Spain's golden visa is abolished: what works instead

Spain's Golden Visa is closed: what exactly was abolished

The investor visa and residence permit (Golden Visa, residencia para inversores) were part of Ley 14/2013 on support for entrepreneurs. One of the qualifying conditions was buying property, and many agencies sold a purchase as a route to a residence permit. Disposición final 21 of Ley Orgánica 1/2025 “on measures for the efficiency of the public justice service” left articles 63, 64, 65, 66 and 67 without content: the visa, the procedure for proving the investment, its effects, the permit and its duration [1][2]. The law was published in the BOE on 3 January 2025, and the consolidated text of Ley 14/2013 states that these articles are without content “with effect from 3 April 2025” [1][2].

So an offer to “buy a flat and get a residence permit” after 3 April 2025 does not match the law in force. Old pages giving a property price and processing time should be treated as out of date, even if they rank in search results.

Transitional provisions: who is not affected by the closure

Ley 14/2013 received two transitional rules [1][2].

This shows that what matters is not the date of the preliminary purchase agreement but legally relevant events: whether an application was filed, whether a permit was issued, and until what date it is valid. A deposit paid before 3 April 2025 does not in itself count as an application. If you have documents, their dates need to be reviewed by a lawyer.

What this means for three groups of people

• You have not bought yet. A purchase does not open a migration route, and the residence permit has to be planned separately, before any large payments. Do not pay a non-refundable deposit for a “future residence permit”.
• You applied before the closure. Your case follows the rules in force on the date of application; you need the dates of the application, the notifications and the decision [1].
• You already hold an investor document. It is valid for the period for which it was granted, and renewal follows the previous rules [1]. Exactly what was required for renewal depends on the decision granting the original permit and the rules of those years: this is usually a question for a lawyer.

Golden Visa holders: absences and the path to larga duración

The sixth additional provision of Ley 14/2013 allows the residence of investors and of employees of foreign companies with a base in Spain to be renewed even if they spend more than six months a year outside Spain. But it specifies that continuous residence for larga duración and citizenship must be proved under the general rules [2]. Under article 183 of the Reglamento, absences are limited: up to six months in a row, with a total of up to ten months over five years, or up to eighteen for work [3]. So a person who keeps a Golden Visa but spends long periods abroad may keep their renewal but not build up the required period of residence. How to count the five years and how the statuses differ: larga duración and larga duración-UE.

What buying property gives you today

Buying gives you the rights of an owner, but not the right to live in Spain. A foreigner needs an NIE for the purchase: article 205 of the Reglamento describes it as a single personal number, and it does not replace a residence permit [3]. How to buy property without a residence permit, and which documents and taxes are involved: can you buy property without a residence permit. Taxes on buying in Catalonia are covered in a separate article: tax on buying a flat.

Without a residence permit you can stay in Spain as a visitor for no more than 90 days in any 180, and the days are counted across the whole Schengen area [3]. If you want to live in the flat you bought for longer, you need grounds.

Property helps in one case: no lucrativa. Article 62 of the Reglamento allows funds to be proved by any admissible evidence, including title documents for property, but the amount does not go down: 400% of the IPREM per month for the applicant and 100% for each family member, for the duration of the permit [3]. The IPREM for 2026 is €600 per month [4], which means €2,400 per month for one applicant and €600 for each family member. A flat can be part of the evidence, but it does not replace income or the other conditions, and you cannot work on a no lucrativa permit.

Alternatives to the golden visa: which permit to choose instead

If you are already in Spain without a status, the separate route is arraigo: types of arraigo. To compare all routes: choosing your residence permit grounds.

How to spot an outdated offer

• The listing says “residence permit for a purchase” or “golden visa” with no date and no reference to the law. After 3 April 2025 there is no such programme for new applicants [1][2].
• You are promised a time frame and an outcome before your documents are filed. The decision is made by the authority; there are no promises.
• The seller of the property and the “migration consultant” are the same company or related entities, and the “all-inclusive” contract does not separate the services.
• You are asked for a large non-refundable payment before the property and the grounds have been checked.

Ask for a separate description of: the property search, the legal check of the property, the tax analysis and the immigration support, who is responsible for what, and what the price includes.

Common mistakes

• Buying for a scheme that does not exist. Check the grounds before the transaction [1][2].
• Confusing the NIE with the right to live in Spain. The NIE is an identifier [3].
• Assuming an expensive flat by itself secures no lucrativa. You need funds under article 62, insurance and a clean criminal record certificate, and the outcome depends on the authority’s decision [3].
• Judging the transitional regime by the date of the preliminary agreement. What counts is the application and the permit issued [1].
• Living abroad on a Golden Visa. You may get a renewal, but for larga duración absences are counted under the general rule [2][3].

When you need an individual review

If you have an investor application or document and need to understand what applies, if you are buying a property and planning a move at the same time, or if you are being offered a “residence permit programme” with a purchase. This requires your documents and a lawyer. For property taxes you need a consultation with a gestor; for the right to a residence permit, with a lawyer.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona first chooses the residence permit grounds that fit your facts and only then discusses the purchase, and we do not promise a residence permit in exchange for property. The team’s lawyer reviews investor documents and the transitional rules, and a gestor handles tax questions. Book: consultation; general procedure: residence permit in Barcelona and the no lucrativa route card.

Frequently asked questions

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.