Executive Immigration Briefing · Spanish Residency Options in 2026
Spain's Golden Visa (investor residence under Law 14/2013) is closed to new applications: Organic Law 1/2025 removed it from 3 April 2025, and the removal is described as covering the real-estate route and the other investment routes (bank deposits, shares, public debt and business projects). Buying a Costa del Sol property does not give residence rights. Non-EU buyers who want to live in Spain need a different route, usually the Digital Nomad Visa or the Non-Lucrative Visa, each with its own tax consequences.
1. Spain's Residency Routes for Non-EU Buyers: Side-by-Side
Non-EU buyers acquiring prime villas along the Marbella coastline or Estepona's New Golden Mile can own property freely, but living in Spain requires a residence authorisation. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need neither visa. The routes below are the ones most relevant to property buyers; thresholds change every year, so verify them before applying:
| Route | Financial requirement | Work rights in Spain | Presence and tax | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Visa (investor residence) | Closed to new applications from 3 April 2025 | Existing holders: as set by their authorisation | Existing holders: renewal conditions under transitional rules | Existing permits renewable under transitional rules |
| Digital Nomad Visa (Law 28/2022) | About €2,849/month (200% of the 2026 minimum wage); confirm with the authority | Remote work for non-Spanish companies; self-employed holders may serve Spanish clients within a 20% limit | Habitual residence in Spain; Beckham option only if you independently qualify | Up to 3 years if applied for in Spain (1 year via consulate), renewable for 2 years |
| Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) | 400% of IPREM, about €2,400/month, plus about €600/month per family member | No work or business activity in Spain | Renewal normally requires more than 183 days a year in Spain, which usually means Spanish tax residence on worldwide income | 1 year, then renewals of 2 years |
2. What Happened to the Golden Visa
For years the €500,000 real-estate route made Costa del Sol purchases a residency strategy. That route no longer exists for new applicants. The practical position breaks down into three groups:
1. Existing holders
Permits that were valid on 3 April 2025 are generally reported to remain valid and renewable in successive periods, provided the original conditions continue to be met. Check the exact terms of your authorisation with an immigration lawyer.
2. Applications already filed
Applications submitted before the cut-off continue under the old regime according to the transitional rules. The treatment of purchases made but not yet filed depends on the facts, so take individual advice.
3. New buyers
A property purchase does not create any right to reside in Spain. If you want residence, you need a separate route (see below). If you only want to enjoy the property for holidays, a visa-free or short-stay entitlement, where your nationality allows it, is limited to 90 days in any 180 in the Schengen area.
British purchasers can read our legal guide on buying property in Spain as a UK buyer.
3. The Digital Nomad Visa and the Beckham Law
The Digital Nomad Visa (created under Law 28/2022) allows qualifying remote workers to live in Spain while working for non-Spanish companies. It is often paired with the Beckham regime, but the two are separate:
The visa
Requires qualifying education or experience, a qualifying remote-work relationship (generally with at least a year of real activity by the foreign company), adequate health cover and the prescribed documents. The principal applicant may apply from within Spain while lawfully present, or at a consulate from abroad.
The tax regime
Article 93 of the Personal Income Tax Act (the Beckham Law) can tax qualifying employment income at 24% up to €600,000 (47% above), for the first qualifying tax-residence year and the five following years. Genuinely foreign-source investment income is generally outside Spanish income tax, but Spanish-source income, including rental income and gains from Spanish property, remains taxable. Holding the visa does not itself confer eligibility: you must meet the Article 93 conditions, including no Spanish tax residence in the previous five tax periods, and the option is normally filed within six months of starting activity.
For the full comparison with the Non-Lucrative Visa see Digital Nomad Visa vs Non-Lucrative Visa, and for the tax details our Beckham Law guide.
4. The Non-Lucrative Visa
The Non-Lucrative Visa (Visado de Residencia No Lucrativa) is the classic route for retirees and people living on savings or passive income, with no right to work in Spain:
| Requirement | Specification |
|---|---|
| Financial means | 400% of IPREM per year (about €28,800), plus about €7,200 per year for each family member; confirm current figures with the consulate |
| Health insurance | Qualifying public or private cover; where private, it should typically be full cover without co-payments or waiting periods |
| Work | No authorisation to work or run a business in Spain |
| Renewal | Normally requires actual residence in Spain for more than 183 days a year, with continued means and health cover |
| Tax | Spanish tax residents are generally taxed on worldwide income, subject to domestic exemptions and applicable tax treaties |
5. Filing Route and Documents
Where you apply and which documents you need depend on the route and on where you are when you apply:
Consulate in your country of residence
The standard route for the Non-Lucrative Visa and for DNV applicants abroad. It involves an appointment, an initial entry visa and a later residence card.
In-country application for the DNV
Applicants lawfully present in Spain (for example within the 90/180-day Schengen allowance) can apply electronically through the Large Business and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE-CE). The unit has a statutory decision period of 20 working days, which can be suspended if documents are requested; issuing the physical card is a separate step. Ask your lawyer how the current rules treat a missed deadline rather than assuming approval.
Documents
Typically: criminal-record certificates from the countries where you lived in the previous two years, with the required apostille and a sworn Spanish translation, plus a declaration covering the previous five years; health insurance; and evidence of income or means. Requirements change, so use the receiving authority's checklist.
6. Immigration Status Is Not Tax Residence
A residence permit gives you the right to live in Spain. Tax residence is a separate test under Article 9 of the Personal Income Tax Act, and an applicable double-tax treaty may decide the position if another country also treats you as resident:
More than 183 days in Spain
Spending more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year generally makes you a Spanish tax resident, with sporadic absences counted as presence unless residence elsewhere is proven.
Centre of economic interests
Having the main base of your activities or economic interests in Spain, directly or indirectly.
Family
If your non-separated spouse and minor dependent children habitually live in Spain, you are presumed to be tax resident (a presumption that can be rebutted).
Holders of the Non-Lucrative Visa should expect Spanish tax residence on renewal. Regional tax treatment of property and wealth is covered in our Andalusia property tax guide.
7. Which Route Fits Which Buyer?
Three illustrative profiles. Individual facts change the answer, so these are not advice:
A British retired couple living on private pensions and savings
The Non-Lucrative Visa is the usual fit: it allows full-time residence without working, provided means and health cover are met. Expect Spanish tax residence on worldwide income, subject to the UK-Spain treaty.
A US executive on a remote salary
The Digital Nomad Visa may fit, and the Beckham regime may apply if the Article 93 conditions are independently met. Stock options, US tax obligations and treaty relief need individual analysis. US citizens generally remain subject to US tax.
A Gulf-based family that wants to use the villa for a few weeks a year
Owning the villa does not give residence rights, and the Golden Visa is no longer available. Short stays are governed by the Schengen 90/180-day rule and your nationality. If the family wants residence, they would need one of the routes above and should plan for the tax consequences.
8. From Residence to Long-Term Status and Citizenship
Residence under either route can count towards later milestones, subject to the conditions that apply at the time:
After 5 years: long-term EU residence
Generally requires 5 years of continuous legal residence, sufficient resources, health cover and a clean record, and absences generally must not exceed six consecutive months or ten months in total over the five years.
After 10 years: Spanish nationality
Citizenship by residence generally requires 10 years of legal, continuous residence, good civic conduct and integration (normally shown by the CCSE and DELE A2 tests). Shorter periods apply to certain applicants, such as nationals of some Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and Sephardic applicants.
This guide gives general information and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. It was last reviewed in October 2026. Consult an accredited Spanish immigration lawyer (abogado de extranjería) and a Spanish tax adviser for your own case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
Official pages consulted for this guide (reviewed October 2026). Always check the current version.