Last Updated on March 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
Question about the non lucrative Spain visa application
Has anyone applied for the non lucrative Spain visa while in Spain?
Answers
These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
”You can’t. It’s a visa, and visas are only granted by consulates outside of Spain”
”I think you could start the process, I e. Apply for the police checks – which you may be able to do on line, and if you have someone in your home country that could take it to be apostilled and then you can get the translation done on line. Eventually though you will have to go to the consulate in your country with the documents and at that point they will most likely want to keep your passport”
”Getting a Non lucrative “Visa” means permission to enter and reside. So you can only apply through the consulate in your home country. Depending on your location some consulates will only take applications by mail but eventually after approval you will end up in person at that consulate for a final interview and visa pick up”
”You can only change to a NL residency in Spain if you are already on another residency. Even then it is tricky.
Otherwise as mentioned above you must apply for the NL Visa from outside Spain”
”I have switched from a different residency to NL residency while in Spain and the process was quite easy. However if you don’t already have some form of residency then it must be done from outside country”
”You apply in the country you currently reside”
”Yes, you can. IF you have residency in Portugal or any other EU country. Otherwise, nope”
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In conclusion, according to Spainguru Facebook group members, applying for a non lucrative Spain visa (NLV) while in Spain is generally not possible if you do not already have some form of residency in Spain or another EU country. NLV applications are typically processed through the consulate in your home country, and you may need to visit the consulate in person for a final interview and visa pick-up.
However, if you already hold a different type of residency in Spain, it may be possible to switch to a non lucrative residency while in Spain, making the process relatively straightforward. Otherwise, it’s essential to initiate the NLV application process from outside of Spain through the consulate in your home country.
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