Retiring on a European passport
You register as a resident with the EX-18 green certificate, showing that you have enough resources and health cover: a pension and the health card of your country’s system, or private insurance. The appointment can be booked at Cabezo Cortado or at a comisaría of the region.
Retiring on a non-EU passport
The usual route is the non-lucrative residence visa, requested at the Spanish consulate of your country before you travel. It suits people whose income arrives from savings or pensions rather than a Spanish employer, and asks for proof of sufficient income or savings and private health insurance.
Once in Murcia, you book the fingerprint appointment for your TIE. If you prefer a guided move, relocation help from AnchorLess covers the visa, the search for a home and the first weeks of settling in.
The order that works
- Get the NIE early if you are buying: the notary needs it
- Prepare the visa or the EU registration file
- Join the padrón as soon as you hold a lease or keys
- Book the green certificate or the TIE appointment
- Then the bank, the health system and the utilities
In Murcia
The Brigada Provincial at Cabezo Cortado lists the non-lucrative residences among its procedures. Retirees who settle in San Javier or Los Alcázares register on the padrón of their own town hall and often book their card at the Cartagena comisaría, which lists TIE issuance.
Questions people ask
Can I work on a non-lucrative residence?
No paid work in Spain is allowed on it. That is the condition of the permit, which is designed for people with their own income.
Does buying a house give me residence?
Not any more. With the golden visa abolished in 2025, a property purchase opens no residence permit on its own.