Question
We will be applying for our Spain Non Lucrative Visa in April 2025 to make our move to Spain in July 2025. We currently live off of our passive income already, but are hoping to find work (small jobs) in the meantime. (We were hoping to apply and move a lot sooner, but this timeline got pushed back for us because we will be selling our house and waiting till July.)
I just want to double check first that this won’t hurt us in any way when it comes to our visas! We’re thinking of just babysitting for local families, driving for Uber Eats, maybe getting a job at a local grocery store or something. Just something to make more money for our move and also to occupy us now that we’ll be here longer than we were hoping 😅
The issue I could see with this is that our consulate (Washington DC) states that we need a letter from HR saying that we will no longer work at said business when we move. But if we pick up some smaller jobs as previously mentioned, we won’t have an HR department.
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“If you have a paycheck-style job, they will make you get a termination letter. Even if it’s from a grocery store.”
“I would suggest starting your application process sooner rather than later. With all the changes to the BLS system and the cuts anticipated in the government, giving yourself ample time to complete the process is advised.”
“You are correct. You can’t submit your applications sooner than April because you only have 90 days after you get it back to be in Spain, and you have to wait till July to move due to selling your house.”
“You can keep working in the U.S. up until your move date. My husband and I applied through DC, and he was still working (I had retired). We provided a letter from his employer stating his end date and had the letter translated as well. In our case, his last day of work was November 30, and we moved on December 2 (having gotten our approval in September). I hope that helps.”
“It depends on the consulate. We were required to not only submit our letters of resignation but also a letter from our employers indicating that they had accepted our letters of resignation and that we were no longer working for those entities. We applied through Houston via BLS International.”
“You can work those side jobs up until you move to Spain, but get a notarized letter for both you and your husband stating that you promise not to work while in Spain since you obviously can’t get a termination letter for those jobs. Also, you need to have the translation for those too.”
“You can’t work at all on an NLV, paid or unpaid, sadly.” – “I understand that once we move to Spain on the NLVs, we cannot work. But we will not be moving until July. I’m asking about now until we move.”
“Until you move, you can work. It is in Spain that you can’t.”
Conclusion
According to Spainguru’s Facebook group members, you can continue working in the U.S. until your move to Spain, but the key requirement is proving that you will not work once you arrive.
For those with regular employers, most consulates require a termination letter from the employer confirming your last working day. If you plan to work side jobs like babysitting or food delivery, which don’t have an HR department, the recommended approach is to write a sworn statement promising not to work in Spain. This letter should be notarized and translated into Spanish.
Since consulate rules can vary, it’s always best to check with your specific consulate to ensure you meet their exact requirements. If you’re applying through Washington, D.C., like the original poster, expect to provide documentation that confirms you will cease employment before moving.
Join our community!
Make sure to join our dedicated Spanish Non Lucrative Visa group here!
