Pathways to a Permanent Residence

Here’s a breakdown of how the Non-Lucrative Visa and the Digital Nomad Visa in Spain relate to obtaining permanent / long-term residence (often called residencia de larga duración or larga duración-UE). Legal details change, so this is a current snapshot (as of late 2025) — always good to check with official / legal sources for your specific case.

Phase 1: The Initial Visa

If you’re considering using either route (NLV or Digital Nomad) toward permanent residence, start with either visa, ensuring you meet all legal requirements (financial means, health insurance, etc.).

After ~5 years, apply for residencia de larga duración using the relevant application (EX-11 form or corresponding procedure), submit required documents.

Once you have largoa duración, you enjoy many rights similar to Spanish residents, and future renewals are simpler.

Non-Lucrative Visa

Digital Nomad Visa

Phase 2: The First Renewal (TIE – Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero)

Once you enter Spain with your initial visa, you have 30 days to apply for your foreigner’s identity card (TIE – Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) at the local police station (Comisaría). This card is your physical proof of legal residency.

Initial Validity:
- DNV: Can be granted for up to 3 years, but often issued for 1 year initially.
- NLV: Issued for 1 year.
First Renewal: Before your initial TIE expires, you must apply for renewal at the Immigration Office (Extranjería) in your province.
- You must prove you continue to meet the financial requirements.
- You must not have spent more than 6 months continuously outside of Spain during the year.

Upon successful renewal:

DNV holders receive a 3-year residence permit.
NLV holders receive a 2-year residence permit.

Phase 3: The Path to Permanent Residence (Residencia de Larga Duración)

The ultimate goal for many is Permanent Residence, which grants you the right to live and work in Spain indefinitely, with similar rights to a Spanish citizen (except voting in national elections).

Key Requirements for Permanent Residence:

Legal and Continuous Residence:
- You must have legally and continuously resided in Spain for five years.
- Crucially, time spent on both the Digital Nomad Visa and the Non-Lucrative Visa counts towards this 5-year period.
Absences from Spain:
- The five years of residence must be “continuous.” The law allows for brief absences.
- The total absences from Spain during the 5-year period must not exceed 10 months.
- No single absence can be longer than 6 consecutive months.
Sufficient Financial Means:
- At the time of application, you must demonstrate you have stable and regular financial resources, sufficient to support yourself and your family members, without needing social assistance. This is typically assessed at a lower threshold than the initial visas (e.g., 100%-150% of SMI).
Comprehensive Health Insurance: You must have public or private health insurance arranged with an insurer authorized to operate in Spain.

Residencia de Larga Duración (Long Term Residence)

This is a status that gives similar rights to citizens (except voting in national elections etc.), and is valid indefinitely but needs a renewal process every few years

The Application Process for PR:

You apply at the Extranjería office in the province where you reside.
You must submit your application within 60 days before your current TIE expires, or within 90 days after its expiration.
The processing time can be several months. Once approved, your Permanent Residence card (TIE) is valid for 5 years and is indefinitely renewable as long as you maintain Spain as your primary residence.

NLV vs. DNV

The core requirement is the same for both, but the initial durations and renewal periods can differ, impacting the process.

Feature	Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV)	Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) / International Teleworking Residence
Pathway to Permanent Residence	5 years of legal, continuous, and effective residence in Spain.	5 years of legal, continuous, and effective residence in Spain.
Renewal Structure (Path to 5 years)	1 year (Initial Visa) + 2 years (1st Renewal) + 2 years (2nd Renewal) =5 years total.	Option 1 (Visa Applied from Abroad): 1 year (Initial Visa) + 2 years (1st Renewal) + 2 years (2nd Renewal) =5 years total.
		Option 2 (Authorization Applied from Spain): 3 years (Initial Authorization) + 2 years (1st Renewal) =5 years total.
Maximum Absence (Key Requirement)	To maintain the continuous residency required for the 5-year goal, you generally cannot be absent from Spain for more than 10 months total within the 5-year period. Additionally, you cannot be absent for more than 6 consecutive months at any point.	The same rule applies: you generally cannot be absent from Spain for more than 10 months total within the 5-year period (and no more than 6 consecutive months).
Eligibility for Renewal	Must continue to prove sufficient financial means and valid health insurance for the next renewal period.	Must continue to prove sufficient remote income (usually the minimum DNV income) and valid health insurance for the next renewal period.

Path to Spanish Citizenship (Optional)

If you are interested in Spanish citizenship, the general rule is that you must have had legal residence in Spain for ten years.

The time spent on the NLV or DNV counts towards this ten-year requirement.
There are exceptions for nationals of certain countries (like Ibero-American countries, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, and Andorra), who only need two years of legal residence.
Acquiring citizenship requires passing a Spanish language exam (DELE A2 minimum) and a cultural and constitutional knowledge test (CCSE).
Spain generally requires you to renounce your previous citizenship when acquiring Spanish citizenship, unless you are a national of a country with which Spain has a dual-nationality treaty (e.g., most Ibero-American countries).