Can I still get Spanish residency by buying property?

No. Real estate stopped being a qualifying investment on 3 April 2025 along with the other four investment categories; buying property in Spain today does not by itself create any residency right.

I submitted my golden visa application in March 2025 — is it still valid?

Applications formally lodged before 3 April 2025 continue to be assessed under the rules that applied on the day they were submitted. Confirm your exact lodgement date and receipt with the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.

Is there any new investor route planned to replace it?

None has been announced. The repeal was framed by the government as a permanent housing-affordability measure, not a temporary pause.

Spain's golden visa: status in 2026

Plain-language guide · Spain · general information

What closed, and when

Organic Law 1/2025, published 2 January 2025 in the Boletín Oficial del Estado, repealed the investor residence permit created by Law 14/2013. The law entered into force on 3 April 2025 and removed all five qualifying investment routes at once, with no grandfathering for applications not yet formally lodged:

€500,000 in Spanish real estate
€1 million in a Spanish bank deposit
€1 million in Spanish public debt securities
€1 million in shares of a Spanish investment fund
€1 million in shares of a Spanish company with a genuine business project

For the underlying repeal and the full investor-residency landscape, see immicor's Spain investor-residency deep dive.

What happens if you already applied or already hold a permit

Applications formally submitted before 3 April 2025 continue to be processed under the rules in force on the date they were lodged — the repeal does not retroactively kill a pending file. Permits already issued keep their original validity (typically two years) and can still be renewed for the usual five-year period, provided the holder still meets the conditions the permit was originally granted under.

What's left if you want to relocate to Spain

There is no route to residency for a purely passive investment anymore. The non-lucrative visa (proof of financial means, no local employment) is the main option for high-net-worth applicants who don't plan to work in Spain; the digital nomad visa suits remote-income earners; the entrepreneur visa fits applicants investing in an active business.

The Beckham Law tax regime (a flat 24% rate on Spanish-source income up to €600,000, for the first six years) is still available to any new tax resident regardless of which visa route brought them to Spain — worth factoring into the comparison even though it's a tax rule, not an immigration route.

Common questions

Can I still get Spanish residency by buying property?: No. Real estate stopped being a qualifying investment on 3 April 2025 along with the other four investment categories; buying property in Spain today does not by itself create any residency right.
I submitted my golden visa application in March 2025 — is it still valid?: Applications formally lodged before 3 April 2025 continue to be assessed under the rules that applied on the day they were submitted. Confirm your exact lodgement date and receipt with the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.
Is there any new investor route planned to replace it?: None has been announced. The repeal was framed by the government as a permanent housing-affordability measure, not a temporary pause.

Not sure whether your situation falls under the transitional rules? Tell the assistant when you applied (or whether you're starting from scratch) for a plain-language walkthrough.

This guide is general information about Spain's repealed investor visa and is not immigration advice. Confirm your specific situation with the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration (inclusion.gob.es) or an appropriately licensed Spanish immigration lawyer.