Spain's property golden visa abolished; non-lucrative and digital nomad routes take over
Spain · Residency planning · Abolished from April 2025
| Country / region | Spain |
|---|---|
| Category | Residency planning |
| Date | Abolished from April 2025 |
| What happened | Spain formally abolished property investment residence in April 2025. The replacements are the non-lucrative residence visa (passive income of approx. EUR 26,000 or more per year, no local employment permitted) and the digital nomad visa (income of roughly twice the minimum wage, approx. EUR 27,000). Residence requirements have tightened, with the hard 180-day cumulative annual requirement back in force. |
| Impact on applicants | The era of "buy a house, get status" in Europe is essentially over — planning must shift to income-based or remote-work routes, with the days of residence genuinely met. |
| Source: {src} | Spanish Official State Gazette (BOE) / EU media coverage ↗ |
Source: Spanish Official State Gazette (BOE) / EU media coverage ↗ · Last verified: 2026-09-20 · For reference only; not application or legal advice. Always check the official source for current rules.
FAQ
Spain's property golden visa abolished; non-lucrative and digital nomad routes take over — what happened?
Spain formally abolished property investment residence in April 2025. The replacements are the non-lucrative residence visa (passive income of approx. EUR 26,000 or more per year, no local employment permitted) and the digital nomad visa (income of roughly twice the minimum wage, approx. EUR 27,000). Residence requirements have tightened, with the hard 180-day cumulative annual requirement back in force.
What does this mean for applicants?
The era of "buy a house, get status" in Europe is essentially over — planning must shift to income-based or remote-work routes, with the days of residence genuinely met.
Where does this information come from?
Spanish Official State Gazette (BOE) / EU media coverage, verified by us on 2026-09-20.
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