Bank statement for a Spanish visa and residence permit: what each route requires

A bank statement is needed for almost every Spanish residence permit, but the requirements differ by route. A digital nomad needs a bank certificate covering three months, with payments from the employer or clients marked. For the non-lucrative permit what matters is not today’s balance but the balance on 31 December of last year and the average balance over the year. For study, a bank certificate plus account movements for three months; for family reunification what matters most is income over the last six months: an employment contract and payslips or an IRPF tax return.

Under the UGE guidance a bank statement needs a sworn translation into Spanish: a simple translation is allowed there only for the CV. In practice UGE has often accepted statements with a simple translation too, but a sworn one is the safer choice. The UGE guidance requires an apostille on documents issued by public authorities, and a bank is not one; some consulates word it in general terms, «all foreign documents», so check this if you file through a consulate. Since spring 2026 UGE has asked some digital nomads for a notarised bank certificate — see the section on translation and apostille.

Applying as a digital nomad? Step-by-step guide with a checklist and a PDF: Bank statement for a Spanish digital nomad permit: how to prepare it for the UGE.

Bank certificate or statement: what is the difference

Spanish requirements mention two documents, and they are often confused.

• A bank certificate (certificado bancario) is a letter from the bank in your name: whose account it is, the balance on a date, sometimes the average balance over a period. UGE names it explicitly for digital nomads: in the applicant’s name, with the bank’s stamp or signature (UGE guidance).
• A statement (extracto de movimientos) shows the account movements over a period: every incoming and outgoing payment. It is requested when it matters where the money comes from and how regularly, for example alongside the certificate for study.

The safest approach is to file both for the same period: a certificate signed by the bank and a statement in which the relevant payments are visible line by line.

What each route requires

Digital nomad

UGE asks for a bank certificate covering three months before filing, in which payments from the employer or clients are marked and match the invoices or payslips (UGE guidance). If income falls short of the threshold, a recent certificate of savings covering the difference for the whole permit term is added: for the visa, which is issued for a year, the shortfall × 12 months; for a permit applied for from Spain, × the permit term, at most 36 months (DGGM criterion 2/2025). In practice this works reliably when savings cover no more than 20% of the threshold; with a bigger gap the chances drop, so such a case is best reviewed before filing. The funds themselves must be shown on three counts: that they are yours, that they are of lawful origin and that you can dispose of them (2023 joint instruction). Which income counts and how much you need is covered in the guide to the digital nomad visa.

Non-lucrative

This is the main trap. For foreign accounts, Article 62.3 of Royal Decree 1155/2024 requires the bank’s name and address, the account details, the opening date, the balance on 31 December of last year and the average balance over the last year. In other words, the consulate looks at the account’s history over the year, not at a certificate for the filing date: a large sum transferred a month before filing will barely raise the average balance. The threshold is €2,400 a month for the applicant, i.e. €28,800 a year. Instead of a sum in the account, the regulation also accepts a regular income (Article 62.1), and the money may be held in a foreign currency, in the equivalent of the threshold. The route’s own requirements are on the non-lucrative residence permit page.

Study

You need to show €600 for each month of stay (Article 35 of the regulation); tuition fees are not part of this sum, while scholarships, grants and subsidies do count. The exception is accommodation paid in advance for the whole stay (same article). For family members add €450 a month for the first and €300 for each additional one. More in the article on the student visa.

Family reunification

What matters most here is regular income: an employment contract and payslips for the last six months or an IRPF tax return (ministry guidance). The average balance over six months is used for savings, and a bank certificate is filed by those who do not work in Spain. The income of the spouse or partner and of first-degree relatives who live in Spain in the same household is added together. Study and housing grants, maintenance and compensatory payments (except those paid in favour of the person being reunited) and social assistance income are not counted (Article 67 of the regulation). The rest is covered in the articles on family reunification and on the digital nomad’s family.

How to prepare the statement so it is accepted

• In your name and certified by the bank. The UGE guidance requires a document «sellado/firmado por la entidad bancaria», and in its requests for documents UGE names a third option, notarised («notarizado»). A transaction history you saved from the app yourself does not meet this, even if it says no stamp or signature is required.
• The client’s payments marked separately. A digital nomad must mark the payments under the contract so that they stand apart from all other transactions. In a request we received in October 2026, UGE put it in capitals: «se deberán MARCAR expresamente». Each marked payment must match an invoice or payslip in amount and date. You can mark them with a highlighter on a paper statement before scanning, or highlight them in the PDF. A certificate showing only the balance and the total incoming funds for the period does not work: the payments cannot be matched to the invoices.
• Paper or PDF. For online filing with UGE you upload a PDF. Whether a PDF with the bank’s electronic signature counts as a signed document is not stated anywhere directly; if the authenticity of a copy is in doubt, UGE may ask for the original (Article 28.5 of Law 39/2015). So it is worth having a paper certificate with the bank’s stamp at hand.
• Language. A certificate in English does not replace a translation into Spanish.
• Recency. The period should end close to the filing date: three months before filing for a digital nomad, the last year for the non-lucrative permit.

That is what happened in the case Nomad permit from Poland: a bank statement request and approval in 34 days: UGE did not accept an app statement or a bank certificate showing only the balance, and asked for a bank-stamped statement with the payments marked. It was obtained at a branch, the payments were highlighted, and approval came the next working day after the answer.

Translation and apostille

Under the guidance, the translation must be sworn. UGE states plainly that documents other than a CV are translated by a sworn translator; the non-lucrative guidance requires the same (Hoja 6). In practice UGE has often accepted bank statements with a simple translation too, but a sworn one is the safer choice, since the guidance names it directly. How to find a translator and what it costs is covered in the article on sworn translation.

Apostille. The UGE guidance requires an apostille on public documents issued by foreign authorities, and so does the ministry (Hoja 61); a bank is not a public authority, and these texts contain no direct requirement to apostille a statement. Some consulates word it in general terms, «all foreign documents» (todos los documentos extranjeros) legalised or apostilled, so if you file through a consulate, check this with the consulate itself.

Notarisation. The UGE guidance does not mention it, but in practice since spring 2026 UGE has sent some digital nomads a request for a «notarizado» bank certificate, most often for Revolut, Wise and other online statements. It is met before a Spanish notary, who draws up a deed confirming that the printout matches the data in the online bank.

A large deposit shortly before filing

A sum that appears in the account shortly before filing is a common source of questions. For the non-lucrative permit the average balance over the year counts, for the family the average over six months, and for a digital nomad the lawful origin of the funds is checked. For each large deposit, attach a document on its source in advance: a contract for the sale of property or shares, inheritance documents, a resolution to pay dividends.

Freelancers and company owners

A freelance digital nomad files invoices to clients for three months and a bank certificate in which payment of those invoices is marked (UGE guidance); for the owner of their own company, if these documents are lacking, UGE suggests last year’s tax return. For the non-lucrative permit any lawful funds will do, but if the income comes from shares in a Spanish company you must show that you do not work in it (Article 62.3 of the regulation). What other documents a freelancer needs is covered in the digital nomad visa guide.

Common mistakes

• A statement from the app without the bank’s signature.
• An English certificate without a sworn translation into Spanish.
• For the non-lucrative permit, a certificate of today’s balance instead of the account’s history over the year.
• For a digital nomad, payments not marked or not matching the invoices and payslips.
• A bank certificate with the balance and total incoming funds instead of a statement showing each payment on its own line.
• A large deposit without a document on its source.
• A period that ended long before filing.

If UGE still sends a request for documents, you have 10 working days to reply, and until it is met the processing clock stops; more in the article on UGE silence.

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Frequently asked questions

Does a bank statement for Spain need an apostille?

There is no direct requirement: the UGE guidance requires an apostille on public documents issued by foreign authorities, and a bank is not one. Some consulates word it in general terms, «all foreign documents», so if you file through a consulate, check this with the consulate itself.

Does the statement need a sworn translation?

Under the UGE guidance and the ministry’s requirements, yes: a sworn translator’s translation is needed, and an English version of the certificate does not replace it. In practice UGE has often accepted statements with a simple translation too, but a sworn one is the safer choice.

Does the bank statement need to be notarised?

The UGE guidance does not require it. In practice, however, since spring 2026 UGE has sent some digital nomads a request for a «notarizado» bank certificate, most often for Revolut, Wise and other online statements. It is met before a Spanish notary, who draws up a deed confirming that the printout matches the data in the online bank.

What period should the statement cover for the digital nomad permit?

Three months before filing: a bank certificate in which payments from the employer or clients are marked and match the invoices or payslips.

How do I mark the payments in a bank statement for the digital nomad permit?

Highlight each payment under the contract with a marker on the paper statement before scanning, or highlight it in the PDF, so that it stands apart from all other transactions. The marked amounts and dates must match the invoices or payslips. In its requests for documents UGE says so directly: «se deberán MARCAR expresamente».

What statement does the non-lucrative permit require?

For foreign accounts, a certificate with the account details, opening date, the balance on 31 December of last year and the average balance over the last year. The consulate looks at the history over the year, not the balance on the filing date.

Can I file a PDF statement from the app?

The statement must be in your name and carry the bank’s signature or stamp. A PDF from the app without the bank’s signature does not meet this; keep a paper certificate with a stamp in case the original is requested.

What if the money arrived in the account recently?

Attach a document on its source: a sale contract, inheritance documents or a dividend resolution. For the non-lucrative permit a large recent deposit will barely raise the average balance over the year.

Can you buy a bank statement for a residence permit?

No. A statement made up or bought for an application is a forged document, and under the Spanish Criminal Code it can carry a prison sentence of up to two to three years (arts. 390, 392 and 395). The immigration regulation requires a visa or permit to be refused when forged documents are submitted, and a permit already granted through forgery to be revoked (arts. 28.5.b and 200.2.b RD 1155/2024). A conviction can lead to expulsion with an entry ban of up to five years (arts. 57.2 and 58 of the Aliens Act). It is safer to show funds with real accounts, including across several banks or with investment assets.

Sources

• UGE: documents for remote workers, v2, 15.07.2025; Joint instruction on remote workers, 2023
• RD 1155/2024: Articles 35, 62, 67; Ley 39/2015: Article 28
• Hoja 6: non-lucrative; Hoja 8: family reunification; Hoja 61: legalisation and translation