Question
Is it possible to work a couple of days per week voluntarily without pay under a non lucrative Spain visa? There are many cat shelters/rescue centres that need help here.
Answers
These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
”You can as long as you do not accept payment of any sort including free lunches, etc”
“You cannot do a free internship to learn a new skill like bartending. Only allowed in the context of professional formation, with official contracts in place. Bar owner can get in heaps of trouble with labour inspection for having someone at their workplace without a valid work contract in place. Wich you cannot have, as a NLV holder.”
”Payments include gratuities”
”Yes, this is exactly what I have been doing since I moved to Spain on an NLV just under a year ago. As per the other comments, any voluntary work must be unpaid. If you’re looking for a cat shelter on the Costa Blanca North, we’d be happy to have you”
”Yes, I have volunteered at a day program for adults with different abilities and as a free Spanish tutor to a primary-age girl. Very rewarding & nice to feel like a part of the community”
“Volunteer work is fine, investing is fine. If you get paid to do anything, get paid through your home country account. The means of the visa is to prevention you taking jobs from Spaniards. They do not care if you earn money outside Spain. They aren’t interested. The point is not to take Spanish jobs. Thousands of people are doing it. One thing is the letter of the law; the other is what’s enforced and pursued.”
”Yes. It’s non-lucrative work so no problem”
In conclusion, according to Spainguru Facebook group members, under a non lucrative Spain visa, it is possible to volunteer without receiving any form of payment. Voluntary work must be unpaid, and this includes refraining from accepting payments such as free lunches or gratuities. Some individuals have shared their own experiences of volunteering under the non-lucrative visa, including working at cat shelters, day programs for adults with different abilities, and providing free language tutoring. Engaging in unpaid work can be fulfilling, rewarding, and a way to become an active part of the local community while abiding by the visa regulations.
