File VISA
Reviewed 3 September 2026
Routes
Spanish visas for retirees
There is no single Spanish residence permit, and there is no visa called the retirement visa. There are specific routes, and which one is open to you is decided by your passport and by where your money comes from.
§ 01The routes that matter
Spanish visa routes for retirees§
- 01 Non-lucrative visa For non-EU retirees with a pension or savings. Applied for at your consulate before you move. Proof of means, full private health insurance, no work in Spain. This is the route for British, American and Canadian retirees. Requirements
- 02 EU registration For EU, EEA and Swiss pensioners. Not a visa — a registration, done in Spain after arrival, with sufficient means and healthcare cover. Cheaper and much faster, and still easy to do in the wrong order. How it works
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03 Family routes If a spouse or child is an EU citizen or already resident here, there may be a route that is faster and cheaper than the obvious one. Worth checking before defaulting to the non-lucrative. coming soon
One route we do not sell
Residence by property investment — the so-called golden visa — was withdrawn in 2025. If a website is still offering it to you, that tells you how current the rest of its information is.
Two minutes tells you which one
Your passport, your pension and your health. No sign-up.