Non-Lucrative Visa Documents
A non-lucrative visa (NLV) file proves four things: who you are, that you can live in Spain without working, that you're insured, and that your record and health raise no concerns. Each consulate publishes its own checklist and sets how recent some documents must be, so use the list below to prepare and your consulate's page to finish.
Your NLV document checklist
Forms and fees
- National visa application form, signed
- EX-01 form, the application for the residence authorisation
- Fee form 790, code 052, for the authorisation fee, alongside the consulate's visa fee
Identity
- Passport valid for at least a year, with copies
- Passport photographs, if your consulate asks for them
Money
- Bank certificates and statements, with the balance on 31 December and the average balance for foreign accounts
- Pension award letters and recent pension payments
- Investment, dividend and rental income statements, where you rely on them
- Extra items some consulates ask for, such as recent statements or your last tax return
Health and record
- Health insurance policy and certificate in your consulate's wording
- Criminal record certificates for every country you've lived in during the last five years, if you're an adult
- Medical certificate in the International Health Regulations 2005 wording, signed by a doctor
Family members
- Marriage, registered partnership or birth certificates, apostilled and translated
- A separate set of forms, passport, insurance, certificates and fees for each person applying
Where each document comes from
| Document | Who issues it | Apostille | Sworn translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa and EX-01 forms | You complete them | No | No |
| Criminal record certificate | The national authority, for example ACRO in the UK, the FBI in the US, the RCMP in Canada | Yes | Yes |
| Medical certificate | A doctor; London accepts only UK or Spanish practitioners | Often, check your consulate | Yes, unless issued in Spanish |
| Bank and pension evidence | Your bank, pension provider or investment platform | Check your consulate | Check your consulate |
| Marriage and birth certificates | The civil registry | Yes | Yes |
| Insurance policy and certificate | The insurer | Check your consulate | Washington asks for the policy in Spanish or translated |
Documents from countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention are legalised instead of apostilled.
Where consulates differ
| Point | What we found on consulate pages |
|---|---|
| Criminal record | Usually no more than six months old, from the national authority (for example ACRO in the UK, the FBI in the US, the RCMP in Canada); Edinburgh doesn't accept Disclosure Scotland |
| Medical certificate | Issued within three months (London, Edinburgh) or 90 days (Los Angeles, Washington); some pages state no window; London accepts only UK or Spanish doctors |
| Insurance wording | Some pages ask for cover of all public-system risks; others add no copayment, no deductible or no coverage limit |
| Extra evidence | Washington asks for a notarised affidavit about your move and not working, plus your latest tax return; Los Angeles asks for three months of bank statements and the last tax return |
| Relationship certificates | Los Angeles asks for civil registry certificates issued in the last six months |
| How you submit | In person at a BLS visa centre or at the consulate by email appointment; Sydney's page mentions both post and in person; check with the consulate. |
These pages change. Check your own consulate's checklist on the day you prepare, and follow it over any general guide, including this one.
Build the file backwards from your appointment
- As soon as you start. Confirm your consulate, download its current checklist and book the appointment if it runs a waiting list.
- Early. Gather the financial evidence and get the insurance quote, so the money and the cover are settled first.
- Within six months of the appointment. Order the criminal record certificates, then their apostilles.
- Within three months, or 90 days. See the doctor for the medical certificate.
- Once every original is final. Commission the sworn translations, so nothing is translated twice.
- In the last weeks. Complete and sign the forms, pay the fees and put the file in the consulate's order.
- On the day. Submit in person, with every time-limited document still valid.
Apostilles and translations
Foreign public documents need an apostille, or legalisation for countries outside the Hague Convention. Documents not in Spanish need a sworn translation by a translator recognised by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Get the apostille first: it's part of the document, so it's translated too. See documents, translations and apostilles.
Have your file checked
Both services in our group include sworn translations up to an allowance and a case manager. My Spanish NLV builds your document checklist, prepares the file and delivers it to you with a consulate briefing. Platinum Legal Spain prepares the forms, templates and cover letters, with an online portal for your documents. The provider's published pages describe this differently. Confirm the current allowance and payment schedule in writing before instructing them.
My Spanish NLV
A document checklist built by its case managers for your consulate.
- Which documents need an apostille, and where to get it
- The visa form and EX-01 completed for you
- Translations up to €100
Opens provider website. No details shared.
Platinum Legal Spain
A step-by-step guide to the NLV process, and a service that prepares the document pack.
- Apostilles and sworn translations coordinated
- One point of contact
- Support from consulate preparation to residence card
Opens provider website. No details shared.
We don't pass your details to either service. Choosing one opens its website in a new tab, where you start a separate enquiry.
Where the insurance fits
Consulates word the insurance requirement differently. Some ask for cover of all risks of Spain's public system, while others add no copayments, no deductibles or no limits. We match the policy and certificate to your consulate's wording and check them against your application before you submit. See our NLV health insurance guide.
Common mistakes
- A local police certificate instead of a national one. Consulates name the national authority.
- A medical certificate outside the window. Three months or 90 days is common.
- Missing year-end balances. Required for foreign accounts.
- Using an old checklist. Consulate pages are updated.
- Translating before the apostille. The apostille has to be translated with the document.
- One file for the whole family. Each person applying needs their own forms, certificates and fees.
Frequently asked questions
Can someone submit for me?
The consulate NLV pages we checked ask the applicant to submit in person (a parent for a minor). The regulation allows a representative only in limited cases.
Do I need the medical certificate from a Spanish doctor?
Not necessarily, but London accepts only certificates from UK or Spanish practitioners. Check your consulate.
How recent must the criminal record certificate be?
Most consulate pages we checked say no more than six months. Some don't state a window.
Which documents need a sworn translation?
Any document not in Spanish, from a translator recognised by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For an NLV that usually means the criminal record certificates, the medical certificate and the family certificates.