Spain Golden Visa Ended in April 2025: What Happened and What to Do Instead

Spain no longer issues golden visas. Since 3 April 2025, investing money in Spain — buying a home for €500,000, putting €1 million into shares or a bank deposit, or €2 million into government bonds — does not give you a residence permit.

If you were planning to move to Spain through an investment, the question now is which of the remaining routes fits you. This article explains what changed, what happens to people who already applied or already hold a golden visa, and what to choose instead.

Short answer

• What ended: the whole investor visa, not only the property option. Articles 63–67 of Ley 14/2013 were emptied by Ley Orgánica 1/2025.
• From when: 3 April 2025.
• Already applied before that date: your application is decided under the old rules.
• Already hold a golden visa: it stays valid for the period it was issued for; renewals are processed under the rules in force when you got it.
• Instead: live on savings — the non-lucrative visa; work remotely for foreign clients — the digital nomad visa; start a business in Spain — the entrepreneur permit.

What exactly was abolished

The golden visa was the "residence visa for investors" in Ley 14/2013, articles 63–67. Until April 2025 it was available for a "significant capital investment":

• €2 million in Spanish government bonds;
• €1 million in shares of Spanish companies, Spanish investment funds or deposits in Spanish banks;
• real estate in Spain worth €500,000 or more per applicant;
• a business project in Spain recognised as being of general interest (jobs, socio-economic impact, innovation).

Ley Orgánica 1/2025 of 2 January (final provision 21) left all five articles "without content". So every investment option is gone, including shares, deposits and business projects — not just property.

The law was published on 3 January 2025 and entered into force three months later, on 3 April 2025.

You can still buy property in Spain as a foreigner. It simply no longer gives you a right to live here.

If you applied or already hold a golden visa

The same law added two transitional provisions to Ley 14/2013:

• Applications filed before 3 April 2025. Investors and their family members who applied before that date can receive the visa or permit under the rules that applied on the day they filed.
• Visas and permits already issued. They remain valid for the period they were issued for. If you apply to renew, the renewal is processed and decided under the rules in force on the date your initial permit was granted.

The renewal provision is titled for investors who bought real estate. If your golden visa was based on another type of investment, check your renewal with an expert before you file.

What to choose instead

None of the remaining routes is "pay and get residency". Each one asks why you are coming: to live on your money, to work remotely or to run a business here.

Non-lucrative visa: the closest to a golden visa

For most former golden-visa candidates, the non-lucrative visa is the natural replacement: it is also for people who have money and don't need a job in Spain.

• Money: €2,400 a month or €28,800 for the first year (400% of IPREM), plus €600 a month per family member.
• Work: not allowed — including remote work. This is the main difference: the golden visa let you work, the non-lucrative visa does not.
• Where to apply: only at a Spanish consulate.
• Validity: 1 year, then renewed for 2 years.

Full non-lucrative visa guide

Digital nomad visa: if you keep working

If you plan to keep your job or clients abroad, the digital nomad visa is a better fit than the non-lucrative visa — it allows remote work.

• Income: €2,849 a month in 2026 (200% of the minimum wage), more with family.
• Work: an employer or clients outside Spain for at least 3 months; up to 20% of income from Spain.
• Where to apply: from inside Spain — a 3-year permit; at a consulate — a 1-year visa.

Full digital nomad visa guide

Entrepreneur permit: if you want to invest in your own business

If your plan was to put money into a business in Spain, the entrepreneur permit is the route that remains. Unlike the golden visa, it is not about the amount invested: the business must be innovative or of special economic interest for Spain, and ENISA (the state agency that assesses business plans) must issue a favourable report.

• Validity: 3 years, then renewed for 2 years; permanent residence after 5 years.
• Where to apply: to the UGE from inside Spain, or through a consulate from abroad.

Full startup visa guide

Questions

Can I still get residency in Spain by buying property?

No. Since 3 April 2025, buying property of any value gives no right to residence. You can still buy, but you need a separate residence route — for example, the non-lucrative visa.

Was only the property option abolished?

No. All investor options in Ley 14/2013 were abolished at once: government bonds, shares and funds, bank deposits, real estate and business projects of general interest.

I applied in March 2025. Will my application be considered?

Yes. Applications filed before 3 April 2025 are decided under the rules in force on the day you applied.

Can I renew my golden visa?

Yes. A golden visa issued before 3 April 2025 stays valid for its term, and a renewal is decided under the rules in force when your initial permit was granted. For an investment other than real estate, check with an expert first.

Which alternative is the fastest?

Of the routes above, the digital nomad visa filed from inside Spain is usually the fastest: the UGE must answer within 20 working days. The non-lucrative visa depends on the consulate and how soon you get an appointment — in practice, usually several months.

Sources: Ley Orgánica 1/2025 of 2 January, final provisions 21 and 38 (BOE-A-2025-76); Ley 14/2013 of 27 September, articles 63–67 (version before 3 April 2025), 69–70 and transitional provisions 1 and 2 (BOE-A-2013-10074).