Spain's Golden Visa Has Ended: How to Buy a Home and Live in Spain In 2026

For more than a decade, a €500,000 property purchase gave non-EU buyers a Spanish residence permit. That route has gone. It hasn't changed who can buy — anyone can still buy property in Spain — but it has changed how non-EU buyers who want to live here go about it. Here's the position in September 2026.

What Happened to the Golden Visa?

Organic Law 1/2025 removed the residence visa for investors from Spanish law. Since 3 April 2025, no new applications have been accepted. Applications lodged before that date were processed under the old rules, and people who already hold a Golden Visa keep it until it expires.

You may also have read that Spain plans a 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU non-residents. That was a proposal registered in Congress in May 2025; as of September 2026 it hasn't been debated or passed, and it is not law. We'll update this guide if that changes.

If you're an EU, EEA or Swiss Citizen

You don't need a visa. If you're staying more than three months, you register as a resident: apply in person for the certificado de registro de ciudadano de la UE (form EX-18) at a foreigners' office or police station. It's usually issued on the day, and after five years you can apply for permanent residence.

If you're a UK Citizen

Since Brexit, UK citizens are third-country nationals. Without a residence permit you can spend 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area — which covers many holiday-home owners, but not someone who wants to spend the winter. Since April 2026 the EU's Entry/Exit System registers your fingerprints and photo at the border and counts your days automatically. For longer stays, UK buyers use the same visas as other non-EU nationals, below.

The Non-lucrative Visa: For Retirees and Those with Passive Income

The non-lucrative residence visa suits people who don't need to work in Spain — retirees, and those living on pensions, investments or savings.

• Income or savings: 400% of Spain's IPREM index — €28,800 a year (€2,400 a month) in 2026 — plus €7,200 for each dependant.
• Private health insurance from an insurer authorised in Spain, with no co-payments or waiting periods.
• A clean criminal record and a medical certificate.
• No work in Spain — and that includes working remotely for a foreign employer.

You apply at the Spanish consulate for your place of residence, then collect your residence card (TIE) in Spain. Owning or renting a home here supports the application.

The Digital Nomad Visa: For Remote Workers

• For employees of foreign companies or freelancers whose clients are mainly outside Spain.
• Income: 200% of the Spanish minimum wage — about €2,849 a month (€34,188 a year) in 2026 — plus 75% of the minimum wage for the first family member and 25% for each additional one.
• The working relationship should have existed for at least three months, and the employer for at least a year.
• Relevant qualifications or experience in your field.

Other Routes

• Work permits for employees of Spanish companies, and self-employment permits for those setting up a business here.
• Family members of Spanish or EU citizens.
• Students, with a visa that can later lead to other permits.

Buying a Home is Still the First Step

Whichever route you take, a home comes first: consulates look for proof of accommodation, and the town-hall registration (empadronamiento) that follows unlocks everything from healthcare to school places. Our buyer's guide covers the purchase itself, and moving to Marbella covers what life here involves.