Updated 17 August 2026. Legal assistance for initial non-lucrative residence applications under Royal Decree 1155/2024.
Quick facts
- Purpose: residence in Spain without carrying out employment or professional activity.
- Initial filing: through the competent Spanish consular office in the applicant’s country of residence.
- Initial validity: one year beginning on entry into Spain.
- After entry: the applicant must complete the TIE process within the applicable period.
When legal assistance is useful
A non-lucrative visa can be straightforward when the applicant has a stable pension, clear savings and a simple family structure. It becomes more sensitive when funds come from several countries, recent transfers, investments, trusts, rental income or a business that the applicant will continue to own. Remote work also needs careful treatment because this route is for residence without professional activity.
Our service is built around the application decision and evidence. The detailed eligibility rules remain on our Non-Lucrative Visa Spain guide; this page explains how Legal Fournier prepares and manages a case.
What we assess before filing
- Whether the NLV is the right route compared with digital-nomad, work or family residence options.
- The source, availability and continuity of financial means for every family member.
- Whether the health policy meets the standard expected for residence applications.
- Criminal-record, medical and civil-status documents, including apostille or legalisation and sworn translation.
- The competent consulate, its local checklist and the timing of appointments and certificates.
Financial evidence
The regulatory reference is 400% of monthly IPREM for the main applicant and an additional 100% for each accompanying family member, calculated using the amount in force when filing. A balance alone may not explain whether funds are available and sustainable. We organise bank statements, pension letters, investment evidence and other documents into a consistent financial narrative.
How the service works
- Route review: we identify incompatibilities and the main evidential risks.
- Document plan: you receive a case-specific list and sequence for time-sensitive documents.
- Legal review: we check forms, supporting evidence, translations and legalisations.
- Consular stage: we prepare the submission and help respond to requests for further evidence.
- After the decision: we guide visa collection, entry, TIE steps and the renewal calendar.
Refusals and renewals
If an application has been refused, we review the decision, the original evidence and the available procedural route before recommending an appeal or a new filing. For renewals, planning should begin early because the period to be covered and residence history differ from the initial consular application.
The current government framework appears in the Ministry’s official information sheet for initial non-lucrative residence.