Last Updated on April 29, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
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Question
I am currently in the process of applying for an Spanish Non Lucrative Visa in California (Los Angeles Consulate). My lawyer has let me know that those applying for Spanish Non Lucrative Visa are not “allowed” or supposed to have mortgages in the US.
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Start the Moving to Spain Hub →I am not going to sell my condo, but plan on renting it out (in the short term). Has anyone in this group been in this situation? Have you been able to get the Spanish Non Lucrative Visa while holding a US mortgage? Any experience or support would be appreciated!
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“We did, but applied from Bogota, Colombia. I am not sure if that makes a difference.”
“Many have said the Los Angeles consulate didn’t ask them about their mortgage even though it said they couldn’t have one to apply…good luck ????”
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Explore Cities →“Los Angeles consulate here approved for Spanish non lucrative visa in september 2023. They did not ask if we have a mortgage during our appointment and our visa was approved 3 weeks from date of application.”
“We just renewed and it’s never been an issue.”
“We applied through the DC embassy & they never brought it up. I would just apply and see what they tell you.”
“I would go to another Consulate office to apply.”
“We went through the LA consulate, and they told us the same thing. So we sold our home. We thought afterwards what if we just had not told them. It was a lawyer who told us this also. All he did was read their website. If we had to do it over again. We would have just applied and not mentioned it.”
Conclusion
The discussion on having a US mortgage while applying for a Spanish Non Lucrative Visa reveals a somewhat flexible stance by Spanish consulates. Many applicants, regardless of their consulate locations, reported that their mortgages were not questioned during the application process, leading to successful visa approvals.
This suggests that the official guidance on the matter may be more stringent on paper than in practice. However, experiences vary, and some applicants chose to sell their properties to comply with perceived requirements.
The collective advice leans towards proceeding with the application without emphasizing the mortgage status, with an alternative suggestion to apply through a different consulate if concerns persist.
Related reads:
Is a US mortgage allowed for a non lucrative Spain visa?
Is it possible to obtain a non lucrative Spain visa while still paying off loans?
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