How does the automated room finder work?

You describe what you need in plain English: budget, city, neighborhood vibe, move-in date, must-haves. Flat Spain then automatically searches the major Spanish property portals at once, reads each listing, verifies availability, applies the Flat Spain 16-Point Scam Screen, adds the Flat Spain Neighborhood Score for each barrio, and delivers a ranked shortlist with photos, maps and agent contacts, usually within minutes.

What does the €49 search include?

One full Flat Spain search: up to 12 platform queries, 25 listings analyzed, the Flat Spain 16-Point Scam Screen applied to every listing, the Flat Spain Rent Benchmark and Flat Spain Neighborhood Score for each barrio, and a ranked top-5 report with pre-filled WhatsApp messages for each agent. Usually delivered within minutes (guaranteed within 24 hours).

Which platforms do you search?

The major Spanish property portals, plus the expat-focused rental platforms that welcome relocating tenants, covering whole flats, furnished mid-term lets, studios and rooms in shared flats. We only ever collect data from sources that permit it, and the exact set is chosen per search, so a brief for a room and a brief for a purchase do not go to the same places.

How do you detect rental scams?

Every listing goes through the Flat Spain 16-Point Scam Screen, a 16-point check covering prices far below the barrio average, landlords 'currently abroad', deposit requests before viewing, Wise or crypto payment demands, missing exact addresses, and misused temporada contracts. Listings that fail a critical check are removed from your shortlist before you ever see them.

Can I rent in Spain without a NIE?

Yes, many landlords accept a passport for signing, though you'll need a NIE for utilities and long-term registration. Tell Flat Spain your visa status in your brief and we'll prioritize foreigner-friendly listings and agents used to working with expats.

How fast will I get my shortlist?

Most searches finish in 5–15 minutes, because our agents work in parallel across platforms, and you can watch live progress on your order dashboard. If a search needs extra verification we guarantee delivery within 24 hours.

What if you can't find good apartments for my brief?

If your criteria return too few verified listings, Flat Spain tells you honestly and gives you one free re-run. You say what to change (different barrios, another budget, other must-haves) and the re-run searches again, skipping everything you have already been shown. If you're still not satisfied, contact support and a human will review your order.

What is the concierge service?

A human in Spain takes over after your report: WhatsApp outreach to agents in natural Spanish, viewings scheduled within 72 hours, negotiated terms and a rental contract review. Two tiers: Remote (€499) with live video-call viewings, ideal before you land, or Full (€900) with a local attending each viewing in person on your behalf.

Payment is processed by Stripe and only captured when your report is delivered. Until then the €49 is an authorization hold on your card.

Do you work with landlords or agencies?

No. Flat Spain is paid only by you, so the ranking is unbiased and no landlord, agency or new development can buy a higher position.

Is an automated apartment finder better than searching the portals yourself?

For expats relocating from abroad, usually yes. A traditional portal hands you thousands of unranked listings to filter alone; Flat Spain searches several platforms at once, applies the Flat Spain 16-Point Scam Screen to every listing, adds the Flat Spain Rent Benchmark and Flat Spain Neighborhood Score for context, and returns a shortlist ranked against your exact brief, minutes of reading instead of hours of scrolling.

How much does it cost to rent an apartment in Spain?

The Flat Spain Rent Benchmark for 2026 puts a furnished one-bedroom from about €650/month in Granada to €1,250 in Barcelona, with Madrid near €1,200 and Valencia around €1,050. A room in a shared flat averages €450–€600 in the big cities. Central expat barrios cost more; outer districts are cheaper.

How much does it cost to buy property in Spain?

The 2026 national average is about €2,300/m², so roughly €180,000–€210,000 for a 90 m² apartment. Madrid runs near €4,300/m² and Granada near €2,000/m². Budget an extra 10–13% of the price for purchase taxes and fees.

Can I use this to buy a property, not just rent?

Yes. Flat Spain searches the sale market the same way it searches rentals: it scans the major Spanish property portals for sale listings that match your budget and must-haves, screens each one with the Flat Spain 16-Point Scam Screen, and benchmarks the asking price against the barrio's €/m² sale average. Tell us you're looking to buy in your brief and we return a ranked, scam-screened sale shortlist instead of rentals.

Which Spanish cities do you cover?

Every major Spanish city, including Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla, Málaga, Bilbao, Alicante, Palma and Granada, plus smaller towns. If a city has rental listings Flat Spain can search it: cities we don't yet keep warm in inventory are searched live on demand for your order.

Non-Lucrative Visa income requirement

€28,800 / year

Minimum passive income to qualify for Spain's Non-Lucrative Visa

Derived: 400% of the IPREM (Indicador Público de Renta de Efectos Múltiples).

In force since: 1 January 2026
Last verified: 14 August 2026
Re-checked every: 90 days

Source

IPREM, as applied to the Non-Lucrative Visa income test

The requirement is expressed as a percentage of the IPREM, so a euro figure without a year attached is not a fact about the current test.

Quick answer

Flat Spain tracks Spain's Non-Lucrative Visa income threshold at €28,800 per year for 2026, which is 400% of the IPREM — the public income index Spain uses for benefit and visa tests. Because it is a multiple of the IPREM, the euro figure moves whenever the IPREM is re-set, usually with the annual budget.

The Non-Lucrative Visa is for people living on income they do not earn in Spain — pensions, investments, savings. The €28,800 is the threshold for the main applicant; each dependant adds a further share of the IPREM on top.

The visa does not permit remote work. Advice written before 2026 often describes this as a grey area; the current consensus among Spanish immigration practitioners is that working remotely on a Non-Lucrative Visa is prohibited, and acting on the older advice is a real risk at renewal. If you intend to keep working, the Digital Nomad Visa is the route that matches what you are doing.

You will be asked to evidence the income, not merely assert it: bank statements, pension or investment documentation, usually apostilled and translated. Budget the apostille and sworn-translation time into your timeline — it is the step that most often pushes an application past a consulate appointment date.

Approved, and looking for a flat?

Open

Change log

14 August 2026
Verified. Page published.
1 January 2026
Set at €28,800/year on the 2026 IPREM.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work remotely on a Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa?

No. Older guidance describes remote work on the NLV as a grey area, but the 2026 practitioner consensus is that it is prohibited. If you are working, the Digital Nomad Visa is the correct route.

How is the Non-Lucrative Visa income requirement calculated?

As 400% of the IPREM, Spain's public income index — €28,800 per year in 2026. Dependants each add a further percentage of the same index.

The numbers are the easy part

Getting a flat is the hard one. Describe what you need in plain English and Flat Spain searches five platforms at once, puts every listing through the Flat Spain 16-Point Scam Screen, and comes back with a ranked shortlist.

Start my search

Flat Spain re-checks this figure every 90 days and publishes the date of every change above. It is information, not legal advice — for a decision that turns on your own circumstances, take Spanish legal advice.

Non-Lucrative Visa income requirement

Change log

Frequently asked questions

The numbers are the easy part

Related figures