Spain Golden Visa: Closed in 2025, and Your Alternatives

The Spain golden visa is closed. Organic Law 1/2025 repealed the investor visa regime, and the program stopped accepting new applications on 3 April 2025. It had offered residence to non-EU investors who bought at least €500,000 of Spanish real estate, with other routes for larger fund, deposit, government-bond or company investments. Applications filed before the closing date, and permits already issued, are treated under transitional rules.

If you are searching for it, there is no way to buy your way into Spanish residence now. Spain still has other residence routes, but they are based on income, work or a business plan, not on investment. Confirm the legal details in the official BOE text or with a Spanish immigration lawyer.

What happened and when

Organic Law 1/2025 of 2 January was published in Spain's official gazette on 3 January 2025. A final provision removed articles 63 to 67 of Law 14/2013, which created the investor visa, and the repeal took effect three months later, on 3 April 2025. We confirmed the law's existence on the BOE site; the details of the repeal and the transitional rules below come from KPMG's legal alert and a Spanish law firm, so a lawyer should check them against the BOE text.

What the golden visa used to require

The old rules covered several investments, each per applicant:

• At least €500,000 in Spanish real estate.
• At least €1 million in shares of Spanish companies, or in investment funds or bank deposits.
• At least €2 million in Spanish government debt.
• Business projects of general interest.

The visa gave a 3-year initial permit with 5-year renewals, according to KPMG's summary of the repealed articles. It needed little physical presence, which is why it attracted investors who wanted a Schengen base.

What happens to existing cases

According to the law as summarized by KPMG:

• Applications filed before 3 April 2025 may be decided under the rules in force on the filing date.
• Visas and permits valid on 3 April 2025 remain valid for the period issued.
• Renewals are handled under the rules in force when the initial permit was granted.

If you filed an application or hold a permit, speak to a Spanish immigration lawyer about your timing and renewal obligations. We cannot advise on individual cases.

Taxes if you already hold a permit

Staying more than 183 days in a calendar year, or having your main economic interests in Spain, makes you a tax resident taxed on worldwide income. Ask a Spanish tax adviser. This is not tax advice.

Alternatives to the Spain golden visa

Spain has no direct replacement for investors. The routes still open depend on your situation:

• Digital nomad visa. For remote workers earning about €2,442 a month from companies outside Spain.
• Non-lucrative visa. For savers and retirees with about €2,400 a month and private insurance, with no work allowed.
• Entrepreneur visa. For founders of innovative businesses approved by the large-business unit UGE-CE.

If you want a golden-visa-style route in Europe, Portugal's golden visa is still open with funds and research routes from €500,000, although real estate no longer qualifies there either. You can browse other routes in our Spain guide and Portugal guide.

Family members

The sources we read did not say how family members' permits are treated. If your spouse or children hold permits linked to an investor visa, ask a Spanish immigration lawyer how their renewals will work.

Path to permanent residence and citizenship

Existing holders follow the old rules for their permits. Long-term residence in Spain generally comes after 5 years of legal residence, and Spanish citizenship usually takes 10 years and generally means giving up your previous nationality. These are general rules, not stated in the sources about the repeal, so confirm them.

What to do now

If you filed before 3 April 2025, keep your filing proof and ask a lawyer about your timeline. Otherwise pick an alternative above, or use the quiz to decide which country fits.