Updated on December 24, 2024
Spain Golden Visa
Living by the sea and travelling across Europe without visas
€500,000+
Investment amount
5+ months
Obtaining period
10 years
To citizenship
The Spain Golden Visa is a residence permit that foreigners can obtain in exchange for investment. It was launched in 2013.
Investment options include purchase of real estate, government bonds, or shares of Spanish companies; deposit money in a Spanish bank; or investment in a business or units of investment funds.
The minimum investment is €500,000.
Investors don’t have to take language and cultural exams. Besides, they are not required to live in Spain, and the law allows them to rent out the purchased property.
To maintain residency, the investor must keep the investment.
The investor can obtain permanent residency after living in Spain for five years. After five more years, they can apply for citizenship, though they must renounce their other passports.
Benefits of the Spain Golden Visa
1
Visa-free travel to the Schengen countries
Spanish residents visit other Schengen countries without visas and spend up to 90 days within any 180-day period there.
Spanish residents visit other Schengen countries without visas and spend up to 90 days within any 180-day period there.
2
Residence permits for the whole family
The Golden Visa covers the investor’s spouse, unmarried dependent children, and dependent parents, allowing the entire family to obtain Spanish residence permits.
The Golden Visa covers the investor’s spouse, unmarried dependent children, and dependent parents, allowing the entire family to obtain Spanish residence permits.
3
No requirements for language proficiency, education or business experience
Applicants are not required to prove Spanish language proficiency, submit educational diplomas, or show business experience to qualify for the visa.
Applicants are not required to prove Spanish language proficiency, submit educational diplomas, or show business experience to qualify for the visa.
4
Moving to Spain and creating a “safe haven”
Golden Visa holders can enter Spain at any time, even during travel restrictions, providing a secure option in emergencies.
Golden Visa holders can enter Spain at any time, even during travel restrictions, providing a secure option in emergencies.
5
No residing requirements for Golden Visa holders
Neither the investor nor their family members are required to live in Spain to maintain residency. The only obligation is to visit Spain when it’s time to renew the residence permit.
Neither the investor nor their family members are required to live in Spain to maintain residency. The only obligation is to visit Spain when it’s time to renew the residence permit.
6
Access to European education and healthcare
Investor’s children can attend Spanish schools and universities, both private and public. The whole family can access Spain’s high-quality healthcare system, as well as medical services in other Schengen countries.
Investor’s children can attend Spanish schools and universities, both private and public. The whole family can access Spain’s high-quality healthcare system, as well as medical services in other Schengen countries.
7
Working and doing business in Spain
Investors and their family members can obtain work permits in Spain. Entrepreneurs can transfer existing businesses or establish new companies in Spain.
Investors and their family members can obtain work permits in Spain. Entrepreneurs can transfer existing businesses or establish new companies in Spain.
8
EU citizenship in 10 years
An investor can obtain permanent residence after five years of living in Spain. After an additional five years, they can apply for Spanish citizenship.
An investor can obtain permanent residence after five years of living in Spain. After an additional five years, they can apply for Spanish citizenship.
9
Citizenship for newborns in 1 year
A child born in Spain to Golden Visa holders can become a Spanish citizen after living in the country for just one year, greatly reducing the standard 10-year naturalisation process.
A child born in Spain to Golden Visa holders can become a Spanish citizen after living in the country for just one year, greatly reducing the standard 10-year naturalisation process.
Practical guide on the Spain Golden Visa
Step-by-step procedure
Requirements for applicants
Required documents
Answers to frequently asked questions
Who can get a Spain Golden Visa
Investment options for the Spain Golden Visa
Spain offers investors six options to choose from. Buying a property requires the least investment amount.
Applicants for Spain residence by investment must confirm their financial solvency by transferring to a Spanish bank account a sum that exceeds the annual minimum wage at least four times.
In 2024, the minimum wage in Spain is €600 per month, or €7,200 per year. Therefore, an applicant must transfer at least €28,800 to their Spanish bank account. Approximately €7,000 must be added for each dependent.
1 option
Real estate purchase — €500,000+
An investor buys a residential or commercial property in Spain. If they include family members in the application, the investment amount does not increase.
The property can be owned by the investor or by a company, where the investor is a controlling shareholder and owns most of the shares. If the applicant buys commercial premises on behalf of the company, they can get a tax deduction and reclaim the 21% VAT.
The investor can purchase one or several properties for a total value of €500,000. The entire amount does not have to be invested in one property. The investor can rent out the real estate, but the property cannot be sold; otherwise, the residence permit will be revoked.
Property buyers pay a transfer tax and associated fees, including the following:
for residential properties in new buildings: 10% VAT and 1,5% stamp duty;
for residential resale properties: 6 to 10% of the cadastral property value;
for commercial premises: up to 25% of the transaction amount.
2 option
Opening a deposit in a Spanish bank — €1,000,000+
3 option
Purchase of shares of Spanish companies — €1,000,000+
4 option
Purchase of units in investment funds — €1,000,000+
5 option
Purchase of government bonds — €2,000,000+
6 option
Business investments
The law doesn’t establish the minimum investment
Individual cost calculation for the Spain Golden Visa
Get an individual calculation for your family with all associated costs and government fees
Differences between the Golden Visa and a residence permit for financially independent people
Residence permits for financially independent people are available to those who receive passive remote income and have housing in Spain. The housing can be owned or rented for at least a year.
The applicant must confirm financial solvency to get a residence permit for a year. They need to have at least €28,880 in a Spanish bank account. An additional €7,200 is required for each family member.
How to obtain permanent residence and Spain citizenship
There is no way to obtain Spain citizenship by investment. An investor can become a Spanish citizen by naturalisation. The process involves first obtaining a residence permit by investment, moving to Spain, acquiring permanent residence after a few years, and then applying for citizenship.
To obtain permanent residence, you must permanently live in the country for at least 5 years. You cannot spend more than 10 months outside Spain during this period. Frequent travel outside the country and leaving Spain for more than three consecutive months are not recommended.
An applicant for permanent residency must confirm financial solvency, own housing in Spain, and have health insurance. Authorities consider the investor’s law-abiding nature and their degree of integration into Spanish society. It is also checked whether the applicant filed tax returns yearly and paid taxes in full.
Permanent residence is valid for life, but the card must be renewed every five years.
To obtain Spain citizenship, adult applicants must live in the country with residence permits or permanent residence cards for at least 10 years. They also pass two exams:
DELE to confirm proficiency in Spanish at the A2 level or higher;
CCSE to prove knowledge of Spanish cultural and legal life.
Spain forbids its citizens from holding multiple citizenships. Applicants must renounce their original citizenship, except for citizens of France, Portugal, Andorra, and several Latin American countries where Spanish is an official language.
Minor children with at least one Spanish parent can get Spanish citizenship by birth, regardless of their birthplace. They are exempted from taking exams.
If the parents become Spanish citizens, their child can obtain citizenship within two years, regardless of the child’s residence period in Spain.
Children born in Spain do not automatically get citizenship by right of soil. They can become Spanish citizens after living in the country for a year with a residence permit. At least one parent must also hold a residence permit.
Real estate in Spain
Spain, Palma de Mallorca
€398,000 — €430,000
Apartments in a new residential complex with a swimming pool
61 m²
2 
2 
Spain, Benidorm
€340,000 — €650,000
Apartments and villas with sea and mountain view73 m² — 230 m²2—3 2—3 
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Required documents to apply for the Spain Golden Visa
An investor must submit a package of documents alongside the Spain Golden Visa application. The essentials include the following:
A valid passport issued within the last ten years.
A certificate of no criminal record from all countries where the applicant has lived in the past five years. Each family member over 18 must submit this document.
Health insurance from a company licensed for working in Spain.
Proof of investment, such as a certificate from the Land Registry if an applicant has bought a property.
Documents confirming the applicant’s sufficient income and stable financial position.
Documents proving kinship and financial dependence of family members on the investor, if applicable.
Personal documents must be translated into Spanish by a translator licensed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All copies must be notarised and apostilled.
Applicants must also submit filled-out government forms and passport-sized photos. Additional documents may be required depending on the case.
Step-by-step procedure for obtaining the Spain Golden Visa by purchasing real estate
1 day
Preliminary Due Diligence
A certified Anti-Money Laundering Officer performs a preliminary Due Diligence check. This is a mandatory step: Immigrant Invest does not sign an agreement with the investor until we receive the Due Diligence results. The check allows us to identify potential issues and reduce the rejection risk to 1%.
The results are confidential and used only to assist the investor in obtaining application approval. To pass the preliminary Due Diligence, the investor only needs to provide their passport.
Pass a quick test and learn the nuances that can prevent you from obtaining a second citizenship.
1 to 4 months
Buying real estate
Real estate specialists help the investor find a suitable property. The investor either travels to Spain to examine the property in person or chooses it remotely with photo and video reports from the site.
In Spain, a lawyer acts on the investor’s behalf. Thus, the first step is signing a power of attorney. It can be signed remotely, certified, apostilled, and sent to Spain.
The lawyer obtains an individual taxpayer number for the investor, checks the transaction terms, and prepares the documents. The investor or the lawyer signs a sale and purchase agreement. After signing, the lawyer submits the agreement to the Land Registry and receivesthe ownership certificate.
3 to 5 weeks
Preparing of documents and application
Documents are prepared while the investor purchases real estate. The investor gets health insurance and provides Immigrant Invest lawyers with copies of their passports, marriage and birth certificates, and photos. Lawyers fill out government forms and assist with paying fees and taxes.
According to the program terms, the investor must be in Spain when applying for the Golden Visa. A Schengen visa can be used to enter the country.
The lawyers submit the application online on the investor’s behalf. After submission, the investor and their family members provide fingerprints at a police station.
30 to 45 days
Getting residence permit cards
The application for a residence permit in Spain is processed within 45 days. The application is processed within 45 days. The investor collects the residence permit cards in person at a police station in Spain, accompanied by the lawyers.
Case studies
Why can you trust us?
Immigrant Invest is an accredited agent working only with state-approved EU and Caribbean investment programs under government licences.
Operating since 2006, we have extensive knowledge of the investment migration industry, including Due Diligence procedures in different countries, property investment processes, and the specific situations when an affidavit is required for an application.
Immigrant Invest has an in-house Compliance Department, where Anti-Money Laundering Officers conduct a background check for every investor who contacts us. This thorough check helps identify potential "red flags" early and reduces the rejection risk to 1%.
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Renewal process for the Spain Golden Visa
The first Spanish Golden Visa is issued for 3 years and can be extended for another 5 years.
The renewal process takes place in Spain and follows a procedure similar to the initial application. The investor gathers the required documents and submits them online.
To renew the Golden Visa, the applicant must:
have a valid Investor Residence Visa or one that has expired no more than 90 days earlier;
visit Spain for at least one month during the previous year;
maintain the investment;
continue satisfying the visa requirements that allowed the applicant to obtain the first Spain investment visa.
Frequently asked questions
Articles on Spain
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