How To Move To Spain After The Golden Visa Withdrawal

On April 3, 2025, Spain formally terminated its golden visa program. Organic Law 1/2025 annulled Articles 63 to 67 of the 2013 law, which had permitted affluent foreigners to acquire Spanish residency for more than ten years.

For those considering Spain, it might seem the opportunity is gone. However, it is not.

The golden visa was merely one of several entry options into the country. Three alternatives are still available, each providing a path to permanent residency after five years and citizenship after ten. For citizens of Ibero-American countries, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and a few other nations with historical ties to Spain, the citizenship timeline shortens to just two years.

What has shifted is the method of entry. You can no longer simply purchase a €500,000 property to secure a residence permit. Instead, you must engage with Spain on its terms, whether by working remotely, retiring with passive income, or starting a business.

Here is an explanation of each available route.

Sunset In Spain

The Digital Nomad Visa and the Beckham Law Tax Break

Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) was introduced in January 2023 under the Startup Law (Law 28/2022). It is aimed at remote workers employed by foreign companies or self-employed professionals with clients primarily outside Spain.

To be eligible, you must earn at least approximately €2,849 per month (200% of Spain’s minimum wage, which increased by 3.1% in January 2026). You also need a higher education degree or three years of relevant professional experience, along with private health insurance without copays. At least 80% of your professional activity should be for clients or employers outside Spain.

If applying from abroad, the initial visa is valid for one year. Once in Spain, it can be converted into a residence permit valid for up to three years, renewable for an additional two years. After five years of continuous legal residence, you qualify for permanent residency.

The tax aspect makes this visa particularly appealing. DNV holders can opt into Spain’s Beckham Law, officially the Special Tax Regime for Impatriates. Named after footballer David Beckham, who benefited from it during his time at Real Madrid, the regime taxes Spanish-source income at a flat 24% for up to six years on earnings up to €600,000 annually. Income exceeding that is taxed at 47%.

The real advantage extends beyond the rate. Under the Beckham Law, you are considered a non-resident for tax purposes. Foreign-source non-employment income, such as dividends, rental income from overseas properties, and capital gains on foreign assets, is not subject to Spanish taxation. Additionally, you are exempt from Spain’s wealth tax on assets held abroad.

Standard Spanish residents face progressive tax rates that can reach 47% on worldwide income, and even higher in some regions. The difference between the two regimes is significant.

There is one condition. You must apply to the Spanish Tax Agency within six months of starting work in Spain. Missing this deadline means losing access to the Beckham Law permanently.

Spanish Steps

The Non-Lucrative Visa for Retirees and Passive Income Earners

If you do not work and have no plans to start, Spain’s Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) might be your simplest option. This is Spain’s independent means visa, aimed at retirees, FIRE individuals, and anyone who can sustain themselves without employment.

The financial requirement is relatively low. You must demonstrate passive income or savings of €28,800 per year for the main applicant, based on 400% of Spain’s public income indicator (IPREM). Each dependent requires an additional €7,200 annually.

Eligible income includes pensions, annuities, rental income from overseas properties, Social Security payments, and investment dividends. The key term is passive. You cannot work in Spain on this visa, not even remotely.

This restriction is strictly enforced. If remote work is your primary income source, the NLV is not the right visa. Spain’s immigration authorities clearly differentiated between the NLV and the Digital Nomad Visa for this specific reason.

The visa is initially valid for one year, renewable in two-year increments thereafter. After five years of continuous residence, you may apply for permanent residency. Citizenship follows the standard ten-year timeline, or two years for nationals of the historically linked countries mentioned earlier.

One rule changed in 2025. The Spanish government reinstated a minimum physical presence requirement of 183 days per year to maintain the NLV. If you seek a residence permit while living mostly elsewhere, this is no longer feasible.

Costa Brava

The Entrepreneur Visa

Spain’s least discussed residency option might be its most promising in the post-golden-visa era.

The Entrepreneur Visa grants residence to non-EU nationals who propose an innovative business of special economic interest to Spain. It was not impacted by the golden visa termination, as it falls under different articles of Law 14/2013.

The process begins with a business plan submitted to ENISA, Spain’s National Innovation Company. ENISA evaluates your proposal based on innovation and scalability. Traditional brick-and-mortar concepts will not be approved. They seek tech-enabled, high-growth, or impact-driven models that introduce something new to the Spanish market and create local jobs.

If ENISA issues a favorable report, you apply for your residence permit through the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE). ENISA review can take up to three months, but once you have the favorable report, UGE processing takes about 20 business days. This makes the final approval stage one of the fastest in Spanish immigration law.

The initial permit is valid for three years, renewable in five-year increments. Unlike the golden visa, you must reside in Spain for at least six months per year to maintain the status. Financial solvency requirements are modest: the official baseline is 100% of IPREM (around €7,200 per year) for the main applicant, though many consulates expect proof of higher funds.

Since the Startup Law took effect in 2023, entrepreneur visa holders also qualify for the Beckham Law. This means the same flat 24% tax rate on Spanish income and exemption from taxation on foreign-source non-employment income for your first six years.

Dr. Jacinto Soler-Matutes, who analyzed the golden visa termination timeline for IMI Daily, noted that the three remaining alternatives all require effective residence of at least six months per year, differing from the golden visa’s minimal physical presence requirements.

The Bigger Picture

The golden visa attracted investors who invested in real estate and spent little time in the country. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez portrayed the closure as a response to a housing crisis, arguing that the 27,000 properties purchased by non-EU residents in 2023 were not bought to live in but to rent out on platforms like Airbnb. A proposed 100% tax on property purchases by non-EU, non-resident buyers could further alter the calculus for anyone considering Spanish real estate purely as an investment.

The remaining alternatives all require actual residence in Spain. Remote workers contribute to local economies. Retirees spend their pensions in Spanish shops and restaurants. Entrepreneurs create jobs.

Each of these routes still leads to the same outcome: permanent residency after five years and citizenship after ten. The entry ticket now requires a plan to build a life in Spain, not just a portfolio.