Two visas, two very different money tests
The non-lucrative visa (NLV) is for people who won't work in Spain — retirees, the financially independent, remote earners who'd rather not use the nomad route. The digital nomad visa (DNV) is for people who do work, remotely, for companies or clients outside Spain. They use different benchmarks, so the required income is different.
The non-lucrative visa: 400% of the IPREM
The NLV requires means of 400% of the IPREM for the main applicant, plus 100% of the IPREM for each additional family member. The IPREM is a public reference figure — and it's been frozen at €600/month since 2023 (no new state budget has updated it), so for 2026:
| Household | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Main applicant (400%) | €2,400 | €28,800 |
| Each dependent (+100%) | +€600 | +€7,200 |
| Couple | €3,000 | €36,000 |
| Family of four | €4,200 | €50,400 |
The digital nomad visa: 200% of the SMI
The DNV is benchmarked to Spain's minimum wage (SMI), not the IPREM: 200% of the SMI for the main applicant, plus 75% for the first family member and 25% for each additional one. The 2026 SMI is €17,094/year (€1,221 × 14 payments, set by Royal Decree 126/2026). Deriving from the annual figure:
| Household | Monthly (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Main applicant (200% SMI) | €2,849 |
| + first family member (75%) | ≈ €3,917 |
| + second family member (25%) | ≈ €4,273 |
The mistakes that get applications refused
Applying for the NLV thinking any remote work is fine (it isn't — the NLV bars work in Spain); showing a lump sum for the DNV (it wants recurring income); forgetting the per-family-member additions; and treating income as the only requirement. It isn't — you also need full private health insurance with no co-pays, a clean criminal record, and, for the DNV, proof your work is genuinely remote. Clear the money test first, then work the rest of the checklist.
Check your Spain visa income now → Free tool: pick the visa and your family size, enter your income, and see the exact 2026 threshold and whether you clear it.