Last Updated on March 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
Question
Do you have to show all of your money when you apply for your first year?
I am only planning to show what I need, but now am thinking that next year they may query where the additional funds have come from to meet the two year conditions?
(There is nothing dodgy going on, I just have another savings account which I wasn’t planning on referring to this time around because I don’t need to). Can anyone see any issue with this?
Answers
These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
”You don’t have to show all the money unless you have passive income such as pensions, retirement savings, rental income, etc. We didn’t want to show our investment acct statement either to keep straight & simple we moved the required yearly amount to a savings acct and provided the embassy with a statement”
”They won’t question but I’d show beyond the min if you aren’t retired. They can ask how you plan to remain there on exactly 30k for example. So shore more but not all of you don’t want. They won’t show the tax office so no real reason to hide funds”
”Personally I’d show more than needed for year 1”
”Don’t forget that in your first tax residency year you need to file modelo 720, which declares all your assets over €50,000. But it’s your choice whether you make it all known before the legal requirement or not.
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”I didn’t, I just showed an account that held sufficient funds for the last 12 months that covered what was needed and a little bit more. Nobody asked me about any other funds and I have just received my Spain non lucrative visa, so I reckon what I did was fine”
”I’m worried about my pension lump sum… although “tax free” in the Uk, when I move to Spain in April and therefore become tax resident, I believe it will become taxable. Hey ho…(I am in the process of getting formal tax advice yes, but a July move isn’t feasible in my case.)”
”I didn’t show my pensions or retirement accounts, only showed savings in the bank. This way didn’t need to translate any documents. Any other income documents needed to be translated. (Chicago consulate)”
”I was advised to show everything I had at first appointment”
”I wouldn’t think it would matter if you showed all your funds upon initial application. We applied showing investments we had, but after our approval we sold our home in Canada before moving to Spain. That money will be available for showing for our renewal. I would think our scenario is fairly common”
”Like Vegas, the more you show the faster it will go”
”At my appointment, I was told the more I could show, the better. So gave BLS details of more than one savings account”
Concusion
In conclusion, according to Spainguru Facebook group members, some suggest displaying the full two-year amount initially for assurance, while others successfully showed only the immediate year’s funds. Declarations for tax purposes upon becoming a resident are important. It’s crucial to consider legal obligations and seek advice on complying with immigration and tax regulations.
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