Spain's Golden Visa was abolished on 3 April 2025 and is no longer available for any investment route. If you were considering it for Spanish residency, this page explains what happened — and the excellent alternatives still open to high-net-worth UK nationals.
Book Free Consultation View PricingSpain's Golden Visa (officially the Visado de Inversión or Investor Visa) was introduced in 2013 as part of the Ley de Emprendedores (Entrepreneurs' Law). It allowed non-EU nationals — including, after Brexit, UK nationals — to obtain Spanish residency by making a qualifying investment in Spain.
The programme was highly popular with wealthy international investors who wanted a foothold in Spain and the broader EU's Schengen Area. For UK nationals post-Brexit, it represented one of the quickest paths to legal long-term residency in Spain without the income-based requirements of the Non-Lucrative Visa.
| Investment Route | Former Minimum Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate / property purchase | €500,000 | Abolished (3 Apr 2025) |
| Spanish company shares / investment | €1,000,000 | Abolished (3 Apr 2025) |
| Spanish investment funds / venture capital | €1,000,000 | Abolished (3 Apr 2025) |
| Spanish government bonds | €2,000,000 | Abolished (3 Apr 2025) |
| Significant business investment (job creation) | No fixed minimum | Abolished (3 Apr 2025) |
All Golden Visa routes closed on 3 April 2025 under Organic Law 1/2025. No new applications are accepted.
In April 2024, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the government's intention to eliminate the property-based Golden Visa route, arguing that it contributed to housing unaffordability in Spanish cities — particularly Barcelona, Madrid, and the Balearic Islands, where international investment demand had inflated property prices.
The measure was ultimately passed as part of Organic Law 1/2025, which repealed Articles 63 to 67 of Law 14/2013 — the provisions that created the investor visa. The law took effect on 3 April 2025, closing the Golden Visa entirely. In practice the final legislation went further than the original property-only proposal: every investment route was removed, not just real estate. Since that date, Spain no longer offers any residency-by-investment programme.
No. Although the original announcement focused on the property route, the final legislation removed the entire investor-visa scheme. The other routes — company shares, investment funds, government bonds and business investment — were all abolished on the same date, 3 April 2025. There is no residency-by-investment option left in Spain.
Even when the Golden Visa was fully available, it wasn't necessarily the best route for all high-net-worth individuals. Here's how it compared — and how alternatives look now:
| Factor | Golden Visa (Property) | Non-Lucrative Visa + Property Purchase | Beckham Law + DNV/NLV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability 2026 | Abolished | Available | Available |
| Minimum investment | €500,000 property | No minimum investment required — buy at any price point | No investment required |
| Income requirement | None (investment-based) | ~€2,400/month passive income | Varies by visa type |
| Right to work in Spain | No (investor only) | No | Yes (within visa conditions) |
| Tax benefits | None built-in | None built-in (wealth tax applies) | Beckham Law: flat 24% income tax for up to 6 years |
| Path to permanent residency | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years |
| Physical presence required | 1 visit per year | 183+ days/year in Spain | 183+ days/year in Spain |
For UK nationals who want investor residency in the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal's Golden Visa programme remains active as of 2026 — though it has also evolved. Following the abolition of direct property investment as a qualifying route in 2023, the main route is now investment in approved funds (typically €500,000 minimum).
Portugal's Golden Visa offers several advantages that are particularly relevant to UK nationals post-Brexit:
EU Passport
Eligible after 5 years via Portugal Golden Visa
The Spain Golden Visa attracted three main groups of UK nationals:
Those buying high-value Spanish property who wanted residency as a bonus.
Now: Buy property separately; apply for NLV for residency. The purchase and residency are decoupled but both still possible.
Entrepreneurs who saw Spain as a base of operations and investment platform.
Now: Digital Nomad Visa, Entrepreneur Visa, or NLV depending on circumstances. Beckham Law may apply.
Wealthy retirees wanting residency without the NLV income threshold restrictions.
Now: The NLV income threshold (£2,400/month) is well within reach for most HNW retirees — and now typically the recommended route.
The Golden Visa landscape has changed significantly, but the goal — legal residency in Spain for UK nationals — remains very achievable. We help high-net-worth clients navigate the current options, which typically means:
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Spain's Golden Visa was abolished on 3 April 2025 and is no longer available for any route. Book a free consultation and we'll recommend the best alternative residency route for your situation.
The Golden Visa landscape has changed — but there are still excellent paths to Spanish residency for UK nationals. Let's find the right one for you.
Book Free Consultation View Packages & PricingHow we research our guides: Our content is written by immigration specialists who work on Spanish visa, residency and tax applications for UK nationals every day, and is checked against the official Spanish and UK government sources below. Immigration rules change — always confirm the current requirements for your own situation before acting, or book a free consultation.