Can I Apply for Spain’s Non-Lucrative Visa With a US Passport That Expires in Ten Months?

• Check passport validity against the filing date you expect to use.
• Check blank visa pages and the required copies for your consular district.
• Leave time for passport renewal before ordering documents with short validity windows.

Check the passport against your visa filing date

Article 38(d) of Royal Decree 1155/2024 requires at least one year of validity on the passport or recognised travel document. Article 39(1) applies that requirement to the initial Non-Lucrative Visa and residence application. The regulation was published on 20 November 2024 and entered into force on 20 May 2025. The Ministry’s initial residence checklist also asks for a complete passport copy with at least one year of validity. Consolidated immigration regulation, articles 38–39 · Ministry checklist

Hypothetical example. Your passport expires on 15 October 2027 and your visa filing is on 15 December 2026. That leaves ten months. Booking an appointment earlier does not add time to the passport on the day you submit it. If the filing date moves, check the remaining validity again.

Check the passport book and the copies

Washington, DC’s published BLS checklist asks for the original passport, a copy of the biometric page and two blank visa pages. It also excludes passports issued more than ten years earlier. The Ministry checklist asks for a complete copy, so prepare the complete copy as well as the original and make the biometric page easy to locate. Confirm the instructions for your own post before the appointment. Washington BLS checklist, item 3 · Ministry checklist

Renew before finalising your application forms

Check your options with the US Department of State. Eligible adults in the US can renew online if they meet its criteria, including having a ten-year passport expiring within a year or expired for less than five years. The State Department says it invalidates the old passport after an online application is submitted. If you have international travel planned, check the travel limits of online renewal before submitting. Eligible applicants can also check the DS-82 mail route. Online renewal eligibility · Renewal by mail

Once the new passport arrives, update the passport number, issue date and expiry date on the national visa application and EX-01. Compare the spelling of your name with the supporting documents. If you booked using the old passport number, ask the filing centre how to update the booking. For a delayed appointment, recheck your post’s validity windows for the other documents before replacing anything.

Your legal residence determines which Spanish consular district to check. ANEMOSS ASESORÍA JURÍDICA S.L. can help review the applicable checklist and plan when to obtain the documents for your application. Anemoss Non-Lucrative Visa assistance · Consular filing for US retirees

• Counting the remaining validity from the date you reserve the appointment.
• Planning a trip on the passport you have submitted for online renewal.
• Leaving the old passport details on forms after a replacement arrives.