying that even EU citizens have to prove income to be resident here, but they haven't yet specified exactly how much :confused2:


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## thiswildride

xabiachica said:


> thanks so much for the update
> 
> I think the BIG QUESTION is just how 'small' is the income they required, if you don't mind telling us?
> 
> Spain is now saying that even EU citizens have to prove income to be resident here, but they haven't yet specified exactly how much :confused2:


I believe it was $1,700US p/mo minimum for 2 people. But anyone needs to research that to be sure. I'm sure it can/does/is changing nowadays.


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## xabiaxica

thiswildride said:


> I believe it was $1,700US p/mo minimum for 2 people. But anyone needs to research that to be sure. I'm sure it can/does/is changing nowadays.


thanks so much 

so at _today's rate _that's about 1,335€ per month for a couple

& yes, it's probably changing daily - & different Spanish consulates are giving different information


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## Pesky Wesky

xabiachica said:


> thanks so much
> 
> so at _today's rate _that's about 1,335€ per month for a couple
> 
> & yes, it's probably changing daily - & different Spanish consulates are giving different information


Which is a reasonable amount, don't you think?


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## xabiaxica

Pesky Wesky said:


> Which is a reasonable amount, don't you think?


yes I do - not enough for the high life - but reasonable - & presumably private healthcare has to be paid out of that??? or maybe that's after healthcare ??


& actually more than we are led to believe 'they' are asking for EU citizens now - 430something € a month per person?

though that hasn't been confirmed


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## skip o

thiswildride, how did you handle the proof of lease issue? It seems totally bizarre to have to prove that you have a place to live BEFORE you find out the date you will be able to move there and if you will even be able to live there at all.

Also, I have heard that after you are approved, you need to arrive in Spain within 90 days. Do you know if that is 90 days after you have found out you have been approved, or 90 days after you pick up the visa?

Congratulations!


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## thiswildride

skip o said:


> thiswildride, how did you handle the proof of lease issue? It seems totally bizarre to have to prove that you have a place to live BEFORE you find out the date you will be able to move there and if you will even be able to live there at all.
> 
> Also, I have heard that after you are approved, you need to arrive in Spain within 90 days. Do you know if that is 90 days after you have found out you have been approved, or 90 days after you pick up the visa?
> 
> Congratulations!


Thank you.  

We were lucky. We know a Spaniard here in LA who's brother is still in Spain. He agreed to sign a lease doc saying we were renting from him. As part of the visa approval they send your 'address' and FBI report to the local PD who also must approve. Once that's done you can end up anywhere as long as you register with the new city hall. Once you've physically registered, they may (not sure yet) do an actual home check.

The consulate asked for our travel date (at least LA's did) and dated our visa from that date. We have *30 days* to get our visa stamped and register with our new town. So that's 30 days from the date you tell them you're moving.

We have reservations for 5/28 so the clock starts ticking then.

Hope that makes sense.


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## skip o

"The consulate asked for our travel date"

Did you give them your travel date when you submitted all the paper work a few months ago? Or more recently?

Sorry for all the questions!


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## thiswildride

skip o said:


> "The consulate asked for our travel date"
> 
> Did you give them your travel date when you submitted all the paper work a few months ago? Or more recently?
> 
> Sorry for all the questions!


More recently. It was after we knew we'd been approved and when we took our original passports in and left them so they could 'implant' the visa in our passports.


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## bob_bob

Just over a grand a month English, not bad at all. You won't go out fine dining every night on that but you should be OK.

Enjoy yourself


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## boating2go

We average 4,591.52 EUR per month income. Will we be able to afford a decent lifestyle in the area around Cádiz, Spain?


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## xabiaxica

boating2go said:


> We average 4,591.52 EUR per month income. Will we be able to afford a decent lifestyle in the area around Cádiz, Spain?



that sounds like a _very _comfortable amount for a couple


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## 90199

boating2go said:


> We average 4,591.52 EUR per month income. Will we be able to afford a decent lifestyle in the area around Cádiz, Spain?


Do not know about Cadiz, here in the Canaries, 2 of us, running two properties 800 to 1000 is plenty. Having said that we do not have heating bills mortgage or rentals and fuel for the car, booze and eating out, is not included.


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## tobyo

wow, this is encouraging! congrats on getting a retirement Visa, you give me hope. and yes, I have heard/read different things on the amount of income needed. I believe my posts from last year(?) are (or were...haven't looked recently) in a sticky in this forum.


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## tobyo

boating2go said:


> We average 4,591.52 EUR per month income. Will we be able to afford a decent lifestyle in the area around Cádiz, Spain?


I have looked at places to rent in Malaga and found many nice-looking places (from the internet photos and amenities listed) for 1,000 euros/month. so, I would think for the figure you list, you could live quite comfortably.


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## lbernal

OH THIS IS ENCOURAGING!!! I know this post was a few months ago, but why the Cadiz area, that is the same area my husband and I are looking at? Congratulations, I guess by now you are there. Do you have any updates on what has happened since your arrival?


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## elijoon

Hopefully you are enjoying your time in beautiful spain I know its been a long time but we are also living in Los angeles and don't know how to apply for police record check I'd really appreciate if you could tell us any website on how to apply for police record and how long does it take to get the police criminal record clearence?


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## thiswildride

This is from the Spanish Consulate website.

7. Certification of “absence of police records”, for 18 year-old applicants and older. Original translated into Spanish and one copy will be needed. This certificate can not be older than three months from the issue date.

The certification of "absence of police records" should be certified by the police authorities of all places where the applicant has resided during the past five years. 

- In the U.S.,this certificate must be issued by the FBI – Criminal Record History or FBI Identification Report -, It should be verified with a fingerprint card. Process to follow: 
Contact the FBI: (304) 625 3878 o by mail to: Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Correspondence unit. 1000 Custer Hollow Road. Clarksburg, WV 26306. FBI — Criminal Background Check 

This certificate must be stamped with the "Apostille of The Hague" . Contact the Secretary of State in the State the document has been issued. Authentications (Apostille or Certification) - Notary Public - California Secretary of State

Consulate website: Consulado de España en Los Angeles

Good luck!


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## 213979

boating2go said:


> We average 4,591.52 EUR per month income. Will we be able to afford a decent lifestyle in the area around Cádiz, Spain?


Holy crow. Considering the vast majority of Spaniards earn 1/4 of that a month if they're working, you're golden. 

We earn much less but live quite comfortably up north where things tend to be a bit more expensive.


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## 213979

Big congrats, this is really interesting and encouraging news to hear.


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## thiswildride

*Up north???*



elenetxu said:


> Holy crow. Considering the vast majority of Spaniards earn 1/4 of that a month if they're working, you're golden.
> 
> We earn much less but live quite comfortably up north where things tend to be a bit more expensive.


Hi, Elentxu. Where are you up north? We're moving up there too. Cantabria, Asturias area. Taking our time looking though.


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## 213979

We're in Cantabria. Beautiful country! 
Best of luck with the property search. There's some great deals out there right now if you're looking to buy. I'd be happy to help with property search suggestions for Cantabria.


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## thiswildride

Oh thank you! We're travelling for the next two weeks but after that... : )


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## 213979

Mods, if this isn't allowed let me know and I'll PM the OP... 

For homes in the Ramales de la Victoria region: 
Servicios Inmobiliarios Ramón - Destacado

For bank foreclosures in the Cantabria - Vizcaya area: 
http://costabank.com/

For homes in the Suances area: 
Barrio | Inmobiliaria en Suances | Pisos en Cantabria | Casas en Cantabria | Alquiler de casas

An agency that seems to work throughout Cantabria: 
San Fernando Inmobiliarias · Inmuebles de Segunda Mano y Obra Nueva en Cantabria 
(They work with bank properties, too.)

And, as always, there's a ton of stuff available on idealista and fotocasa.


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## thiswildride

Muchas gracias, mi amiga.


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## sasha7

thiswildride said:


> Muchas gracias, mi amiga.


Congratulations on the wildride, thiswildride! I am also considerating doing the retirement visa in Spain. One major question I have is concerning income taxes on pension/annuity or other retirement income from the states as I am non EU. Will Spain tax this income if it is already taxed by the IRS in the U.S.? If you live in Spain less than 180 days a year does that affect this? Thanks for your updates and posting.
Mike


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## USAKathy

*At Last*

Have been looking at this site for some time now and FINALLY have found someone from the USA who has done what I am looking to do. This is the most straight forward info so far. AARP has listed Spain as being desirable country for retirees. The posts really don't reflect that. Sounds very difficult to move there. Can I keep in touch with you to see how things are moving along? I would surely appreciate that! Thanks......Kathy


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## tobyo

so...I just thought I'd share. I was asked to write a guest post on a retirement blog (via my own blog) about my plans to retire to Málaga. and in doing some research for it I discovered not only were the links on my retirement page on my blog invalid, but also that our income requirement has gone WAY up!! I wonder why that would be. 

in any case, here is what the Spanish consulate in Chicago says we must have in order to obtain a retirement visa: 5. Proof of Permanent Retirement income from an official institution (social security or other private source) to live in Spain without working. The minimum income required is 25,560 Euros annually plus 6,390 Euros per each additional family member. 

So, let me ask this, all you intelligent people of this forum: Does this mean that my husband and I have to have proof of about 42,000 euros annually? I would imagine the "other private sources" would include our investment nest egg yes? whew boy....I don't intend to SPEND that much, wonder why they require so much now?


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## xabiaxica

tobyo said:


> so...I just thought I'd share. I was asked to write a guest post on a retirement blog (via my own blog) about my plans to retire to Málaga. and in doing some research for it I discovered not only were the links on my retirement page on my blog invalid, but also that our income requirement has gone WAY up!! I wonder why that would be.
> 
> in any case, here is what the Spanish consulate in Chicago says we must have in order to obtain a retirement visa: 5. Proof of Permanent Retirement income from an official institution (social security or other private source) to live in Spain without working. The minimum income required is 25,560 Euros annually plus 6,390 Euros per each additional family member.
> 
> So, let me ask this, all you intelligent people of this forum: Does this mean that my husband and I have to have proof of about 42,000 euros annually? I would imagine the "other private sources" would include our investment nest egg yes? whew boy....I don't intend to SPEND that much, wonder why they require so much now?


hello stranger!!!

I think your recent absence from the forum has affected your maths brain 

I get 31,950€ by adding those figures


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## Pesky Wesky

xabiachica said:


> hello stranger!!!
> 
> I think your recent absence from the forum has affected your maths brain
> 
> I get 31,950€ by adding those figures


Whose brain is affected?
25, 560 + 6,390+6,390 (I think there are at least 2 people involved here) = 38,340.
Or maybe she's talking about the meaning of life = 42 

Hello to tobyo


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## Justina

Do Americans have to show more income than the Europeans or does it depend on the province?


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## xabiaxica

Justina said:


> Do Americans have to show more income than the Europeans or does it depend on the province?


all non-EU citizens have to get a special visa of one kind or another, in order to live here - from the Spanish consulate wherever they live, & afaik it's a national thing, nothing to do with individual provinces

it has to be arranged from their usual country of residence before they come, & yes, the financial requirements are higher

without a residence visa they can only stay 90 days out of every 180

there's quite a bit of info & some links on the FAQs thread if you're interested


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## brocher

tobyo said:


> so...I just thought I'd share. I was asked to write a guest post on a retirement blog (via my own blog) about my plans to retire to Málaga. and in doing some research for it I discovered not only were the links on my retirement page on my blog invalid, but also that our income requirement has gone WAY up!! I wonder why that would be.
> 
> in any case, here is what the Spanish consulate in Chicago says we must have in order to obtain a retirement visa: 5. Proof of Permanent Retirement income from an official institution (social security or other private source) to live in Spain without working. The minimum income required is 25,560 Euros annually plus 6,390 Euros per each additional family member.
> 
> So, let me ask this, all you intelligent people of this forum: Does this mean that my husband and I have to have proof of about 42,000 euros annually? I would imagine the "other private sources" would include our investment nest egg yes? whew boy....I don't intend to SPEND that much, wonder why they require so much now?



Like Xab, I would reckon that meant 32k for two people.

25k plus 6k for each *additional * person.


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## NickZ

tobyo said:


> .I don't intend to SPEND that much, wonder why they require so much now?



Obviously it depends on lifestyle but 26K pre tax once you take out rent and all the other basic expenses doesn't leave a huge amount. 

Basically they're trying to make sure you don't end up a cost for the state. If they set the limit too low the risk for them increases. From their point of view better you are left with extra money at the end of the year.


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## Pesky Wesky

brocher said:


> Like Xab, I would reckon that meant 32k for two people.
> 
> 25k plus 6k for each *additional * person.


Ahh, that's true.
Thought it was strange that I was doing something mathematical correctly!


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## tobyo

xabiachica said:


> hello stranger!!!
> 
> I think your recent absence from the forum has affected your maths brain
> 
> I get 31,950€ by adding those figures


ack!! you are absolutely right. alas, it was probably my "lack of sleep" brain  or maybe I was trying to do the conversion to dollars? yea, who knows? 

But STILL!! that's a HUGE increase from the last time I saw income figures(something like $10k/year). so I'm still wondering.....there's no way our social security will be that big so am wondering if our investment nest egg will be taken into account. I guess I won't know until we get there and apply. 

but anyway, thanks for the chuckle


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## tobyo

Pesky Wesky said:


> Whose brain is affected?
> 25, 560 + 6,390+6,390 (I think there are at least 2 people involved here) = 38,340.
> Or maybe she's talking about the meaning of life = 42
> 
> Hello to tobyo


hello pesky wesky!!

hmmmm, now that you mention it. um.....yea, I guess it could be looked at that way too. egads.

ah yes....just did the exchange rate math (31k x 1.38)and I get 42,000 DOLLARS!! whew, my math brain is still intact! lol.


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## tobyo

NickZ said:


> Obviously it depends on lifestyle but 26K pre tax once you take out rent and all the other basic expenses doesn't leave a huge amount.
> 
> Basically they're trying to make sure you don't end up a cost for the state. If they set the limit too low the risk for them increases. From their point of view better you are left with extra money at the end of the year.


yea, okay. that makes sense. thank you!!


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## deeiris

*An address*



213979 said:


> We're in Cantabria. Beautiful country!
> Best of luck with the property search. There's some great deals out there right now if you're looking to buy. I'd be happy to help with property search suggestions for Cantabria.


Hello 213979,
Thanks for letting us know you got the retirement visas. I hope you're having a great time there.
From reading your post it seems that you got your home after you moved to Spain. Our consulate is Houston. They are telling us we need to have an address in order to apply for the visa. Either an invitation from someone living in Spain, or a rental contract or deed. Did you need an address for the visa application? If not, what consulate did you apply through? If you did need an address, how did you get one from the States?
Thanks for your help with this info. We have all the other requirements.
Peace, Dee


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## tonysplanb

deeiris said:


> Hello 213979,
> Thanks for letting us know you got the retirement visas. I hope you're having a great time there.
> 
> From reading your post it seems that you got your home after you moved to Spain. Our consulate is Houston. They are telling us we need to have an address in order to apply for the visa. Either an invitation from someone living in Spain, or a rental contract or deed. Did you need an address for the visa application? If not, what consulate did you apply through? If you did need an address, how did you get one from the States?
> Thanks for your help with this info. We have all the other requirements.
> Peace, Dee


When we applied for our non-lucrative visa in New York, we were also asked for a Spain address. Luckily for me I had the address of the Airbnb we were staying at for the first month. They accepted it without any paperwork. Also, the instructions stated that we supply a copy of all paperwork. Turns out that in the NY office they scan all paperwork to Madrid and within 10 days we were told to bring our passports in to get our visas. The visas also had our NIE numbers on them.
This all occurred in early June , 2017 and our travel date is Sept 3, 2017
Next hurdle is finding a rental (hopefully they accept Airbnb) in Barcelona to apply for residency. We won't know how long of a rental agreement they want until we visit the Oficina De Extranjero. We emailed them last week but still no response.
I'll try to keep everyone posted as we go along.


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## kdsb

Congrats! We were in a different province but in order to apply for residency at the extranjeria we had to first be on the padrón, which is like being on the official list of residents. This step involved showing our lease and utility bills (though it was OK that they were in the landlord's name). I doubt that would have worked with a temporary Airbnb type rental, but am not sure.


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## Williams2

thiswildride said:


> Hi, Elentxu. Where are you up north? We're moving up there too. Cantabria, Asturias area. Taking our time looking though.


Don't forget to bring your brolly !!!


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## tonysplanb

kdsb said:


> Congrats! We were in a different province but in order to apply for residency at the extranjeria we had to first be on the padrón, which is like being on the official list of residents. This step involved showing our lease and utility bills (though it was OK that they were in the landlord's name). I doubt that would have worked with a temporary Airbnb type rental, but am not sure.


Did you have to show proof of residence and/or the Padron when you applied at the Oficina De Extranjero?


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## xabiaxica

tonysplanb said:


> Did you have to show proof of residence and/or the Padron when you applied at the Oficina De Extranjero?


Yes, that's what kdsb said. Had to be on the padrón first (so presumably show the cert.,) & in order to do that, had to show property lease & utility bills.


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## tonysplanb

Thank you all for your important input into this thread. It's hard to relocate to a completely different country and rely on the thoughts and comments posted here. Even at the young age of 58, I'm nervous and yet very excited to try something new. Your previous experiences have enlightened me.


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## LJAnderson

Thank you for all the questions, as we are now having our papers certified into Spanish, and we have our first consulate appointment scheduled in Houston. Trying to get to Barcelona by December.


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## LJAnderson

Thank you for sharing, as this helps those of us currently trying to obtain the Visa.


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## John98103

So, you do not need to have housing in Spain arranged as part of the visa application?
I read the instructions from the San Francisco consulate - doesn't look like it, but parts are in Spanish.

Looks like:
- background check (local and FBI)
- proof of sufficient income
- medical letter 
- photos 
- application form
- proof of medical insurance
- passport (US) 

Correct? 

Thanks


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## tonysplanb

John98103 said:


> So, you do not need to have housing in Spain arranged as part of the visa application?
> I read the instructions from the San Francisco consulate - doesn't look like it, but parts are in Spanish.
> 
> Looks like:
> - background check (local and FBI)
> - proof of sufficient income
> - medical letter
> - photos
> - application form
> - proof of medical insurance
> - passport (US)
> 
> Correct?
> 
> Thanks


I recall that on one of the application forms (don't remember which one) that was supplied at the consulate, it needed an address. Because of the address we were issued an NIE when we received our visas. They did not need any paperwork (lease) just an address so we used the Airbnb address.
We are now in Barcelona but now we must have a lease or the authorization letter in order to get the Padron. We are not ready to commit to an apartment so we might have to register without an address which we were told can be time consuming.
I'll try to keep you up to date.


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## Henthree

I got my Residence cert. In Motril, Granada. if I recall rightly I had to show income exceeding €600 a month. Incidentally the procedure and requirements there seem to differ from neighbouring Málaga province: appointment only, no faffing around with Gestors or translations, untranslated bank statements alone were accepted as proof of income with Empadronamiente cert and Form S1. Very friendly and efficient officer.


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## xabiaxica

Henthree said:


> I got my Residence cert. In Motril, Granada. if I recall rightly I had to show income exceeding €600 a month. Incidentally the procedure and requirements there seem to differ from neighbouring Málaga province: appointment only, no faffing around with Gestors or translations, untranslated bank statements alone were accepted as proof of income with Empadronamiente cert and Form S1. Very friendly and efficient officer.


You're an EU citizen though - so the requirements are completely different.


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## Henthree

I was responding to "Spain is now saying that even EU citizens have to prove income to be resident here, but they haven't yet specified how much", which you may recognise. Clearly I clicked on the wrong place but that hardly constitutes grounds for the kind of attempted humiliation you've just indulged in.


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## xabiaxica

Henthree said:


> I was responding to "Spain is now saying that even EU citizens have to prove income to be resident here, but they haven't yet specified how much", which you may recognise. Clearly I clicked on the wrong place but that hardly constitutes grounds for the kind of attempted humiliation you've just indulged in.


I would never try to humiliate anyone. I had no way of knowing to which post you were replying, since you hadn't quoted one. Bear in mind this thread was started over 5 years ago, so the post could be from way back then!

Spain does indeed insist on proof of income & healthcare provision for EU citizens moving here, and has done for some years now. There is still no fixed figure though.

Yours was covered by your pension & the S1 so was very straightforward. Anyone without those has a more difficult time proving both. Some extranjerías are asking for bank balances of 10,000 € on top of an income! Only certain kinds of private healthcare insurance are accepted, for some offices work contracts have be permanent, full time contracts. Some don't accept self-employment.


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## Henthree

Thank you for your response which I completely accept. I thought that my original comment would appear directly under yours but clearly that wasn't the case so it looked out of context. I'm still learning.


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## xabiaxica

Henthree said:


> Thank you for your response which I completely accept. I thought that my original comment would appear directly under yours but clearly that wasn't the case so it looked out of context. I'm still learning.


No problem.

If you want to be sure to show to which post you are referring, click the quote button


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