Last Updated on March 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
Question
If my husband and I plan to request the non lucrative Spain visa to move to Spain towards the end of next year, is it ok to start the process now? Or should we wait until we can leave?
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These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
”It never hurts to start planning early, but it depends on your Consulate. They all have more or less the same rules, but with some variations that can be quite specific. Most Consulate‘s in the US (I assume you’re in the US) have a rule about your documents not being more than 90 days old. What we have done is start selling all of our belongings very far in advance because we’re not taking anything. We are planning on getting to Spain this fall, and are just beginning to gather documents now. We are New, York Consulate, who apparently are very easy to work with. I don’t know if these comments are helpful, but I hope so. I think it’s too early to start gathering documents. we recently wrote to the Consulate and they told us to contact them when we had everything ready to go, and then email them with a request for an appointment. I cannot speak for any other Consulate”
”Apply around 3 months or less before you’d like to be in Spain. Gathering docs and timing that all correctly will be about 2-3 months. So I’d say you could start the process in the next month or two if you want to go in December”
”If you meant the end of 2023, then I agree that you should start sooner, we are planning on being there in November 2023 and are starting now”
”All documents are supposed to be less than 90 days old when you submit them to the consulate, so it’s far too soon to start now. But do go to the consulate website and read up on the requirements. Depending on which consulate it is, you may need to rent an apartment or buy a home in Spain before you apply for your visa. You will also need to research private health insurance companies since private health insurance is a requirement for your visa. That can take some time if you have preexisting conditions. In addition, if you’ll be selling your house in the US, you’ll want to do so in a year prior to becoming a Spanish tax resident. You should also search for a tax professional who is knowledgeable about Spanish taxation, and ask them to do a pro forma return to estimate your Spanish tax due every year. And of course, if you are not planning to keep a home in the US, you should start sorting your belongings and donating or selling things you won’t be taking with you”
”Too early to start paperwork, but definitely not too early to begin your research and prepping all the million other things to do. Just thinning down the household goods, scanning pictures, documents, etc is a whole process. Can’t start that too early”
In conclusion, according to Spainguru Facebook group members, starting the process now for a move to Spain under the non lucrative Spain visa at the end of next year might be too early. Most consulates require documents to be less than 90 days old when submitted, so it’s important to time it correctly. It’s recommended to apply around 2-3 months before your desired departure date. However, you can begin researching and preparing for other aspects of the move, such as understanding visa requirements, arranging housing, researching health insurance options, and sorting belongings. Consult your consulate for specific requirements and timelines.
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