If you keep renewing your non-lucrative visa and build up five years of legal residency in Spain, do the conditions of the NLV – such as not having the right to work – still apply?
The Non-Lucrative Visa is a residence permit which allows non-EU citizens to come and live in Spain, providing they meet the necessary financial requirements.
One of the main conditions of the NLV is that you’re not allowed to work while in Spain, not for a Spanish company, remotely companies or for yourself as self-employed.
All your income and the money you support yourself with must be from passive sources such as savings, investments, pensions or rent from a property abroad.
Initially the NLV is valid for one year, but you can renew this for a further two years and then for another two years after that.
After your first year of residency, you can exchange your NLV for a different type of permit, either a work permit or a self-employed permit, which will allow you to work in Spain.
Read our article to find out more about this process.
READ ALSO: When you can exchange visas in Spain
If you continue renewing your NLV, however, and live legally in Spain for a total period of five years, you will then be granted long-term residency.
At this point, your NLV status ceases to exist and so do the conditions with which you had to abide by in order for it to be granted and renewed.
So, the quick and easy answer is yes, you are allowed to work in Spain after five years of residency.
READ ALSO: The differences between Spain’s permanent and long-term residency cards
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According to Echeverria Abogados law firm, by getting a long-term residence permit, “you will be exempt from providing proof of financial resources related to non-lucrative residence for the entire ten-year period or for any subsequent period. In addition, you will be able to work and reside in Spain without any restrictions”.
This means that you’ll enjoy the same conditions and benefits as all other long-term residents in Spain, whatever type of visa they were granted in the first place, whether it was the NLV, the Digital Nomad Visa or even those Brits who were protected under the Withdrawal Agreement.
In order to be granted the NLV you need to show that you have passive income that is equal to or greater than 400 percent of the IPREM. For 2025 this is €28,800 per year. When you’re renewing the visa, you will again need to prove you have this amount per year.
This can be a financial burden for some, so it’s good to know that after five years you will be able to work to top up your savings and fund your continued lifestyle in Spain.
Perhaps you want to come out of retirement briefly to earn a bit of extra money or work part time either as additional income to your pension or because you enjoy working and being around others all day.
All of this will be possible once you have long term residency.
