SOBE Knowledge
Spain’s Golden Visa Ended in 2025 — What Now?
Spain ended new investor-residence applications linked to property on 3 April 2025. Here is what existing holders retain, how earlier applications are treated, and which residence routes may still fit a move to Spain.
The property Golden Visa is closed to new applicants
From 3 April 2025, buying Spanish property no longer creates a route to an investor visa or investor residence authorisation.
Spain removed articles 63 to 67 of Law 14/2013 with effect from that date. The change separated two decisions that were previously connected: a foreign buyer may still purchase and own property in Spain, but the purchase itself no longer grants a right to reside.
A purchase completed on or after 3 April 2025 does not qualify for a new property-based Golden Visa.
An investor or qualifying family member who filed before 3 April 2025 may be processed under the rules in force when the application was submitted.
It remains valid for its issued period. A renewal is decided under the rules in force when the initial authorisation was granted.
Important: the transitional rules are fact-specific. Existing holders and pre-3 April 2025 applicants should obtain immigration advice before filing, renewing, selling or restructuring the qualifying investment.
Residence routes that remain
No visa automatically replaced the Golden Visa. The appropriate route now depends on nationality, work, income, family circumstances and intended time in Spain.
Non-Lucrative Visa
This route is generally used by non-EU nationals who have sufficient financial means and qualifying health cover and who will not carry out gainful work in Spain. The official minimum is linked to the IPREM index: normally 400% of IPREM for the principal applicant plus 100% for each accompanying family member. The applicable amount and consular evidence should be checked for the year and place of application.
Digital Nomad Visa
This route is available to eligible third-country nationals carrying out remote employment or professional activity mainly for organisations outside Spain. Employee and self-employed cases are assessed differently, and the applicant must satisfy the current work-relationship, qualification or experience, income, social-security and insurance requirements.
Work, highly qualified, entrepreneur and family routes
Depending on the facts, residence may arise through employment, a highly qualified role, an intra-company transfer, research, an approved entrepreneurial project, family rights or another immigration category. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a visa, although registration requirements may apply for stays exceeding three months.
Beckham regime: a Digital Nomad Visa does not automatically grant the special inbound tax regime. Some qualifying newcomers may elect it separately, subject to eligibility and deadlines. The commonly quoted 24% rate applies to the relevant general tax base up to €600,000; a 47% rate applies above that level. Individual tax advice is essential before relying on it.
How to sequence a property purchase after the change
For a relocating buyer, immigration, tax and property planning should be coordinated — but they are no longer one legal transaction.
- Define the intended stay. Decide whether the property is a holiday home, an investment, a part-year base or a principal residence.
- Check immigration eligibility. A qualified immigration adviser should identify the route, application location, evidence and timing.
- Model tax residence before moving. A residence permit and Spanish tax residence are different concepts. Spanish domestic tests include time spent in Spain and the centre of economic interests, while tax treaties may also matter.
- Run the property search in parallel. The NIE, source-of-funds documents, financing and legal due diligence can be prepared while the residence strategy is being finalised.
- Coordinate before signing. Visa timing, tax elections, the arras contract, completion and the intended move date should not contradict one another.
For many non-resident second-home owners, the closure changes nothing about ownership. Their time in Spain remains governed by the entry rules applicable to their nationality and, where relevant, the Schengen limit of up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period.
Planning a move to the Costa del Sol
The Costa del Sol Expats Guide
A practical overview of residence routes, healthcare, schools, taxes and the property process — with specialist advice used where the decision becomes legal or fiscal.
Four common mistakes
1. Relying on old marketing. Pages and brochures published before April 2025 may still claim that a €500,000 purchase produces residence. It no longer does for a new applicant.
2. Assuming one visa “replaced” the Golden Visa. The Digital Nomad and Non-Lucrative routes existed for different policy reasons and have their own work, income and presence conditions.
3. Treating a residence permit as a tax answer. Immigration status, tax residence and eligibility for a special tax regime must each be tested separately.
4. Assuming the Beckham regime is automatic. A qualifying immigration route may help establish the move, but the tax election has separate conditions and deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Spanish Golden Visa still available through property?
No. New investor visa and residence applications based on a property purchase ended on 3 April 2025.
What happens to an application filed before 3 April 2025?
An investor or qualifying family member who submitted the application before the change took effect may receive the visa or authorisation under the rules in force on the filing date.
What happens if I already hold a valid property Golden Visa?
It remains valid for the period for which it was issued. A renewal application is processed under the rules that applied when the initial authorisation was granted.
Can I still obtain Spanish residence by buying a home?
Not through the purchase itself. Residence must come through another qualifying immigration route, such as a Non-Lucrative, Digital Nomad, work, entrepreneur or family route.
Can a non-resident still buy property in Spain?
Yes. Spanish residence is not generally required to buy or own property. The buyer still needs the usual identity, NIE, source-of-funds, tax and conveyancing documentation.
Does a Digital Nomad Visa automatically give me Beckham Law tax treatment?
No. The immigration authorisation and the special inbound tax regime are separate. Eligibility, timing and the correct tax election must be checked independently.
Does the 90/180 rule apply only to Spain?
No. For travellers subject to the Schengen short-stay rule, the limit normally covers the Schengen Area as a whole: up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period.
Official sources
These are the primary public sources used for the legal-status and residence summaries on this page.
- BOE — Law 14/2013, transitional provision oneApplications submitted before the change.
- BOE — Law 14/2013, transitional provision twoValidity and renewal of existing investor permissions.
- Spanish Ministry of Inclusion — international teleworkersOfficial Digital Nomad route information.
- Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Non-Lucrative VisaOfficial financial-means and application overview.
- European Commission — Schengen short-stay calculatorOfficial explanation of the rolling 90/180-day rule.