🇳🇵 Nepali citizens · 🇪🇸 Spain · Residence / Long-stay
Spain residence / long-stay visa for Nepali citizens: requirements, cost and odds
We do not publish a Nepali-specific approval rate for a residence visa to Spain, because we do not yet hold a figure from Spain for this category broken down by nationality. Rather than estimate one and format it like a statistic, we leave it out. For background, the published figures that do exist for Nepal are a 69.5% US visitor-visa refusal rate in FY2025 and a 24.5% Schengen short-stay refusal rate in 2025 — different countries and a different visa class, so treat them as context rather than as your odds. What is documented is the decision itself — officers assess whether you have stable, sufficient income or savings to support yourself without working, and the single biggest lever is sufficient, stable income. On the money side: About €2,400/month — €28,800/year (400% of Spain's IPREM, which is €600/month in 2026) — plus €600/month (€7,200/year) for each additional family member. Because IPREM is unchanged for 2026, these figures are stable. The estimator below weighs your own finances, ties, travel history and refusal record against that.
Last reviewed July 2026 per our editorial standards. Source: Spain MFA — Non-lucrative residence visa (exteriores.gob.es) .
For Nepali citizens applying, a residence visa to Spain is decided mainly on whether you have stable, sufficient income or savings to support yourself without working. Public statistics point to an approximate base approval of around 59% for this route — but your own profile can move that figure a lot in either direction. Nepali applicants — especially students — face close scrutiny over funding and genuine intent; clearly documented finances matter most.
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Key requirements
- Non-EU/EEA/Swiss national who will not work in Spain (including no remote work)
- Proof of about €2,400/month (400% of IPREM) in savings or passive income, +€600/month per dependent
- Full private health insurance with a Spain-authorised insurer (no co-pays, full coverage)
- Apostilled criminal-record certificate covering the last 5 years
- A medical certificate and a valid passport
- Proof the funds are genuinely available (bank, investment or pension statements)
Money & funds
About €2,400/month — €28,800/year (400% of Spain's IPREM, which is €600/month in 2026) — plus €600/month (€7,200/year) for each additional family member. Because IPREM is unchanged for 2026, these figures are stable.
Typical timeline
Consular processing is typically ~1–3 months. The visa lets you enter Spain; you then register for your TIE residence card. Initial authorisation is 1 year, renewable in 2-year periods.
Common refusal reasons
- Insufficient or unstable funds below the 400% IPREM threshold
- Intending to work — including remotely (that requires the Digital Nomad Visa instead)
- Health insurance that is not full-coverage, or not from an authorised insurer
- Missing apostille/legalisation on the criminal-record certificate
- Incomplete or inconsistent financial documentation
Where Nepal sits in the official data
Two governments publish visa outcomes broken down by country. Neither predicts an individual decision, but together they show how Nepali applicants fare relative to everyone else, and which of the destinations we cover currently refuses the fewest applications from Nepal.
US visitor visas — FY2025
A 69.5% adjusted refusal rate places Nepal 187th of 199 nationalities the State Department publishes — a lower refusal rate than 6% of them. The median nationality sits at 31.8%, so Nepal is 37.7 points above it.
Schengen short-stay visas — 2025
Across all Schengen consulates in Nepal, 24.5% of short-stay applications were not issued — 84th of 127 countries with a meaningful application volume, and 8.9 points above the 15.6% median.
Demand and outcome moved together for Nepal between 2024 and 2025. Schengen consulates there decided 7,059 short-stay applications, against 7,808 the year before — down 9.6% — while the refusal rate went from 35.1% to 24.5%. That easing meant roughly 752 more applicants were issued a visa than 2024's rate would have produced.
Sources: U.S. Department of State — Adjusted Refusal Rate, B-Visas Only, by Nationality and European Commission — Schengen short-stay visa statistics for consulates . Schengen figures are grouped by the country an application was lodged in, not by passport.
What actually moves the needle
Passive income or savings clearly above the threshold
This is the heart of residence decisions for Spain. Make it concrete and documented rather than assumed.
A stable, well-documented source of funds
Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.
Full health insurance and a clean criminal record
Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.
Context for Nepal applicants
Nepali applicants — especially students — face close scrutiny over funding and genuine intent; clearly documented finances matter most. Your personal profile matters far more than any nationality-level pattern, so focus on the levers above.
Avoid the common pitfall
The most frequent reason this route fails is income that is too low, irregular, or actually active employment rather than passive. Address it directly and you remove the biggest doubt.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official Spain residence visa success rate for Nepali citizens?
Not one we currently carry. We only print a rate when we hold the publisher's own figure for this nationality and this visa category, and we do not hold one for Spain residence visas. The figure shown on this page is a modelled estimate built from published route-level data and your answers — we label it as such rather than presenting it as a government statistic. What you can act on is the documented requirement set below, which is what the decision actually turns on.
What matters most for a Spain residence visa?
Officers focus on whether you have stable, sufficient income or savings to support yourself without working. In practice the single biggest lever is sufficient, stable income, so make that part of your application as strong and well-documented as possible.
Does a previous visa refusal affect my chances?
Yes. A prior refusal weighs on new applications until its underlying reason is addressed. Find out exactly why you were refused, fix what caused it, and clearly show what is different this time.
Is this a guarantee of approval?
No. GetVisaOdds is an educational planning tool, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Only a consular or immigration officer can decide your application. We show approximate odds and the reasons behind them so you can prepare better.
Is my information private?
Completely. The estimate runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are never sent to a server or stored — there is no sign-up and nothing to leak.
How much money do I need for Spain's Non-Lucrative Visa in 2026?
About €2,400/month (€28,800/year) — 400% of IPREM — plus €600/month for each dependent. IPREM is unchanged for 2026, so the requirement is stable.
Can I work remotely on Spain's Non-Lucrative Visa?
No. The NLV forbids all work, including remote work for a foreign employer. If you work remotely, you need Spain's Digital Nomad Visa instead.
Does the NLV let me travel in the Schengen Area?
Yes. Once you hold Spanish residence you can travel visa-free across the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Can I use savings instead of income?
Yes. You can meet the requirement with a lump sum of savings covering the annual amount, with passive income, or a combination — you just have to show the funds are genuinely available.
Does the Non-Lucrative Visa lead to permanent residence?
It can — after five years of continuous legal residence you can apply for long-term residence, provided you keep meeting the conditions.
