Lifestyle9 oct 2026 5 min readBy Site AdministratorCosta del Sol

Staying a season: a practical primer for Americans

Visas, the new EU border systems, NIE and residence cards, healthcare, phones, banks and long-term rentals, with the 2026 thresholds and a clear note on when to call a lawyer.

Information current as of October 2026. Thresholds and procedures change every year; confirm with the consulate and a lawyer before acting.

The 90-day rule and the new border systems

US citizens can spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area without a visa. Since 10 April 2026 the EU's Entry/Exit System records entries and exits biometrically and replaces passport stamps, so the count is now automatic and overstays are visible. The separate ETIAS travel authorization, an online pre-clearance for visa-free travelers, has been repeatedly delayed; the EU removed its late-2026 launch target in August 2026 and a revised date is pending. Check travel-europe.europa.eu before you fly. A winter of four or five months therefore needs a visa.

The non-lucrative visa

For retirees and anyone living on passive income, the visado de residencia no lucrativa is the standard route. You apply at the Spanish consulate for your US state, prove income of at least 400 percent of the IPREM index, which for 2026 means €28,800 a year for the main applicant plus €7,200 for each dependent, and show full private health insurance from an insurer authorized in Spain, with no co-payments, deductibles or waiting periods. You may not work, even remotely. The visa is granted for one year and renewed in Spain for two-year periods, and it requires you to spend most of the year in Spain, which makes you a Spanish tax resident.

The digital nomad visa

Spain's Startup Law of December 2022 created a residence visa for people who work remotely for employers or clients outside Spain. The income threshold is 200 percent of the Spanish minimum wage; in 2026 that is about €2,849 a month for the main applicant, plus roughly €1,068 for the first family member and €356 for each additional one. You need a history with the employer or clients, proof that the company has existed for at least a year, and a university degree or several years of professional experience. It can be applied for from inside Spain on a tourist entry, the residence permit can run up to three years, and many holders qualify for a favorable flat-rate tax regime. Each case turns on documents, so use a lawyer.

NIE, TIE and the padrón

The NIE is a foreigner's tax identification number and you will need it for almost everything: a lease, a bank account, a car, utilities, a property. You can request it at a consulate before leaving or at a police foreigners' office in Spain, where appointments are booked online and the fee is paid in advance on form 790. Visa holders must apply within 30 days of arrival for the TIE, the physical residence card. Registering your address at the town hall, the empadronamiento, proves where you live and is required for the TIE and for local services.

Healthcare

Spain's public system is excellent, but non-lucrative visa holders are expected to carry private cover. Private policies from the main Spanish insurers are the norm and cost far less than US plans; English-speaking private hospitals operate in Marbella, Málaga and Fuengirola. Medicare does not cover you in Spain, so keep whatever US coverage you need for visits home.

Phone, bank, car

A Spanish SIM or eSIM from Movistar, Vodafone, Orange or a low-cost operator costs a few euros a month and is sold against a passport. Many banks will open a non-resident account with a passport and NIE, though they increasingly ask for proof of income and charge fees; a fintech account is a quick stopgap. Your US license is valid for driving as a visitor, but residents must exchange it, and the United States has no exchange agreement with Spain, so long-term residents end up taking the Spanish test. Many seasonal visitors simply rent.

Renting for a season

Spanish rental law distinguishes long-term housing leases from seasonal (temporada) contracts. A standard housing lease gives the tenant the right to stay five years (seven if the landlord is a company), with a deposit of one month's rent, annual increases capped by a national index and, since the 2023 Housing Law, agency fees paid by the landlord. For a stay of three to nine months you will usually be offered a temporada contract, which is legal and flexible but offers fewer protections; read it, check the deposit terms and insist on an inventory. Málaga city has frozen new tourist-apartment licenses for three years, which has pushed more owners toward winter lets. Expect to pay more in Marbella than in Estepona or Fuengirola for comparable space.

Taxes

Spend more than 183 days in a calendar year in Spain and you are a Spanish tax resident, taxed on worldwide income; Spain also looks at where your economic interests lie. Residents with foreign assets over €50,000 must file the informational Modelo 720 by 31 March. US citizens continue to file with the IRS and, where applicable, the FBAR, and rely on the US-Spain tax treaty and foreign tax credits to limit double taxation.

A note on advice

The figures above are those published for 2026. Before signing a lease or filing a visa application, talk to a Spanish immigration lawyer and a cross-border tax adviser. The cost is modest against the cost of getting it wrong.