Using pension and passive income to qualify

Key rules

• Pension letter: Get a letter from the paying body stating the pension type, the amount and that it is lifelong.

What counts as proof

Spanish offices want papers from the payer or a third party, not your own word. For each income type, bring an official or institutional document, plus bank statements showing the money arriving. The non-lucrative amount is 28,800 euros a year for the main applicant plus 7,200 euros for each dependant (How much money you must show for Spanish residence), so in monthly terms a pension of 2,400 euros covers the main applicant and each dependant adds 600 euros a month. A smaller pension can be topped up with savings: Savings or income: what each route actually accepts.

Pension

A state pension from your home country and a private pension from a fund or insurer both count, if they are lifelong. Start with an official letter from the pension body or fund that pays you. It states the type of pension, the amount and that it is lifelong. Add recent pension statements and bank statements showing the deposits. A pension you already receive in Spain is shown the same way, with your Spanish bank statements. A lump sum from a pension plan is not income: it counts as savings once it is in your bank account.

A pension letter from a body outside the EU is apostilled. A state pension letter from another EU country is not. A letter from a private pension fund or insurer, in the EU or outside it, is a private document: it is signed before a notary and apostilled like a bank certificate. All of them need a sworn translation if they are not in Spanish. Get the apostille when you order the letter, so you do not request it twice. A pension paid in another currency is converted to euros as set out in Showing money held in foreign currency or foreign accounts.

Rent from property abroad

Rental income counts as passive income on the non-lucrative visa. Show it with the lease agreements, the property title or deed, bank statements showing the rent received, and tax returns declaring the rent.

Investment income

Show your holdings with brokerage or custodian statements. Add dividend and interest statements, bank statements showing the payments, and tax returns declaring the income. A letter from your bank or broker confirming the portfolio value is also common and helps. The portfolio itself is not counted as savings: Can investment accounts, crypto or property count as funds?.

Keep the paper trail consistent

Make sure names, amounts and currencies match across the letter, statements and tax returns. Use recent documents, and keep the originals along with any apostilled and translated copies.

Documents you need

• Official letter from your pension body or fund stating the type and amount of pension and that it is lifelong, with recent pension statements
• Bank statements showing the pension, rent and investment payments arriving
• Lease agreements and the property title or deed for any property abroad you rent out
• Statements and tax returns for investment income
• Sworn translation of any document not in Spanish