First-year budget for a family with children

Terms used

• IPREM — The IPREM is a yearly public reference income figure that Spain uses to set minimum funds for many visas.
• SMI — The SMI is Spain's national minimum wage, used to set the funds for the digital nomad visa.
• IBI — The IBI is the yearly local property tax paid by owners of a home.
• Escuela infantil — The escuela infantil is a nursery for children aged 0 to 3, usually paid monthly.

Key rules

• Visa funds: For the non-lucrative visa you must show 400% of IPREM per year for the main applicant and 100% of IPREM per year for each dependant.
• Public school: Public schools are free, but books, materials, uniforms, canteen and after-school care still cost money.
• Private health cover: Policies without co-payments cost more, and premiums rise steeply with age.
• Setup costs: Add one-off first-year costs such as furniture, deposits and translations.

Start with the lines, then price them

A family budget joins together housing, health, childcare and school costs. Housing and health you can price yourself. Childcare and school depend on your town and the type of school, so take those prices from the topics that own them. The checklist below lists every line to add.

Housing, utilities and food

Housing is usually your biggest line: rent or mortgage, community fees, the IBI and home insurance. Add electricity, gas, water, internet and mobile. Add food on top. Prices vary strongly by city and region, so use figures for the town you will live in, not a national average.

Health

Choose between public cover through social security and private insurance. Public cover rarely includes dental and optical care, so budget for those separately.

If you need a private policy without co-payments, such as for a non-lucrative visa, expect these patterns:

• Premiums rise steeply with age. Adults under about 40 pay the least, and people over 60 pay markedly more.
• Children are usually cheaper, and some insurers give family discounts.
• A family pays roughly the sum of the individual premiums.
• Policies without co-payments cost more than those with them.

Get quotes from several Spanish-authorised insurers for your family's ages and province. Use those quotes as your health line.

Childcare and school

For children aged 0 to 3, add a nursery (escuela infantil), usually paid monthly. Public schools are free but still charge for books, materials, uniforms, canteen and after-school care. Concertada, private and international schools charge fees. Add a September line for supplies, plus extracurricular activities and summer camps for the long school holidays.

Add one-off setup costs

In the first year, add furniture, deposits, translations and clothing. Add transport too: passes, or a car with insurance, fuel and road tax.

Funds you must show depend on your route

If you need a visa, the money you must show depends on the route. This is separate from your living budget, and it grows with each family member.

• Non-lucrative visa: 400% of IPREM per year for the main applicant and 100% of IPREM per year for each dependant. With the 2025 IPREM of €600 a month, that was about €28,800 for the main applicant and about €7,200 per dependant.
• Digital nomad visa: 200% of the SMI for the main applicant, 75% for the first dependant and 25% for each additional one.
• Family reunification: the sponsor shows 150% of IPREM, plus 50% of IPREM for each additional relative.

IPREM and SMI are reset every year. Check this year's figures before you fix your savings target. The questions below cover sponsors, digital nomad families and insurance costs.

Family cost lines to link into your budget

• Add your housing lines: rent or mortgage, community fees, the IBI property tax (the yearly local tax on property) and home insurance. Housing costs are priced in the housing topic.

• Add utilities: electricity, gas, water, internet and mobile. Get the prices from the utilities topic.

• Add a monthly line for food and groceries, based on your daily living costs.

• Choose public cover through social security or private insurance, then add premiums, co-payments, and dental and optical care, which public cover rarely includes. Price these in the health topic.

• Add childcare for children aged 0 to 3, such as a nursery (escuela infantil), usually paid monthly. Ask the nursery for its monthly fee.

• Add school costs. Public schools are free but still charge for books, materials, uniforms, canteen and after-school care. Concertada (state-funded, privately run) and private or international schools also charge fees. Price these in the education topic.

• Add a September line for school supplies, so the start of term does not catch you short.

• Add transport: public passes, or car costs such as insurance, fuel and road tax. Use the transport topic for prices.

• Add clothing and leisure lines for the whole family.

• Add one-off setup costs: furniture, deposits and translations.

Frequently asked questions

How much money must a sponsor show to bring family members to Spain?

For family reunification, the sponsor must show 150% of IPREM for themselves plus 50% of IPREM for each additional relative. IPREM is the yearly reference income Spain uses for these tests, and it is reset each year. Check the current figure before you plan your funds.

Are the funds for a digital nomad visa with children calculated differently?

Yes, the digital nomad visa uses the minimum wage (SMI) instead of IPREM, with different shares for each person. The main applicant shows 200% of the SMI, the first dependant 75% and each further dependant 25%. This is usually lower per child than the non-working routes, so compare routes before you choose.

How much does private health insurance without co-payments cost for a family?

A family usually pays roughly the sum of each person's premium, and children are usually cheaper. Adults under about 40 pay the least, and premiums rise steeply after 60. Some insurers offer family discounts, and policies without co-payments cost more, so get quotes from several insurers authorised in Spain.