Note

Spain golden visa abolished: what the repeal did

§ 1The law

The change came through Organic Law 1/2025, a statute passed by parliament in early 2025. The government announced the date of effect in a press release on 2 April 2025: the repeal took effect the next day, 3 April 2025. The release says the law repealed in full the residence visas for investors, which covered residential investments among others. This page belongs to the chapter in the chapter on the golden visa.

§ 2What was repealed

The best-known route gave a residence permit to non-EU nationals who bought real estate worth more than 500,000 euro. The press release describes the end of permits tied to such investments. It also describes the repeal as covering investor residence visas generally. We rely on that description and do not itemise other categories, because we could not read the legal text in full.

§ 3The stated reason

The government said it acted to protect the right to housing. It also pointed out that the European Commission had urged member states in 2022 to end investor citizenship schemes. These are the reasons the government gave, and we report them as such. Whether the measure will achieve its aim is a matter of public debate that we do not settle here.

§ 4What we could not confirm

The press release does not cover permits already granted, renewals or applications filed before 3 April 2025. The Ministry of Inclusion’s page on investors sets out the transitional rules, and we read it on 26 October 2026, but not in the gazette text. The first transitional provision says investors and family members who applied before the law took effect may receive the visa or authorisation under the rules in force on the date of their application. The second says valid investor visas and authorisations keep their validity for the period for which they were issued, and renewals are handled under the rules in force when the first authorisation was granted. The ministry’s management criteria of 10 June 2025 add detail. A plain sale of the home is not addressed in the texts we read. If your case depends on any of this, the route is the foreigners’ office or a lawyer who handles immigration, who can read the transitional provisions and tell you how they apply. The practical steps are in more on existing holders.

§ 5Effect on the property market

We do not forecast prices. The point for a buyer is simpler: the purchase no longer comes with a permit, so the decision to buy must stand on its own reasons. The old route is described in more on the old property route.

§ 6Where to check

The government release is listed in the sources of this page. The official state gazette publishes the law, and a lawyer can point you to the exact provisions. Be wary of summaries by firms that sell services, since some still describe the old regime as current.

§ 7A note on terms

People use “golden visa” for several things: the visa issued at a consulate, the residence permit granted in Spain, and the investor category as a whole. The press release speaks of residence visas for investors. When you read advice, check which of these it means, because the rules for each can differ.

§ 8Routes that remain

Residence routes that do not depend on investment are not affected. The main one for people with independent means is covered in the section on residency and property, and the comparison is in more on the alternatives.

Legal note. How the process works in general. It is not legal advice, and it never replaces an independent Spanish lawyer acting for you.