Residence in Spain without work permit (residencia no lucrativa) allows foreign citizens to reside permanently in Spain, without engaging in employment or professional activities. In most cases this type of residence permit is given to property owners who can demonstrate a stable and high income source outside of Spain.
Non lucrative residence is often called “the white residence. It shouldn’t be confused with an Investor Visa (Golden Visa), that supposes a significant investment in Spanish real estate or financial assets.
The initial non lucrative residence permit in Spain is made through the Consulate. The first and all subsequent renewals are made in Spain. Today we will tell you about documents, which are required for the Spanish non lucrative residence renewal, and about the procedure.
We want to remind you, that a temporary Spanish residence permit is issued and renewed according to the following scheme: 1 year + 2 years + 2 years. After that it becomes permanent. In this article you can read about a long-term residence, and today we will talk about the first and second renewals (for 2 years, and then for another 2 years).
The initial residence permit in Spain and its subsequent renewals are regulated by art. 49, 51.7 and 150.1 of the Royal Decree 557/2011 from 20th of April, putting in effect the Regulations to Organic Law 4/2000 “About the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain and their social integration.”
By the way, a non lucrative residence permit in Spain is included to the total length of legal stay on the territory of the country and subsequently gives you the right to apply for Spanish citizenship.
Conditions for the Residence Renewal in Spain
So, what are the requirements to comply with while renewing the non lucrative residence in Spain?
- not to be a citizen of a member country of the EU, Euro zone or Switzerland;
- do not have a criminal record in Spain;
- do not have been forbidden from entering Spain or another country, which signed a bilateral agreement with Spain on this issue;
- not to be a participant of the program of voluntary repatriation;
- have a current residence without work permit in Spain (initial or updated after the first renewal). If the application for the residence renewal is submitted after the expiry of the previous one,
- remember that the maximum delay is 90 calendar days. After this period you will automatically become an illegal immigrant.
Economic Conditions for the Residence Renewal in Spain
It is required to dispose of sufficient economic means for the entire period of stay in Spain. The initial residence permit requires availability of funds based on 1 year, but for the first and the second renewal you will need to demonstrate the amount for 2 years.
As a base for the calculation the Spanish living wage IPREM is taken, which is 537,84 € per month in 2018 or 6.454,03 € per year. The calculation is done as follows: 400% of the IPREM for 2 years for the applicant and 100% of IPREM for 2 years for each member of the family residing at his expense.
If we are talking about minor dependent, that implies receiving compulsory secondary education, you must bring a certificate from the educational institution.
Medical Insurance Required for Spanish Residence Renewal
The applicant must be insured either in the public health system (Seguridad Social), or have a private insurance policy. In the second case, you should pay special attention to the coverage: it should be as complete as possible, not assume any payments for services (sin copagos), should include hospitalization, diagnosis, surgery and repatriation.
A private insurance must cover the entire period of planned residence in the territory of Spain.
Documents Required For Spanish Non Lucrative Residence Renewal
The list of documents is standard:
- Completed application form EX-01signed in two copies
- Original and copy of all pages of valid passport.
- Documents confirming the availability of sufficient economic means: Bank statements, receipts, certificates, certificates of pension funds, the documents confirming the right of ownership, proof of participation in the authorized capital of companies and the right to receive dividends, renting out real properties agreements etc.
- Private Insurance company policy or the SIP card.
- The certificate from the educational institution for minor dependent (if needed).
All documents issued outside Spain (e.g. having economic character) must be apostilled and translated by sworn translator in Spain.
Spanish Non Lucrative Residence Permit Renewal Process
You can apply personally or by your representative. The residents of Torrevieja, who want to apply personally, can choose any suitable way:
- In the regional migration office (Extranjería) in Alicante. The address of the office: Calle Ebanistería 4-6. There is a chance to be attended without a prior appointment, but we recommend you to get it online to avoid unpleasant surprises.
- In the PROP Department of the Municipality of Torrevieja. The visitors are attended on a first-come-first-served basis; a prior appointment is not required.
- In the Spanish post Correos. In this case, a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt is sent to the Extranjería address.
At the time of submission of the application and all accompanying documents you must have the state fee form paid. In the standard form 790-052 you need to select the checkbox in paragraph 2.2 “Renovación de autorización de residencia temporal”. The duty amount in 2018 is 16.08 €.
Spanish authorities have 3 months to process your application. In most cases the solution comes out much earlier. According to the article 51.8, if you don’t receive a resolution within 3 months, it is considered to be successful.
Receiving the Official Resolution
Please, note an important thing, while filling in the application form: if you check in the checkbox “CONSIENTO que las comunicaciones y notificaciones se realicen por medios electrónicos”, you will receive notifications in an electronic form, and you’ll need an electronic certificate to obtain them. If you don’t have a certificate and you don’t plan to get it, leave the checkbox blank, but verify the address for correspondence.
When applying by a representative, an email notification is applied by default, regardless of whether you agree or not.
After obtaining a positive decision, you will only have to be fingerprinted at any police office in the province of Alicante. Recently a territorial limitation by the place of residence was canceled. Now you can check the available dates in different localities, and choose the most convenient geographically or by time. You can apply for fingerprints via Internet.
When making an appointment you will be prompted to download the form of fees for the plastic card issue. Do it, because at the time of fingerprint submission it must be paid. Also save a confirmation of the appointment sent to you by e–mail, because it contains a unique number of your turn.
The appointment process does not always go well. From time to time the system fails and goes down, and it may last a few days. Sometimes there is a conflict with browsers. So if you notice some problems with the official website, first try to change the browser/ phone/ computer, clear the cache and delete cookies. If it doesn’t help, wait a couple of days. Eventually the site will be repaired and the access opened.
Submission of Fingerprints when Renewing the Residence Permit in Spain
It is needed to attach to the fee form a list of the following documents:
- Successful resolution of your residence renewal.
- Valid passport.
- Color photograph of carné size.
- The previous residence plastic card.
- Fresh extract of city registration, which is necessary only in case of a change of home address, as stated in the police official requirements. But it’s better to be prudent and to take it with you, even if the address has not changed.
- The printout of the electronic notice of appointment sent to your email.
The police office in Torrevieja: Calle Arquitecto Larramendi, 3. A month after the fingerprint submission, you will be the proud owner of a new plastic card. Renewed cards are issued only on Fridays in the first half of the day.
In some cases, the non lucrative residence can be changed for a lucrative one. You will need to pass the whole procedure again, submitting additional documents concerning the future place of work.
