What is the Non-Lucrative Visa?
The Non-Lucrative Visa (Visado de Residencia No Lucrativa) is Spain's long-stay visa for non-EU nationals who want to live in Spain without working for a Spanish employer or client. It is the go-to option for retirees, people with passive income from investments or property, and remote workers whose income comes entirely from outside Spain.
The visa grants one year of residency to start, renewable in two-year blocks after that. The two core requirements are proof of sufficient passive income and proof of private health insurance. Get both right at your consulate appointment and the process is usually straightforward. Get either wrong and you will be asked to reapply.
Income requirement for 2026: The standard benchmark is 400% of Spain's IPREM indicator — approximately €28,800 per year (€2,400/month) for a solo applicant. Each additional family member on the application requires an extra ~€7,200/year. This is passive income only — rental income, dividends, pension, savings interest. Salaries from Spanish clients are not permitted.
Health insurance requirements for the NLV
Spanish consulates do not publish a list of approved insurers, but there are requirements that every compliant policy must meet. These apply to the Non-Lucrative Visa specifically and are consistent across consulates worldwide in 2026.
Zero copayments (ticket moderador), zero deductible, and zero co-insurance. The policy must pay 100% of medical costs from the first euro. Any form of cost-sharing is grounds for rejection.
The policy must run for a minimum of one year from the start date. Six-month or short-term policies are not accepted. Start date should be on or before your planned travel date.
Coverage must include all of Spain — mainland, Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla. Policies restricted to a single region or mainland-only are rejected.
Public health entitlement (NHS, EHIC, GHIC, S1 forms) is not accepted. The policy must be with a registered private insurance company and include a policy number and start/end dates.
Many consulates — especially US, Canadian and Australian — now require the policy to include medical repatriation. This covers the cost of returning you to your home country if you become seriously ill. Most NLV-grade plans include it; some budget plans do not — check before buying.
Cover must begin from day one with no waiting periods for general medicine, emergency care, or hospitalisation. Some consulates also require a minimum €30,000 coverage threshold to be stated. Policies with long waiting periods for surgery or specialist access are increasingly being flagged.
What your insurance certificate must say
This is the detail that catches people out. Many insurers issue a standard policy schedule that technically confirms all the right things — but consulate staff may not connect the dots. The safest approach is to request a specific visa certificate (carta para visado or certificado para visado) from your insurer rather than using the standard policy schedule.
A proper NLV visa certificate should confirm, in Spanish:
- The full name of the insured person, exactly as it appears on their passport
- The policy start and end date (minimum 12 months)
- Confirmation that the policy covers all of Spain (todo el territorio español)
- Explicit statement that the policy has no copayments, deductibles, or co-insurance (sin franquicia, sin copago y sin coseguro)
- Confirmation of repatriation cover (repatriación) — increasingly required at US, Canadian and Australian consulates
- Statement that there are no waiting periods from the policy start date
- Coverage amount — some consulates require at least €30,000 stated on the certificate
- The insurance company's name, registration number, and signature/stamp
All of the insurers covered on this site issue a specific visa letter upon request. Certificate speed varies significantly — Sanitas issues the certificate instantly by email at the moment your policy is activated and paid. Adeslas issues instantly via their app or broker system. Caser and DKV take 1–2 days. ASISA requires manual validation of 4–5 days. Plan ahead if you are applying at short notice. When you purchase or enquire, explicitly ask for the "carta/certificado para visado de residencia no lucrativa" — do not assume the standard welcome pack contains what you need.
US consulate note: The consulates in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and Houston are consistently the most stringent reviewers of insurance documents. They frequently request additional documentation and sometimes reject certificates that other consulates accept. If you are applying at a US consulate, we strongly recommend using an insurer with a proven track record there — Sanitas and ASSSA are consistently cited by applicants as consulate-safe at US locations.
Best health insurance policies for the NLV
The insurers below all have established track records of acceptance at Spanish consulates worldwide for Non-Lucrative Visa applications. Prices shown are indicative monthly premiums for a solo applicant aged 40 — exact quotes depend on age, coverage tier, and any add-ons. All prices exclude copayment versions.
NLV health insurance cost by age
Premiums rise significantly with age for NLV health insurance — particularly after 60. The table below shows indicative monthly prices across three tiers (entry, mid, comprehensive) for a solo applicant. Family member prices are in addition to the primary applicant.
| Age | Entry tier | Mid tier | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 30 | €35–45/mo | €50–65/mo | €75–90/mo |
| 30–39 | €45–55/mo | €60–75/mo | €85–105/mo |
| 40–49 | €55–70/mo | €75–95/mo | €100–130/mo |
| 50–59 | €75–95/mo | €100–130/mo | €140–180/mo |
| 60–69 | €110–140/mo | €150–190/mo | €200–260/mo |
| 70+ | €160–220/mo | €230–290/mo | €300–400+/mo |
Prices are indicative ranges based on 2026 premiums across the insurers covered on this site. Exact quotes depend on the specific insurer, coverage tier, and any add-ons (dental, maternity, etc.). Get individual quotes before applying.
If you are over 65 and applying for the NLV, health insurance cost becomes a significant factor in the financial planning. See our over-70 guide for detailed advice on that age bracket.
UK, US and other non-EU applicants
The NLV is particularly popular with British, American, Canadian and Australian nationals. Each group has slightly different considerations when it comes to health insurance.
UK citizens (post-Brexit)
Since Brexit, British nationals have the same status as other non-EU nationals for Spanish visa purposes — meaning private health insurance is a hard requirement. Your GHIC card, NHS entitlement, and any UK S1 form are not accepted. British applicants typically apply through the Spanish Consulate in London, Edinburgh, or Manchester. The London consulate is generally thorough but consistent — you are unlikely to face unexpected rejections with a mainstream insurer and a proper visa certificate.
One thing British applicants often ask: can you use an international health insurance plan from a UK-based provider? The answer is technically yes — if the policy is authorised to operate in Spain, covers all Spanish territory, and includes zero copayments. In practice, this is rare. The safest route is a Spanish-registered private insurer.
US citizens
Americans applying through consulates in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, or Houston face the most stringent document review in the world for Spanish visa applications. US consulates frequently request additional supporting documents, query policy wording, and sometimes reject certificates that other consulates accept without question. Key rules for US applicants:
- Stick to Sanitas or ASSSA — both have the strongest track record at US consulates specifically
- Request the Spanish-language visa certificate specifically — this is issued as standard
- Make sure repatriation is explicitly stated on the certificate
- Request a letter on insurer letterhead, not just a printed policy schedule
Canadian and Australian citizens
Applications through the Spanish Embassies in Ottawa, Toronto, Sydney, and Melbourne are generally straightforward, though both are increasingly requesting repatriation cover to be explicitly stated. ASSSA's English-language service is particularly popular with Canadians and Australians given their multilingual team and expat-specific product design.
Using a Spanish immigration lawyer? If you are working with a lawyer to prepare your NLV application — which we recommend for first-time applicants — they will often advise on which insurer works best for your specific consulate. Our partner Platinum Legal Spain provides end-to-end NLV application support and can advise on insurance requirements for your consulate. Contact Platinum Legal Spain →
NLV renewal and your health insurance
Your initial NLV is valid for one year. When you renew for a two-year TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero), you will need to show proof of health insurance again — either that your existing policy is still active, or that you have taken out a new one. Here is what to know:
The first renewal covers two years, not one — so the income you must demonstrate also doubles. You will need to show 800% IPREM (approximately €57,600) in your bank account to cover the full renewal period. Start preparing your bank statements well in advance of your renewal date.
Documents you need for your NLV application
Your consulate will review all of the following. The health insurance certificate is only one item in the full list — all documents must be present and in order for your appointment to proceed. Missing or incorrectly formatted documents are the primary cause of NLV delays and refusals.
⏱ Processing time: The consulate has one month to issue a decision. If you do not receive a response within this period, your application is considered rejected under "administrative silence" — you cannot assume no news is good news.
Full NLV application documents checklist
Insurance certificate checklist
Once you have the right policy, make sure the actual certificate itself is correct before your appointment:
The five most common NLV insurance mistakes
Several insurers (especially Adeslas) sell two versions of the same plan — one with copayments, one without. The cheaper copayment version is not accepted for visa purposes. Always confirm "sin copago" before purchasing.
The policy schedule confirms you have insurance but doesn't explicitly confirm the things consulate staff are looking for. Always request the visa-specific certificate.
The insurance must be active when you enter Spain. If your start date is set for after your intended travel date, either the consulate will flag it or you will arrive without cover.
Travel insurance is designed for temporary stays and does not constitute private health insurance for residency purposes. Consulates will reject it without exception.
We cover this in detail in our EHIC/GHIC guide. Neither card satisfies the NLV health insurance requirement. Every consulate is clear on this.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The policy must cover all of Spanish territory — including the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla. Policies with regional restrictions are not accepted for the Non-Lucrative Visa.
No. Spanish consulates specifically require private health insurance. NHS entitlement, EHIC cards, GHIC cards, and any form of public health entitlement are not accepted as proof of insurance for the Non-Lucrative Visa application.
Most insurers will cancel the policy and refund the premium if you inform them promptly after a visa refusal. Sanitas and Caser both offer this. Always confirm the cancellation terms in writing before purchasing — some insurers retain an admin fee.
Yes. Each person included in the visa application must have their own individual health insurance policy and their own certificate. Some insurers offer multi-person discounts, but each applicant still needs a separate document.
Yes, once you are in Spain. Many people buy the cheapest compliant policy to satisfy the consulate, then switch to a more comprehensive or cost-effective plan once they have settled in. The key is that your policy is in force at your consulate appointment and when you travel.
It depends on your consulate. US consulates in particular often expect a in Spanish certificate. Most major insurers issue visa certificates in in Spanish format — always request the visa certificate specifically, not the standard policy schedule.
Yes. All the insurers we cover allow you to purchase a policy from outside Spain, with a future start date. The certificate is issued digitally and can be submitted with your visa application. You do not need to visit Spain first.
Increasingly yes. US, Canadian and Australian consulates now commonly require repatriation to be stated explicitly on the certificate. UK and European consulates are less strict on this point but it is best practice to have it included regardless. All of the major NLV-compliant insurers include repatriation as standard — confirm it is mentioned in your visa letter specifically.
Some consulates and guidance documents reference a €30,000 minimum coverage threshold. In practice, all of the mainstream NLV-compliant policies far exceed this — Sanitas, Caser, Adeslas and others offer unlimited or very high coverage caps. This threshold is generally not a problem if you buy through a reputable Spanish private insurer, but it is worth confirming the coverage amount appears on your visa certificate.
The health insurance requirements are broadly the same — no copayments, full territory, 12 months, private insurer. The key difference is intent: the NLV prohibits you from working for Spanish clients, while the Digital Nomad Visa allows you to work remotely for non-Spanish clients. On health insurance, both require the same type of policy at the consulate stage. See our Digital Nomad Visa guide for the DNV-specific requirements.
While living on the NLV, yes — private insurance is a condition of your visa. Once you transition to working and contributing to social security (INSS), you gain access to the public system and private insurance is no longer legally required. However, most expats continue to hold private cover because it provides faster specialist access, English-speaking doctors, and shorter waiting times — particularly useful in areas outside the main cities.
A good Spain immigration lawyer will advise on which insurers have the strongest acceptance record at your specific consulate and will check that your certificate wording is correct before submission. We recommend Platinum Legal Spain for end-to-end NLV application support. For the insurance itself, an independent comparison like this site will get you better coverage and pricing than buying direct from a single insurer.