Non-lucrative residence permit in Spain 2026: the EX-01 form

What the non-lucrative residence permit is

The non-lucrative residence permit (residencia no lucrativa) allows you to live in Spain without working, provided you can prove sufficient financial means and health insurance. It is a common route for retirees and for people living on investment income or savings. You apply using form EX-01.

Usual requirements

• Sufficient financial means, calculated on the IPREM index (a multiple for the main applicant and an additional percentage per family member). The amount is updated annually.
• Health insurance, public or private, with cover in Spain.
• No criminal record.
• Not being irregularly present in Spain.

Exact amounts and conditions are set by the regulations in force: check the official information sheet on the Immigration Portal.

Documents usually required

1. Form EX-01 — Application for a temporary non-lucrative residence permit.
2. Valid passport.
3. Evidence of financial means (bank statements, pensions, investment income).
4. Health insurance with full cover.
5. Criminal record certificate, legalised or apostilled — and, where required, with a sworn translation into Spanish.
6. Medical certificate.
7. Form 790 code 052 fee, paid.

How the application works

The usual route is to apply for the authorisation and the residence visa at the Spanish consulate in your country of origin. Once granted, you enter Spain and apply for the TIE (Foreigner Identity Card).

Where English speakers usually get stuck

Every one of those steps runs through Spanish-only government platforms: the consulate booking system, the Foreigners' Office, Mercurio for immigration case tracking and the AEAT once you become a tax resident. There is no English interface, and the terminology does not map cleanly onto UK or US concepts — empadronamiento, subsanación and tasa have no direct equivalent. One mistyped field and the file comes back weeks later, to start again. Two ways around it: install the GovEasy browser extension, which guides and pre-fills each screen of those official portals for you, or hand the whole case to a bilingual professional from the Marketplace of gestores.

Fill in the EX-01 with GovEasy

• Download the official EX-01 for free.
• AI-assisted completion (€4.99): you answer a few questions, we reuse your data and the AI fills in the official form, delivering a PDF ready to submit.

➡️ Fill in the EX-01 with AI — €4.99

Filling it in is free; you only pay to download the completed document. Included in Ciudadano Plus and Pro.

Disclaimer: informational guide. IPREM amounts, fees and requirements change; always verify against official sources before submitting.