Non Lucrative Visa Spain: Employment Termination Requirements Without Quitting Current Job

Last Updated on April 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi

Question

On the Washington DC consulate website, one of the Non Lucrative Visa Spain requirements is this:

“If the applicant is of working age and/or employed, he/she can add a letter of termination from the employer stating that the applicant will no longer work for that company (or a sabbatical year acceptance letter from the employer).”

I am currently employed and do not plan to resign until a few weeks before my travel date. I wish to avoid resigning prematurely in case my visa application is denied. How can I fulfill this requirement without jeopardizing my job?

Answers

These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:

“The Los Angeles consulate will accept a notarized letter of intent that states your plan on quitting upon obtaining the Non Lucrative Visa Spain, before leaving for Spain.”

“We got our Non Lucrative Visa Spain through the DC embassy and I was still working & my hubby had just retired but we didn’t have to provide a letter of termination. We applied in August & got approved in less than 3 weeks but we ask the embassy to make our visa effective …”

Here is a related article: “Can you apply for an Non Lucrative Visa Spain before you actually retire so you are able to move to Spain the week you retire?“

Conclusion

The responses suggest that different Spanish consulates may have varying requirements or flexibility regarding the employment termination documentation for the Non Lucrative Visa Spain application.

Some consulates, like Los Angeles, accept a notarized letter of intent, which outlines plans to quit upon visa approval, thereby not jeopardizing current employment until the visa is secured.

This flexibility seems to be confirmed by personal experiences where a termination letter was not strictly necessary.

Bruno Bianchi CEO & Spain Immigration Expert

Bruno Bianchi is the founder and CEO of Spainguru, Spain's largest expat immigration community with 150,000+ members. Since 2014 he has helped thousands of people relocate to Spain through expert guides, webinars and vetted professional services covering visas, residency, taxes and life in Spain.

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