How much money do you need to renew the Spain non-lucrative visa for years four and five?

Short by whose count?

They owned their house outright, with no mortgage. What they didn't have was €20,000 in the bank, and the renewal was coming.

Call them the Bennetts. It isn't their name. They live in Spain on the non-lucrative visa, the one for people who live on savings, a pension or passive income and are not allowed to work. They were heading into the renewal for years four and five, which one member described as being "so close to permanent residency". Then a large, unforeseen change in their finances meant they could no longer show the full amount needed. They asked: could they release equity from the house, or take a short-term bridging loan?

The replies came from every direction. One suggested a loan against the house, paid into the account used for the renewal and repaid once approved: "There will be some interest to be paid but that is part of the game." Others mentioned borrowing on a credit card, raising a monthly pension drawdown to show more income, or letting the house and moving in with family for a while. On the house itself, the replies disagreed. One said property isn't a liquid asset. Another quoted the regulation as allowing any legally admissible proof, including property titles, certified cheques, or credit cards backed by a bank certificate of the credit available.

Then came a question that changed the shape of the problem: which province do you live in? According to that member, the amount required at renewal varies by province. In Valencia, one year of funds. In Alicante, two years, double. Another said one year in Almeria. A reply from a firm of immigration lawyers put figures on it: for years four and five, €28,800 for the main applicant plus €7,200 for each dependant, with renewals approved in Valencia on one year's funds, two of them that week.

Short by whose count? That's the trap. If the Bennetts were measuring against two years of funds and their office asks for one, the €20,000 gap could be smaller than they thought, or gone. If their office asks for two, it's real. The thread doesn't say which province they live in, or what they did.

This is one household's account and the replies it drew, not legal advice. Figures and handling can vary between provinces and offices, and the official source is the place to check before acting.

That matters to anyone at the point of paying for a fix. A loan costs interest. Advice costs a fee. Both are priced against the size of the gap, and the size of the gap depends on a number that changes with the office. The question most quotes leave unanswered: is the figure being quoted the one your own office applies, or the highest one anywhere?

A renewal shortfall is measured against a number. The cost of closing it depends on whose number it is.

For Spain's non-lucrative visa, we have fees from 8 firms on file. The typical fee is about €950. The middle half sit between €762 and €4,625. Some cover the application only, some the full package.

At your last renewal, were you asked for one year of funds or two?

Based on a real case, shared publicly in an online group and anonymised. Fees on file as of November 2026.