Spain Visa Types and Options for Non-EU Citizens Moving to Spain (2026)

A question we often get from people planning a move to Spain isn’t “How do I apply?” It’s “Which visa do I need?”

Spain has two main categories of visas: the short-stay Schengen visa, known as Type C, and the long-stay national visa, known as Type D. If you’re planning to live in Spain, not just visit, you need a Type D visa. 

In this article, we cover the Type D long-stay visa option available to non-EU citizens in 2026, with a simple explanation of who each one is for, so you can identify your route and move straight to the detailed guide you need.

EU and EEA citizens have free movement and don’t need a visa to relocate to Spain. This page is written for non-EU nationals, primarily UK, US, Canadian, Australian, Irish, South African and other third-country passport holders.

Spain Visa Types: Type C vs Type D

Spain, like all Schengen countries, issues two categories of visas, and almost every question about “Spain visa types” comes down to understanding the difference between them.

Type C Visa: Short Stay Schengen Visa

A Type C visa is a short-stay Schengen visa valid for up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the entire Schengen zone. It is for tourism, business visits and family visits. It does not allow you to live or work in Spain.

Most non-EU nationals, including UK, US, and Canadian passport holders, can enter Spain without a Type C visa for short stays of up to 90 days. For nationals of countries that require a visa for entry, a Type C Schengen visa is the tourist visa.

A Type C visa does not lead to residency and cannot be converted into a long-stay permit.

Type D Visa: National Long Stay Visa

A Type D visa is a national long-stay visa valid for more than 90 days. Every residency route visa for moving to Spain is a Type D visa: the Non-Lucrative Visa, the Digital Nomad Visa, the work permit, the student visa, and the family reunification visa.

If you’re planning to live in Spain, whether retiring there, working remotely, studying, or joining a family, you need a Type D visa. 

Spain Visa Options: Quick Comparison

Here’s a quick reference comparison of all the Type D visa routes covered on this page.

Visa	Who it’s for	Work allowed	Income source
Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV)	Retirees, financially independent	No	Passive only
Digital Nomad Visa (DNV)	Remote workers, freelancers	Yes, for foreign employers/clients	Active remote work
Work Permit	Employed in Spain	Yes, for Spanish employer	Spanish employment
Student Visa	Full-time students	Limited hours	Study funding
Family Reunification	Joining a Spanish resident or citizen	Depends on sponsor	Sponsor’s income
Golden Visa	Programme ended April 2025	N/A	N/A

Spain Visa Options for US Citizens and Americans

American citizens can visit Spain for up to 90 days without a visa under the Schengen 90/180 rule. To live in Spain long-term, you need a Type D long-stay visa. The three most relevant routes for US citizens are the Non-Lucrative Visa, the Digital Nomad Visa, and the work permit.

Non-Lucrative Visa: For US Retirees and Passive Income Earners

If you’re retired, have investment income, or receive dividends and don’t need to work, the NLV is your route. For 2026, the income requirement is €28,800 a year for a single applicant, which is roughly $30,000 to $32,000 at current exchange rates, based on 400% of Spain’s IPREM. (Embassy of Spain, 2026) Always confirm the exact figure and the current exchange rate before you apply.

Apply through the Spanish consulate serving your US district, which is New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Houston, or San Francisco, depending on where you live.

Read the full guide: Spain Non-Lucrative Visa

Digital Nomad Visa: For US Remote Workers

If you work remotely for a US company or have freelance clients outside Spain, the Digital Nomad Visa is your route. The income requirement is tied to Spain’s minimum wage rather than the IPREM, and for 2026, it is in the range of €2,500 to €2,850 per month for a single applicant, depending on how the calculation is applied. (Non-working residence visa, 2026) We recommend confirming the exact current figure with a Spanish immigration lawyer before relying on it.

Read the full guide: Spain Digital Nomad Visa

Work Permit: For Americans With a Spanish Job Offer

If a Spanish company has offered you a job, you can apply for a work and residence permit. Your Spanish employer initiates the process. This route is less common than the NLV or DNV for Americans moving to Spain for lifestyle reasons.

Spain Visa Options for UK Citizens

UK citizens lost EU free movement on 31 January 2020. (Office, 2020) You’re now a third-country national and need a Type D long-stay visa to live in Spain for more than 90 days. The process is the same as for any other non-EU nationality. The most common routes are:

• The NLV, if you’re retired or have passive income. Applications are submitted via BLS International.
• The DNV, if you work remotely.
• A work permit, if a Spanish employer has sponsored you.

One key point for UK applicants: all documents must be apostilled. Since the UK left the EU, UK documents are no longer automatically recognised in Spain without a Hague Apostille, which typically adds 2 to 4 weeks to your document preparation timeline.

For the London consulate specifically, the legal decision period is up to three months for the NLV and around ten days for the DNV, though both can be extended if the consulate requests an interview or further documents.

Full UK-specific NLV guide: How to apply for a Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa for UK citizens

Full UK-specific DNV guide: How to apply for the Spain Digital Nomad Visa in the UK

The Non-Lucrative Visa: For Retirees and Financially Independent People

Best for retirees, people with investment income, and financially independent individuals who don’t work.

The Non-Lucrative Visa is the most popular Type D visa among non-EU citizens moving to Spain. It requires proof of passive income sufficient to support yourself and any dependents without working.

Key facts for 2026:

• You cannot work in Spain or remotely on this visa, even for a foreign employer.
• The minimum income is approximately €28,800 a year for a single applicant, based on 400% of the IPREM.
• Each dependent adds approximately €7,200 a year, based on 100% of the IPREM. (Embassy of Spain, 2026)
• The initial visa is valid for one year and is renewable for two-year periods, up to a maximum of five years.
• After five years of continuous residence, one has long-term residency.

Is this for you? If your income comes from a pension, investments, rental income or dividends, yes. If it comes from a salary, freelance work, or any form of remote work, no, you’ll need the Digital Nomad Visa instead.

Full guide: Spain Non-Lucrative Visa

The Digital Nomad Visa: For Remote Workers and Freelancers

Best for remote employees of foreign companies and freelancers with international clients.

Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa allows non-EU nationals who work remotely to live legally in Spain. It was introduced in December 2022 under the Startup Law.

Key facts for 2026:

• You must work for companies or clients based outside Spain.
• If self-employed, no more than 20% of your work can be for Spanish clients.
• The minimum income is in the region of €2,500 to €2,850 a month for a single applicant, based on 200% of the Spanish minimum wage. Confirm the current figure before applying, as it moves with the minimum wage. (Non-working residence visa, 2025)
• Applying from outside Spain gives you a one-year visa. Applying from within Spain, after entering as a tourist, gives you a three-year residence authorisation.
• A special tax rate of 24% applies to income up to €600,000 under the Beckham Law regime. (Dunaeva, 2025)
• It leads to long-term residency after five years.

Is this for you? If you earn income from working, whether remotely, as a freelancer, or employed by a foreign company, yes. If you only have passive income, no, use the NLV instead.

Full guide: Spain Digital Nomad Visa

The Work Permit: For People With a Spanish Job Offer

Best for non-EU nationals who have been offered employment by a Spanish company.

The standard work and residence permit requires a Spanish employer to sponsor you, and the employer generally has to demonstrate that no suitable EU candidate was available for the role. This route is less common among the relocation-lifestyle audience. Most people moving to Spain for lifestyle reasons use the NLV or the DNV instead.

The Student Visa: For Full-Time Students

Best for non-EU nationals enrolled in a full-time course at a Spanish institution.

The student visa covers the duration of your course, and limited work hours are permitted alongside studies. When it comes to qualifying for permanent residency in Spain, it is important to know that time spent on a student visa does not fully count toward the five-year continuous residency requirement. Only fifty per cent of your time as a full-time student, or sometimes none at all, depending on your exact status, is credited when calculating eligibility for long-term residency. This means that if your long-term goal is permanent residence, studying in Spain will only partially count toward the total residency period you need to qualify. Always check with an immigration lawyer or the local authorities to confirm how your specific situation applies.

Family Reunification: For Joining a Spanish Resident or Citizen

Best for non-EU family members of Spanish citizens or legal residents.

If your spouse, partner, or parent is a Spanish citizen or holds legal residence, you may be able to join them through family reunification. The exact requirements depend on the sponsor’s status and your relationship to them.

For dependents (such as spouses, registered partners, or dependent children under 18), you will typically need to provide proof of the family relationship (such as a marriage or birth certificate), financial means of support from the sponsor, proof of medical insurance covering you in Spain, and a clean criminal record for applicants over the age of 18. All foreign documents usually must be apostilled or legalized and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator. Additional documents may be required, so it is important to check with your local consulate or an immigration lawyer before starting your application.

Full guide: Residency in Spain for non-EU spouses and family members

The Golden Visa: Programme Ended April 2025

The Spanish Golden Visa, which granted residency to non-EU nationals who invested €500,000 or more in Spanish property, ended on 3 April 2025. No new applications are being accepted. (El 3 de abril entra en vigor el fin de las ‘Golden Visa’, 2025)

If you have significant capital and are looking at alternatives, the current options are the NLV, if your investment income is passive and meets the IPREM threshold, or the DNV, if you work remotely and meet the income requirements.

Which Spain Visa Is Right for Me?

Work through these three questions to find your route.

Step 1: Are you an EU or EEA citizen? If yes, you don’t need a visa; you simply register at the town hall after three months. If no, continue to step 2.

Step 2: Will you work while living in Spain? If you’ll work for a Spanish employer, you need a work permit. If you’ll work remotely for a foreign employer or as a freelancer, you need the Digital Nomad Visa. If you won’t be working and will live on passive income, you need the Non-Lucrative Visa. If you’re studying full-time, you need a student visa. If you’re joining a family member, you need family reunification.

Step 3: Do you meet the financial requirements? For the NLV, that’s roughly €28,800 a year in passive income for a single applicant. For the DNV, that’s roughly €2,500 to €2,850 a month in active income from remote work, depending on the current minimum wage calculation. For a work permit, your income comes from the Spanish job offer itself.

If your situation doesn’t fit cleanly into one category, perhaps you have mixed income sources or you’re considering switching from one visa type to another. Speak to us before starting any application. Choosing the wrong visa costs both time and money, since application fees and consulate fees generally aren’t refunded if an application is refused.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Spain Visa?

Visa	Legal decision period	Practical timeline
Non-Lucrative Visa	Typically 1 to 3 months, depending on the consulate	1 to 3 months total, sometimes longer at busier consulates like London or Los Angeles
Digital Nomad Visa	Around 10 working days (consulate) or within the statutory 20 working days (in-Spain route)	4 to 12 weeks total
Work Permit	Up to 3 months	2 to 4 months total
Student Visa	1 to 2 months	2 to 3 months total

The part that catches people out isn’t the visa decision itself, it’s document preparation. Criminal record certificates need to be apostilled and translated, which can take two to four weeks on their own. Medical certificates need to be recent. Health insurance needs to be confirmed and compliant with Spanish requirements before you submit. Budget six to ten weeks for document preparation before you even submit your application. (Anexo 8: Procedimiento para la obtención de visados de corta duración, 2019)

A realistic planning timeline for the NLV or DNV looks something like this. Ten weeks before your intended move, start gathering documents and order your criminal record certificate. Six weeks before, have all documents apostilled and translated. Submit your application 4 weeks before. Allow for the legal decision period, which is often longer in practice than the statutory minimum. Once approved, collect your visa within one month of notification. After arriving in Spain, register at the town hall and apply for your TIE card.

All told, budget a minimum of three to four months from the day you start preparing documents to the day you arrive in Spain. (Non-working residence visa, 2025)

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting the Right Visa From the Start

Choosing the right visa is the first decision that shapes everything else about your move, your timeline, your budget, and whether you can keep working once you’re here. If your situation doesn’t fit neatly into one category, or you want to talk through your options before committing to an application, get in touch, and we’ll help you work out the right route for your circumstances.