Note

The old Spain golden visa for property investment

§ 1The route

For a number of years, Spain offered a residence permit to non-EU nationals who made a qualifying investment. The property route required a purchase of real estate above 500,000 euro, as the government’s release describes. The permit was a way into residence without the usual conditions of work or family ties. The route is now history, and its end is covered in more on the golden visa.

§ 2Why it attracted buyers

For buyers from outside the EU, it offered a clear link between a purchase and a right to live in Spain. That is why many agents, developers and law firms promoted it, and why parts of the property market, especially at the higher end, were tied to it. The link no longer exists since the repeal of 3 April 2025, explained in more on the abolition.

§ 3What we do not describe

We do not set out the detailed conditions of the old permit, such as the duration, the rules for renewal, the rights of family members or the route to long-term residence. We could not read an official text that states them for the period before the repeal, and the rules for existing holders are not clear from the sources we have. Describing them from secondary sources would risk errors. If you hold such a permit, the practical advice is in existing holders explained.

§ 4Old advice online

Search results still show many pages that treat the golden visa as current. Some are old, some are marketing. Check the date. If a page says that you can obtain residence by buying a home above a certain price, it is out of date. The safest sources are government pages and the text of the law. Our own pages carry a date for the same reason.

§ 5What replaced it

Nothing replaced it directly. The remaining routes do not depend on buying property. The comparison in the alternatives explained explains the main ones in outline. A buyer who wants to live in Spain needs to choose one that fits their circumstances, whether or not they buy.

§ 6Buying anyway

A non-EU national can still buy a home in Spain. The legal process is the same, and the buyer needs a NIE. The difference is that the buyer has no right to stay beyond the short-stay limits unless they hold a permit, a point developed in the chapter on Schengen stays. The question of whether property helps any application is dealt with in the section on residency and property.

§ 7A caution on agents

If an agent or lawyer tells you that a purchase will give you residence, ask for the legal basis in writing, and ask for the date of the rule they rely on. A promise without a basis is a reason to look elsewhere.

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