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Spain

The residence routes we hold for Spain, each requirement as its rule states it, and what a month costs in its cities. This page assesses no one.

This page describes the destination for nobody in particular. Answer a few questions and each requirement is set against your own answers, with a monthly budget for your household. Your answers stay in the address bar of your browser; nothing is stored.

Check this for your household

Country in brief

Pros

  1. Climate and coast — mild winters on the Mediterranean and the south; long outdoor season.
  2. EU free movement — a Dutch household registers once; no visa, no renewal.
  3. Good public healthcare and transport in the main cities.
  4. Large expatriate and English-speaking communities on the coasts; easy flights home.
  5. Established food, service and tourism sectors where small businesses change hands routinely.

Cons

  1. Low wages and youth unemployment — local salaries are well below Northern Europe; a business depending on local purchasing power earns less per customer.
  2. Bureaucracy — regional and municipal procedures differ; appointments (cita previa) and paperwork are slow; a gestor is near-mandatory.
  3. Housing pressure — rents in Málaga, Valencia and the islands have risen sharply; tourist-letting rules change often.
  4. Tax on worldwide income and the wealth tax in several regions; the Beckham regime does not apply to most business owners.
  5. Summer heat inland and water stress are getting worse; the economy is seasonal in coastal towns.

Emigrator’s assessment, 6 October 2026. Where a point names a figure, the sourced data above governs.

Routes we hold for Spain

What each rule states, as we encoded it from the source. A money threshold that grows with the size of the household is shown for the reference household named under the costs.

EU/EEA free movement (register within three months of arrival)

Checked against the law

We read this route’s requirements in the instrument that sets them and checked every rule against it on the date shown below.

· within the limit

RequirementRule saysType
Citizen of an EU or EEA stateHolds at least one of: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakiathe European Union, the EEA EFTA states — 30 countries, as read on 7 September 2026Mandatory
A basis for staying beyond three monthsThis requirement can be met in more than one way:Conditional
Working or self-employed thereMust be Yes—
Comprehensive sickness insuranceMust be Yes—

What the authority states and we cannot test

Quoted in the authority’s own words rather than summarised. No rule of ours tests these.

  • Dispone, para sí y los miembros de su familia, de recursos suficientes para no convertirse en una carga para la asistencia social en España durante su período de residencia, así como de un seguro de enfermedad que cubra todos los riesgos en España

    Our translation: They have, for themselves and their family members, sufficient resources so as not to become a burden on social assistance in Spain during their period of residence, as well as sickness insurance covering all risks in Spain — Emigrator, machine-assisted and reviewed against the source

    Stated by BOE — Real Decreto 240/2007, de 16 de febrero, sobre entrada, libre circulación y residencia en España de ciudadanos de los Estados miembros de la Unión Europea y de otros Estados parte en el Acuerdo sobre el Espacio Económico Europeo. Texto consolidado, artículo 7, art. 7.1.b

Non-lucrative residence permit

Checked against the law

We read this route’s requirements in the instrument that sets them and checked every rule against it on the date shown below.

· past the limit — verification required

RequirementRule saysType
Sufficient means of support without workingThis requirement can be met in more than one way:Mandatory
Monthly incomeAt least €3,000 per month400% of IPREM, the Spanish public income indicator (€600 per month, effective 1 January 2023) = €2,400, plus €600 for the rest of the reference household = €3,000—
Savings covering the first yearAt least €36,0004,800% of IPREM, the Spanish public income indicator (€600 per month, effective 1 January 2023) = €28,800, plus €7,200 for the rest of the reference household = €36,000—
No employment or professional activity in SpainMust be NoMandatory
Health insuranceMust be YesConditional
Route applies to citizens of countries outside the EU, the EEA and SwitzerlandHolds none of: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakiathe European Union, the EEA EFTA states, Switzerland — 31 countries, as read on 7 September 2026Mandatory
A first application made from outside Spain, at the consulate where you resideNone of: SpainConditional

What the authority states and we cannot test

Quoted in the authority’s own words rather than summarised. No rule of ours tests these.

  • No representar una amenaza para el orden público, la seguridad pública o la salud pública, circunstancia que se acreditará mediante la comprobación de la inexistencia de antecedentes penales en España y la valoración del informe policial correspondiente.

    Our translation: Not to represent a threat to public order, public security or public health, which is established by checking that there is no criminal record in Spain and by the assessment of the corresponding police report. — Emigrator, machine-assisted and reviewed against the source

    Stated by BOE — Real Decreto 1155/2024, de 19 de noviembre, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000. Texto consolidado, última actualización 15/04/2026 (RD 316/2026), art. 61.2.d

  • No encontrarse, en su caso, dentro del plazo de compromiso de no retorno a España que la persona extranjera haya asumido al retornar voluntariamente a su país de origen.

    Our translation: Not to be, where applicable, within the period of the commitment not to return to Spain that the foreign national assumed on voluntarily returning to their country of origin. — Emigrator, machine-assisted and reviewed against the source

    Stated by BOE — Real Decreto 1155/2024, de 19 de noviembre, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000. Texto consolidado, última actualización 15/04/2026 (RD 316/2026), art. 61.2.c

  • Haber abonado la tasa por tramitación del procedimiento.

    Our translation: To have paid the fee for processing the procedure. — Emigrator, machine-assisted and reviewed against the source

    Stated by BOE — Real Decreto 1155/2024, de 19 de noviembre, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000. Texto consolidado, última actualización 15/04/2026 (RD 316/2026), art. 61.2.e

  • ante la oficina consular en cuya demarcación aquél resida el sujeto legitimado

    Our translation: at the consular office in whose district the applicant resides — Emigrator, machine-assisted and reviewed against the source

    Stated by BOE — Real Decreto 1155/2024, de 19 de noviembre, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000. Texto consolidado, última actualización 15/04/2026 (RD 316/2026), RD 1155/2024, art. 26.1

A month here, for a reference household

Reference household: two adults aged 38 and 37, a one-bedroom home, no children.

Residence fees and health cover are those of EU/EEA free movement (register within three months of arrival). The low, middle and high figures are the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles where a publisher states them; each line says who published it.

illustrative Money figures on this page are illustrative unless the figure names its publisher. The illustrative ones are arranged so the shape is right — a larger flat costs more than a smaller one, and the expensive cities are the expensive ones — and they are accurate in nothing. Do not plan on them.

CityP25P50P75
MálagaThis total does not include Building or service charge, Statutory levies and licences, Residence permit renewals, Domestic help and Household and leisure baseline, which nobody publishes for this city. It is the sum of what we hold, not of what the household will pay.not published€1,423not published
ValenciaThis total does not include Building or service charge, Statutory levies and licences, Residence permit renewals, Domestic help and Household and leisure baseline, which nobody publishes for this city. It is the sum of what we hold, not of what the household will pay.not published€1,433not published

Its cities

Málaga

Safety
99 / 100measured
Healthcare
96 / 100measured
Air quality
83 / 100measured

12 of 12 months between 10 and 26 °C

  1. Jan151311
  2. Feb151311
  3. Mar161412
  4. Apr181614
  5. May201816
  6. Jun242119
  7. Jul272422
  8. Aug272522
  9. Sept242221
  10. Oct212018
  11. Nov181614
  12. Dec161412

Each cell: average daily high, monthly mean, average daily low, in °C. These are averages of daily values over 2001–2020, not records — the hottest day is higher and is not shown.

Valencia

Safety
99 / 100measured
Healthcare
96 / 100measured
Air quality
75 / 100measured

8 of 12 months between 10 and 26 °C

  1. Jan1484
  2. Feb1594
  3. Mar18127
  4. Apr21149
  5. May251813
  6. Jun302317
  7. Jul332620
  8. Aug332620
  9. Sept282217
  10. Oct241813
  11. Nov18128
  12. Dec1595

Each cell: average daily high, monthly mean, average daily low, in °C. These are averages of daily values over 2001–2020, not records — the hottest day is higher and is not shown.

How this country is governed

World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024, on a 0–100 scale the Bank publishes itself. They describe the country, not any city in it.

Political stability and absence of violence
66the World Bank governance score for political stability
Rule of law
73the World Bank governance score for rule of law
Control of corruption
62the World Bank governance score for control of corruption

Where this comes from

PublisherLast checked
EUR-Lex — Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States. Consolidated version of 16/06/20118 September 2026
BOE — Real Decreto 240/2007, de 16 de febrero, sobre entrada, libre circulación y residencia en España de ciudadanos de los Estados miembros de la Unión Europea y de otros Estados parte en el Acuerdo sobre el Espacio Económico Europeo. Texto consolidado, artículo 713 October 2026
BOE — RD 1155/2024, Reglamento de la LO 4/2000, artículo 62.1 (medios económicos: capital para el periodo, o fuente de percepción periódica). Texto consolidado 15/04/20268 September 2026
BOE — RD 1155/2024, artículo 62.2 (la cuantía global es la mensual en relación con el tiempo de vigencia de la autorización). Texto consolidado 15/04/20268 September 2026
BOE — RD 1155/2024, artículo 61.4 (la autorización inicial tendrá la duración de un año). Texto consolidado 15/04/20268 September 2026
BOE — Real Decreto 1155/2024, de 19 de noviembre, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000. Texto consolidado, última actualización 15/04/2026 (RD 316/2026)8 September 2026
BOE — Real Decreto 240/2007, de 16 de febrero, sobre entrada, libre circulación y residencia en España de ciudadanos de los Estados miembros de la UE y de otros Estados parte en el Acuerdo sobre el EEE. Texto consolidado8 September 2026
Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones — Autorización inicial de residencia temporal no lucrativa7 September 2026
European Union — EU countries (paginated; both pages snapshotted). Licence read at european-union.europa.eu/legal-notice_en27 September 2026
EFTA — The EEA Agreement7 September 2026
BOE — Orden PJC/617/2025, de 13 de junio, por la que se establece el importe de las tasas por tramitación de autorizaciones administrativas y documentos de identidad en materia de inmigración y extranjería. Anexo. Texto consolidado22 September 2026

Provenance

Rule set 1.58.0-2026-10-11 · read on 26 October 2026. Every figure on this page was computed by the engine from versioned rule files. No language model produced any number here, and translation happens only after the calculation.

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This is decision support, not legal advice. Confirm any route with a licensed adviser or the authority before acting.

Spain: residence routes, requirements and monthly costs — Emigrator