Spain's Golden Visa was abolished in April 2025
Ley Organica 1/2025 ended residency-by-property-investment. New applications are no longer accepted. If you are looking for a Spanish residency route in 2026, you want the Digital Nomad Visa, the Non-Lucrative Visa, or a Highly Qualified Professional permit instead.
What happened
The Spanish parliament passed Ley Organica 1/2025 in January 2025, ending the property-investment route of the Visado de Inversor (Investor Visa, introduced in 2013 under Law 14/2013). The bond, share, deposit and business-project routes were also closed under the same reform. The official rationale focused on housing affordability: residency-by-property purchases were concentrated in Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and the Balearic Islands and were judged to be pushing up prices in cities already under pressure.
Are existing Golden Visa holders affected?
No. Anyone who held a valid Golden Visa before 3 April 2025 keeps their residency under the original terms, including normal renewals. The same applies to family members already included in the application. The change is forward-looking only.
If you applied between late 2024 and 2 April 2025 and your file was still being processed at the cutoff, your case sits in a transitional regime. Speak to an immigration lawyer about your specific situation.
What to apply for in 2026 instead
There is no like-for-like replacement for residency-by-investment. The closest 2026 routes are listed below, with full notes in our free consultation.
Digital Nomad Visa (DNV)
For non-EU remote workers and freelancers earning above 200% of the SMI (around 34,188 EUR/yr in 2026). Three-year residency, renewable, with the option to attach Beckham Law for a flat 24% tax rate. Full guide
Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV)
For people with passive income above 400% of the IPREM (around 28,800 EUR/yr in 2026 for the main applicant, plus 7,200 EUR/yr per dependent). One-year residency renewable for two two-year extensions. Common path for US retirees, see our moving from USA guide. No remote work allowed. Full guide
Non-EU entrepreneur permit (Ley de Emprendedores)
For founders launching an innovative business of general interest in Spain. Project must be approved by ENISA. Slow path but real. Bring your own funding.
You can still buy property in Spain - it just no longer grants residency
Foreign nationals can still purchase real estate in Spain freely. Property ownership in itself does not grant residency, and never did for purchases under 500,000 EUR. If you want to live in Spain, you apply for the visa first (DNV, NLV, HSP, etc.) and the property is a separate transaction. Most clients we see in 2026 prefer to rent for the first 12 months, then use our relocation services team and a tax guide review before they buy.
See our property buying guide for the legal process if you decide to invest, and our neighborhoods guide for where to look in Valencia.