The investor residency route ended in April 2025. What it means for existing holders and which routes remain open.
The Residency Visa for Investors, known everywhere as the Golden Visa, was introduced in 2013 to encourage investment into Spain. It was repealed by Organic Law 1/2025 and stopped accepting new applications on 3 April 2025.
Buying property here remains entirely open to foreign nationals. It simply no longer carries an entitlement to residency.
The transitional provisions protect existing holders. Where the authorisation was granted, or the application filed, before the cut off date, the position continues and renewal remains available while the original conditions are met.
If you are considering selling the property the visa was based upon, or you are approaching ten years of legal residency, it is worth a conversation first. There are usually more options than people expect.
The common question is which route replaces it, and the honest answer is that none does exactly. The Golden Visa was unusual in asking very little in the way of presence in Spain. Every route now available expects you to spend a meaningful part of the year here.
The non lucrative route suits those with sufficient means who will not work in Spain. The digital nomad visa suits those working remotely for companies elsewhere. There are also entrepreneur, highly qualified employment and family routes. Which one fits depends on how you earn.
Residency and tax residency are different things. Spending more than 183 days a year in Spain will generally make you tax resident here on your worldwide income. Because the remaining routes expect real presence, this now affects far more applicants than it used to, and it is much better considered before an application than after.
This page gives general information about Spanish law and is not legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts and should be assessed individually.
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