What the route asks of you
- Sufficient financial means for you and any family members, from pensions, savings or investments
- Private health insurance with a company authorised in Spain, without co-payments
- A criminal record certificate, legalised or apostilled and translated where required
- A medical certificate
- The visa form and its fee, handed in at the consulate responsible for where you live
On the island: the TIE
Once the visa is in your passport and you have arrived, the next steps happen on Tenerife: fingerprints first, EX-17 in hand and 790-012 paid, then a return visit for the card. The Santa Cruz police office lists both non-lucrative residence and TIE issue among its procedures.
Register on the padrón of your town hall early. It is asked for again and again, from the fingerprint appointment to the bank.
Renewing
The first authorisation is temporary. It is renewed with fresh proof of means and insurance, and of the time you have actually spent in Spain, before the card expires. We remind you of the window and prepare the file with you.
On Tenerife
The Santa Cruz police office on Calle Ramón Pérez de Ayala lists non-lucrative residence and TIE issue among its procedures; the south office in Adeje lists neither. Retirees settling in Puerto de la Cruz, La Laguna or Candelaria are close to it, while those in Arona or Adeje should plan the fingerprint appointment and the card collection as trips to the capital.
Questions on this topic
Can I work remotely on non-lucrative residence?
Not as designed: it is meant for people who do not work. Remote workers should look at the international remote-work residence instead.
Can I apply from Tenerife during a holiday?
No: the visa is requested at a consulate in your country of residence before you travel. It is not a procedure you start while visiting the island.
Does my spouse apply separately?
Family members can apply alongside you, each with their own documents, and the means you have to show increase with each person.