Spain Golden Visa 2026: Closed for New investors, Open for Renewals

The Spain Golden Visa (Investor Visa) was officially repealed by Organic Law 1/2025, published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on 3 January 2025 and effective from 3 April 2025. As a result, new Spain Golden Visa applications can no longer be submitted. The repeal removed Articles 63 to 67 of Law 14/2013, which had governed Spain’s residency-by-investment programme since 2013. You can review the legal text in the Official State Gazette (BOE).

However, existing Golden Visa holders retain their acquired rights and may continue to renew their residence permits under the legal framework that applied when their original authorisation was granted. In most cases, renewals continue to be granted for five-year periods, provided the qualifying investment is maintained and all legal requirements are met.

If you already hold a Spain Golden Visa, your status continues to provide the right to live and work in Spain, as well as visa-free travel throughout the Schengen Area. Given the recent legislative changes, ensuring full compliance with the renewal requirements is now more important than ever to protect your residency status and future eligibility for long-term residence or Spanish citizenship.

Our immigration lawyers regularly assist investors with Golden Visa renewals before the UGE (Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit) and advise high-net-worth individuals on alternative residency routes, including the Entrepreneur Visa, Digital Nomad Visa and other active immigration pathways to Spain.

Does Spain Still Offer a Golden Visa Program?

No, the classic Spain Golden Visa for real estate is no longer available. The Spanish government officially ended the program on April 3, 2025. The decision was driven by the national housing crisis, as authorities concluded that the visa was driving up property prices in major hubs like Madrid, Barcelona, and the coastal regions, making housing unaffordable for locals.

However, if you already hold a Golden Visa issued before the April 2025 deadline, your rights are fully protected. You can continue to live, work, and renew your Golden Visa in Spain indefinitely, provided you maintain your original investment.

What is Spain golden visa?

Governed by Act 14/2013, the Golden Visa (or Investor Visa) was established to attract foreign wealth into the country. For years, it was the premier residency-by-investment program for non-EU citizens. It granted legal residence, the right to work, and freedom of movement within the Schengen Area—all without the strict requirement to live in Spain year-round.

While the government has now closed the popular €500,000 real estate route to new applicants, the legal framework still actively applies to thousands of existing investors who are renewing their permits today. If you already hold this visa and are physically in Spain, our legal team can manage your Residency Permit renewal directly on your behalf to ensure your status remains protected.

Golden Visa Spain Benefits & Renewals

For those who successfully secured the visa before the 2025 deadline, the benefits remain unmatched. The Golden Visa allows investors to live and work in Spain while traveling visa-free across all 26 Schengen zone countries. It acts as the ultimate “Plan B,” providing a safe haven during times of global economic or political instability, along with access to top-tier EU healthcare and education.

Crucially, this visa features a comprehensive family residency plan, covering spouses, dependent minor children, and financially dependent adult children.

The good news for existing holders: Your visa can be renewed without any issues. You simply have to prove that you have maintained your initial investment in Spain (whether it was property, shares, or a bank deposit), and demonstrate that you still hold active health insurance and sufficient funds to live. Residence by investment renewals are processed quickly—often within 20 working days. Contact us today if you need expert assistance renewing your existing Golden Visa!

To maintain this permit, investors must keep their considerable capital injections active. Investments made through legal entities (companies) are still acceptable for renewals, provided the entity is not based in a tax haven and the investor holds majority voting rights.

Beyond maintaining the investment, a Golden Visa holder must continue to fulfill these baseline requirements during every renewal:

• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Maintain a clean criminal record in Spain and any country lived in during the past five years.
• Not be prohibited from entering the Schengen Area.
• Hold active, comprehensive private health insurance in Spain.

Legacy Rules: Joint Investments for the Spanish Investor Visa For those who originally acquired their visa through a joint purchase, the rules for renewal remain strict. Even in a joint real estate investment, each individual investor had to meet the minimum €500,000 threshold to be eligible. The Spanish government does not allow splitting a single €500,000 investment between multiple partners to maintain multiple visas. If you co-own a property with a spouse or business partner, our tax and immigration lawyers can help you navigate the specific documentation needed to prove your individual share remains compliant for your upcoming renewal.

What happens if you made a joint investment for the Spanish Investor Visa?

For those who secured their Golden Visa through a joint investment prior to the program’s closure, the renewal rules remain strict. Historically, applicants were not limited to a single investment, and joint purchases were permitted to obtain the visa. However, to maintain and renew your residency today, each individual’s share of the investment must still meet the original minimum requirements.

For instance, if you partook in a joint real estate venture, each person involved had to contribute at least €500,000. This implies that the Spanish government does not allow splitting a single €500,000 investment between multiple partners to maintain multiple visas. If you co-own a property with a business partner or relative, our legal team can help ensure your joint ownership documentation perfectly satisfies the renewal requirements.

The Golden Visa Renewal Process (For Existing Holders)

Because new applications for the €500,000 real estate visa are closed as of 2025, the administrative focus has shifted entirely to renewals. If you successfully obtained your initial investor visa or residence permit before the deadline, you have the right to maintain your status.

When your initial permit expires, you can renew it for an additional 5-year period. The beauty of the renewal process is that it is handled entirely online through the UGE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos) in Spain. You do not need to return to your home country’s consulate to renew.

NOTE: We highly recommend our clients handle their renewals electronically through our legal team. We process everything online directly with the Spanish authorities, avoiding bureaucratic delays and ensuring your 5-year extension is approved seamlessly.

Step-by-Step Golden Visa Renewal Guide

• Step 1: Prove Maintenance of Investment. You must obtain an updated certificate from the Spanish Land Registry (Nota Simple) dated within 90 days of your renewal application, proving you still own the €500,000 property debt-free.
• Step 2: Prepare Financial & Health Documents. Gather updated bank statements proving you still hold sufficient funds (200% of the SMI for the main applicant) and a certificate of active, full-coverage Spanish private health insurance.
• Step 3: Submit Electronically. Our immigration lawyers submit your complete renewal file online via the official UGE portal.
• Step 4: Await the 20-Day Decision. By law, the authorities have 20 working days to resolve the renewal. If they do not respond within this timeframe, the renewal is often approved by “administrative silence” (silencio administrativo positivo).
• Step 5: Update Your TIE Card. Once the 5-year renewal is granted, you simply book a fingerprint appointment at your local Spanish police station to physically renew your Foreigner Identity Card (TIE).

Required Documents for Golden Visa Renewals

When applying for your 5-year renewal, the Spanish government wants to verify two main things: that you are still financially stable and that you have not liquidated your original investment. You will need to provide:

• The Application Form: Duly filled-in and signed for the renewal process.
• Copy of your complete passport: All pages, valid and in force.
• Proof of Maintained Investment: > * Real Estate: An updated certification of domain and encumbrances from the Land Registry (Nota Simple) dated no more than 90 days prior to the renewal application. It must prove you still own the property and maintain at least €500,000 of unencumbered equity (no new mortgages dropping your equity below this threshold).
  • Bank Deposits / Shares / Public Debt: Updated certificates from the Bank of Spain or the corresponding financial institution proving you are still the sole holder of the investment.
• Proof of Economic Resources: You must prove you can still support yourself and your family. The main applicant must prove at least 200% of the SMI (Minimum Interprofessional Wage) per year. For 2026, the SMI is €1,323 per month, meaning the main applicant needs to show approx. €31,752 per year. You must add 75% of the SMI for the first accompanying family member, and 25% for each additional member.
• Active Health Insurance: A certificate of public or private health insurance authorized to operate in Spain, with no co-payments and full coverage.
• Clean Criminal Record: If you have spent more than 6 months outside of Spain during the previous residency period, you must provide a new apostilled and translated criminal record check from that country.

Renewing Golden Visas for Family Members

The relatives of the investor (spouse, minor children, and economically dependent adult children) can also renew their residency permits simultaneously. You must provide updated proof of economic dependence for adult children (e.g., payment of university fees) and ensure their health insurance and passports are current.

Golden Visa Spain for UK Citizens

A large share of the Golden Visas granted between 2020 and 2025 went to UK nationals who invested in Spain after Brexit. If you are one of them, the repeal does not cancel anything you already hold. Your authorisation remains valid until its expiry date, and renewals are processed under the rules that were in force when your initial permit was granted, typically for five-year periods, provided you continue to meet the original investment conditions.

You do not need to be living in Spain to keep the permit itself. Under the original regime, the Golden Visa never required 183 days of presence per year, only entry to Spain during the permit period, and that is still the standard your renewal is judged against. Our team prepares and files renewal applications with the UGE, so the process can be handled while you remain in the UK. Family members originally included in your Golden Visa generally renew together with you, as long as the family relationship and dependency continue.

The point most UK holders miss is what the permit does NOT give you: if you have been using the visa for occasional stays rather than actually living in Spain, those years are unlikely to count toward EU Long-Term Residence (see the residency trap below). If your real goal is to settle in Spain, it may make more sense to plan a switch to the Non-Lucrative Visa (passive income from 28,800 euros per year) or the Digital Nomad Visa (remote work, from 2,762 euros per month), and we can assess both options against your situation.

Taxes for Golden Visa Holders

When you hold a Golden Visa, your tax obligations depend entirely on how much time you physically spend in Spain.

• Non-Resident Taxpayer: If you spend less than 183 days a year in Spain, you are considered a non-tax resident. You will only be expected to pay taxes on income generated in Spain (such as rental income from your investment property) and local property taxes (IBI).
• Resident Taxpayer: If you spend more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year, you become a Spanish tax resident. In this case, your worldwide assets and income become subject to taxation in Spain, including Personal Income Tax (IRPF) and potentially the Wealth Tax or Solidarity Tax.

The Permanent Residency Trap

Many Golden Visa holders assume that after five years they will automatically qualify for EU Long-Term Residence. This is the single most common mistake we see in consultations.

Long-term residence under Article 32 of the Spanish Immigration Act requires five years of legal AND continuous residence: your absences from Spain cannot exceed six consecutive months at a time, or ten months in total across the five-year period. The Golden Visa, by contrast, only required one entry per year. If you spent most of your time outside Spain, those years may not count toward permanent residency.

If your permit expires soon and you do not meet the residence-time test, the most common routes forward are the Non-Lucrative Visa or the Digital Nomad Visa, both of which we can assess for you. For the full requirements of long-term status, see our guide to permanent residence in Spain.

Achieving Spanish Citizenship through Investment

While the Golden Visa itself is a residency permit, it serves as a direct pathway to obtaining a Spanish passport. Eligibility for Spanish citizenship is attainable after 10 years of continuous legal residence in Spain.

To qualify for citizenship, you must:

• Maintain a physical presence in Spain for a minimum of 183 days annually during those 10 years (unlike the basic visa renewal, citizenship requires actual integration and physical residency).
• Pass the DELE A2 Spanish language exam.
• Pass the CCSE exam (foundational knowledge of Spanish history and culture).
• Ensure a clean criminal record and no outstanding debts in Spain. (Note: Citizens of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and Portugal can apply for citizenship after just 2 years of residency).

Golden Visa Alternatives in 2026: What Actually Replaces It

There is no direct replacement for the Golden Visa. What exists is a set of active residence routes that cover most of the situations investors used the Golden Visa for. The right one depends on where your income comes from and how much time you plan to spend in Spain. This is how the three main options compare:

Read the full guides: Non-Lucrative (passive income) Visa, Digital Nomad Visa and Entrepreneur Visa. Not sure which one fits? That is exactly what the first consultation is for.

Spain Golden Visa Renewal FAQs (2026)

Is Your Golden Visa Up for Renewal?

Send us your permit type and expiry date and we will tell you, free of charge, whether you qualify for renewal under your original rules and what documents you will need. Each case is fact-specific, so we review your file before quoting.

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Information is general and current as of June 2026. Each case differs. Book a consultation with a qualified Spanish immigration lawyer before acting. Spanish immigration and tax law is subject to change and to individual administrative discretion. This guide was reviewed by Lucia Lagunas Reyes, Spanish immigration lawyer, MICAP No. 2572, ESADE Law School graduate.