Spain Golden Visa

No. Spain abolished the Golden Visa through Organic Law 1/2025, and the repeal took effect on 3 April 2025. No new investor residence permits are being issued. Anyone telling you EUR 500,000 in Spanish property still buys residence is working from outdated information.

The law (Organic Law 1/2025) was published in early January 2025 with a three-month delay, so the program closed to new applicants on 3 April 2025.

The government framed it as housing policy. Officials noted that 94 of every 100 of these permits were linked to real estate and argued that homes should be a right rather than a speculative investment. The aim was to ease pressure on property prices in major cities.

You are protected. Permits issued before the cut-off, and applications filed before it, continue under the old rules. You can hold and renew your permit as long as you keep meeting the original conditions, including maintaining the qualifying investment.

The main route was EUR 500,000 in Spanish real estate. Other routes were EUR 1,000,000 in company shares or bank deposits and EUR 2,000,000 in Spanish government bonds. All are now closed to new applicants.

If you want to live in Spain, the non-lucrative visa (for the financially independent) and the digital nomad visa (for remote workers) are the live routes. If you want passive, low-stay EU residence by investment, the closest comparables are Greece (from EUR 250,000), Portugal (funds from EUR 500,000), and Italy (from EUR 250,000).

Not through any investment program. Buying property in Spain does not by itself grant residence anymore. You would need a separate visa, such as the non-lucrative or digital nomad visa, each with its own income and presence requirements.

It is a residence visa for non-EU nationals who can support themselves without working in Spain, often used by retirees and the financially independent. In 2026 a single applicant generally needs to show around EUR 2,400 per month (about EUR 28,800 per year) in passive income or savings, with more per dependent. It requires real physical presence in Spain.

It is for remote employees and some freelancers working for companies outside Spain. The 2026 income threshold is around EUR 2,849 per month for a single applicant, about EUR 3,918 for a couple, plus roughly EUR 357 per child. Qualifying employees can also elect the Beckham Law 24% flat-tax regime.

Spain requires ten years of continuous legal residence for ordinary naturalization (with shorter periods for certain nationalities, such as Ibero-American applicants). Importantly, the Golden Visa rarely built that residence because it had no minimum-stay rule. The non-lucrative and digital nomad visas do count, because they require you to actually live in Spain.

Not really. Its appeal was zero minimum stay, but Spanish naturalization needs ten years of genuine residence, so holders who never lived there never built a citizenship path. If a passport was your goal, the Golden Visa was always a weak vehicle, and that is one reason its closure changes less than it appears for serious applicants.

For people who want to live there, yes. Spain offers strong healthcare, climate, Schengen access, and the Beckham Law tax relief for qualifying employees. What it no longer offers is passive, no-stay residence by investment. If you want that specific product, look to Greece, Portugal, or Italy. If you want Spain itself, plan to actually move.

Once you are a Spanish tax resident (generally over 183 days per year), Spain taxes your worldwide income at progressive rates of roughly 19% to 47%. Qualifying employees on the digital nomad route may elect the Beckham Law for a 24% flat rate on Spanish employment income up to EUR 600,000 for up to six years, but freelancers registered as autonomos are usually excluded. Coordinate with Spanish tax counsel before moving.