How I Applied for Spain’s Non-Lucrative Visa in the Philippines

Maria,

Did you know that Filipinos can acquire Spanish Nationality after only 2 years of legal residency? And the non-lucrative visa is one of the ways to get residency in Spain. In this video I will show you how I applied for the visa including the requirements, costs, and timeline.

If you’re more of a visual learner, check out my YouTube video where I dive into all the details about the Non-Lucrative Visa.

We all know what happened in 2020. COVID hit, and the world came to a standstill. Traveling to other countries was impossible. But then, a vaccine was created, and hope was on the horizon.

Since I was grounded like everyone else, I used that time to research how I could move to Europe—specifically Spain. Why Spain? As a Filipino, I only need 2 years of legal residency to qualify for Spanish citizenship.

Quick tip: Time spent in Spain as a student doesn’t count towards those 2 years, so a student visa was out of the question.

After some digging, I found two possible routes:

  1. Golden Visa: Buying property worth €500,000—definitely out of my budget.
  2. Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV): Also known as the retirement visa.
    Since I didn’t have half a million euros lying around, the NLV was my best bet.

Now, back in 2021, Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa wasn’t available yet, but for those considering moving to Spain today, that’s another great option to explore!

So, let’s break down the requirements, fees, and timeline of my NLV application.

Requirements & Preparation

Tip: Start early—it can take weeks to gather everything! Keep in mind that all documents must be issued within the last 6 months to be considered valid. Anything older than that may result in delays or rejection. Also, you would need to bring all the original documents plus 2 photocopies per document.

Here’s a downloadable PDF file with the complete list of requirements straight from the Spanish Consulate in Manila.

Fees (total spent: ₱35,600)

Let’s talk money, because applying isn’t cheap! Here’s what I spent:

  • NBI clearance- ₱130 (June 7)
  • Birth certificate – ₱330 (June 7)
  • Apostille – ₱200 (July 1)
  • Medical certificate – ₱4,000 (June 21)
  • Health insurance (ASISA) – ₱20,800 (June 30)
  • Translation fees – ₱6,000 (₱3,000/page) – (June 21)
  • Application fees – ₱4,140
  • Bank certificate – FREE (June 6)

The total costs can vary depending on your circumstances, so plan accordingly!

My application timeline looked like this:

  • July 15: Application submitted.
  • August 17 (5:21AM): Received an email saying a resolution was available.
  • August 17: Went to the Spanish consulate and got the news… DENIED.

This was my first-ever visa denial, and it felt surreal. But honestly? My world didn’t collapse. I didn’t waste any time—I pivoted and took another approach which I will discuss in another post.

And spoiler alert: As of writing this post, I’m thrilled to share that I’m now a Spanish citizen! And it only took me 2.5 years. How exciting is that?

Before I end this post, there are 3 important things to note:

  1. With the non-lucrative visa, you can’t work for any company, even remotely.
  2. If you want to renew your visa, you will need 2x the amount required in your bank account because the visa will be renewed for 2 years.
  3. Keep in mind, requirements may have changed since 2021, so always check the official website for the latest updates.

If you have questions, feel free to send me an email—I’d love to help! Thanks for stopping by! I hope my experience helps you on your journey to Spanish residency. Hasta luego!

Expat Life