Question
It seems like London may not be allowing my passive rental income to be part of the total finances needed for the Spain Non Lucrative Visa application.
The rental income is 28,000 Euros a year, and I currently have 12,000 Euros cash in my bank. Has anyone here had passive rental income accepted as part of their total? Anyone here refused rental income as acceptable?!
I’m flabbergasted, I thought rental income was a very normal, acceptable part of the total finances needed!
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“We were told that rental income can only be accepted as passive income if the property is fully managed and the rent comes in via an agent, not directly to you.”
“You must prove that you are in no way ‘working’ to achieve this income. You must have an agent or management company who does everything—from finding tenants to collecting rent.”
“I also rent my property in the UK through OpenRent. I believe I will have to sign the property over to an agent to fully manage it before I apply for my NLV. They take 12-15%, which is frustrating.”
“Sometimes you just have to stand your ground and prove your financial situation. It may take some back and forth, but it can be worth it.”
“Your input must be minimal and not regular for it to count as passive income. If you’re actively managing your rental property, they may not accept it.”
“Different BLS centers and consulates have different interpretations of the rules. It seems like what gets accepted varies depending on who processes your application.”
“A legal consultant I spoke to said that rental property income is considered passive income. However, it must be presented correctly.”
“A good approach is to get an accountant to confirm in writing that you receive X amount per year from rental income, how many years you’ve received this income, and to provide 12 months of bank statements as proof.”
“One issue might be that rental income is not guaranteed. Spain wants to ensure applicants have stable finances, which is why they prefer cash savings.”
“We too have passive income via our properties, fully managed by a rental company, but they still didn’t count it. Luckily, they accepted our cash savings instead.”
“Spain doesn’t want someone to get a visa and then lose their only source of income. Some consulates even reject investment balances exceeding the minimum requirement and prefer cash instead.”
“If rental income is your only source of income, it might be risky. People who successfully used rental income usually had additional savings or pensions to support their application.”
Conclusion
According to Spainguru’s Facebook group members, rental income is sometimes accepted for the Spain Non Lucrative Visa, but not always. The London BLS office and other consulates seem to interpret the rules differently.
Key takeaways
- Fully managed rental properties (with an agent handling everything) have a better chance of being accepted as passive income.
- Directly managed rental income is sometimes rejected, as it may be considered an active business rather than passive income.
- Providing proof from an accountant, rental contracts, and 12 months of bank statements may help.
- Some consulates prefer cash savings over variable rental income to ensure financial stability.
- Each consulate interprets the rules differently, so some applicants have succeeded with rental income while others were denied.
If relying on rental income for an NLV application, consulting with an expert before applying can help prevent surprises.
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Make sure to join our dedicated Spanish Non Lucrative Visa group here!
