Seeking the healthy microclimate of the Torrevieja area of south east Spain, Lesley and John Powson from South Neath in Wales were keen to make the move when they both retired. As UK passport holders and retirees the non-lucrative visa was their pathway to the Spanish sun!
They bought a two-bed bungalow last year in Los Altos, and whilst talking to estate agents about their dreams to move out kept getting recommendations for Sun Lawyers’ relocation team.
“We knew that we’d need a visa and that the Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) would be the best option for us as retirees,” says Lesley, 67, a retired bar manager. “We wanted a better quality of life, and the weather will help John’s arthritis.”
The Non-Lucrative Visa is designed for those not working in Spain, and for those who are financially self-sufficient.
The Powsons learnt some basics when they went to two of the ‘A Place in the Sun Live’ exhibitions – where Sun Lawyers attended offered guidance and advice – in Manchester and Birmingham.
Lesley and John visited Mark McMillan at one of several Sun Lawyers offices on the Orihuela Costa and felt immediately reassured about the visa process. Says Lesley: “Mark gave us a checklist of all the pieces of documentation we would need. We literally ticked them off as we got them.”
“Mark advised us that getting the medical certificates in Spain was easier and cheaper – and it was a very quick and easy process along with the online ACRO police certificate application, with his help.”
The couple knew about the financial resources required for the NLV when they purchased their home. “We could have spent more on a property but were very aware that we would need to show proof of funds for five years, so we didn’t want to be caught out.”
During the last 3-years, at the time of writing, sufficient financial means required €28,800 per year for the main applicant and €7,200 for a dependent spouse. These figures may increase slightly each year due to inflation. When you renew after year one, you need to show double this amount, and the same when you renew at the end of year three. After five years of living continuously in Spain you can apply for a five-year long-term residency permit.
Mark guided the couple through sourcing the documents. They had to show 12 months of bank statements, proof of pension income, and also that they are no longer earning a salary – in the form of P60s and P45s, says Lesley. “It was really comforting to know we could ask him about anything at any point.”
An application for an NLV was made in the UK and the next step was making an appointment at the BLS centre in Manchester, for which the couple returned from Spain.
“It was a very busy office but a very quick service – we were in there around 30 minutes which was a matter of all the documents being checked through,” says Lesley.
Then it was a question of waiting. “The consulate sometimes asks for pieces of additional information or queries something, but no news is good news in a way.” It was 11 weeks later when they got the visa stamp in their passports.
They also used Sun Lawyers’ support to get their S1 certificate from the NHS in the UK – their ticket to access the national health service in Spain. “We learnt about the S1 at A Place in the Sun. If we weren’t of state pension age yet [John is 70] we would have had to source private healthcare provision annually and that would have added to the relocation cost.”
This was very prescient as John unfortunately suffered a heart attack this summer. The retired engineer is making a good recovery, but a change to the NLV process this summer has really helped the couple.
Until June, the couple would have only had 90 days to get to Spain and register there. Now they have 365 days from their visa stamp. “It just means we are not worrying about another thing,” says Lesley on John’s 6 – 12 week rehab process.
The whole visa process cost around €1,500 each, including getting their TIE – residency card – when they make it out to Spain. “We can’t wait to get out there now. It was stressful but actually not too bad, thanks to Sun Lawyers,” says Lesley. “There is no way we would have attempted the visa process without such help.”