If you have been reading older articles, you may still believe that buying a 500,000 euro property in Spain gets you residency. It does not, not anymore. That route is closed, and a lot of the advice online has simply not caught up.
I am a property adviser, not an immigration lawyer, so treat this as a clear map, not legal advice. But you should understand the map before you plan a move.
The short version
- The Golden Visa ended on 3 April 2025. Buying property no longer gives you residency.
- You can still buy freely as a non resident. Buying and living here are now two separate questions.
- The two routes most people use today are the Non-Lucrative Visa and the Digital Nomad Visa.
- Which one fits depends on one thing: are you going to work while you are here.
- Owning a home does not grant residency, but it strengthens a visa application and shows real ties to Spain.
What actually changed, and why
Spain passed Organic Law 1/2025, which repealed the investor visa created back in 2013. The Golden Visa stopped accepting applications on 3 April 2025. Anyone who applied before that date is not affected.
The reason was housing. The government argued that residency-for-investment was pushing up property prices in the big cities, so it closed the door. Whatever you think of that argument, the practical effect for you is simple: property and residency are now two separate conversations.
The two routes most people use now
Forget the dozens of visa names you will see online. For someone moving to Madrid to live, it almost always comes down to these two, and the question that separates them is whether you will be earning while you are here.
| Non-Lucrative Visa | Digital Nomad Visa | |
|---|---|---|
| For whom | People who will not work: retirees, people living off savings or investments | Remote workers and freelancers earning from outside Spain |
| Can you work? | No. This is the key restriction | Yes, remotely, for non Spanish clients or employers |
| Income needed | Around 2,400 euros a month of passive income | Around 2,800 euros a month from remote work |
| Health cover | Private Spanish health insurance | Private Spanish health insurance |
| Tax note | You become a Spanish tax resident | May access a reduced flat tax rate for qualifying applicants |
These figures move with Spain’s minimum wage and the rules are tightened and clarified regularly, so treat the numbers as a guide and confirm the current thresholds with an immigration lawyer before you rely on them.
The Non-Lucrative Visa in one line
Show that you can support yourself without working, get private health cover, pass a clean criminal record check, and you can live here. The catch is real: you genuinely cannot work, freelance or run a remote business on it.
The Digital Nomad Visa in one line
If you work remotely for companies outside Spain, this is usually the better fit, because it lets you keep earning. One practical trap worth knowing: in 2026 the authorities confirmed you generally cannot switch into it from inside Spain after entering as a tourist or on a non-work visa, so the order in which you do things matters.
Where buying still helps
Buying no longer gives you a visa. But owning a home in Spain is not irrelevant to immigration either.
- It demonstrates real ties to Spain, which supports a residency application.
- It removes the accommodation question that visa applications ask about.
- It supports the longer path to permanent residency after five years of legal residence.
So the sensible order for many people is: sort out the right visa with a lawyer first, then buy the home, not the other way around.
What I would do if I were you
Decide the living question and the property question separately, and in that order.
- Speak to an immigration lawyer about which visa fits your situation. This is the part I do not do, and the part you should not guess at.
- Confirm you can meet the income and insurance requirements for that route.
- Then decide whether to rent first or buy, and where. That is the part I do help with.
Doing it in this order saves people from the classic mistake: buying a home for a residency benefit that no longer exists.
Questions I get asked a lot
Can I still get residency by buying property in Spain?
No. That was the Golden Visa and it ended on 3 April 2025. You can still buy, but it does not grant residency by itself.
What happens to people who already have a Golden Visa?
Those granted before the change keep their rights under the old rules. The closure applies to new applications.
Is there any investment route left?
The property-for-residency route is gone. Spain still has categories for entrepreneurs and certain highly qualified or innovation profiles, but they are a different thing with different rules. An immigration lawyer is the right person to check whether you qualify.
Do I need to speak Spanish for these visas?
Not for the visa itself. You will need it for real life, and it helps enormously.
You might also want to read
The Madrid Rental Guide
Everything in this article, plus the checklists, the numbers and the Spanish phrases, in one place you can keep.
- The six week timeline
- What you really need in cash
- Price cheat sheet by area
- Document checklist
- No Spanish payslip? Your options
- Viewing checklist and red flags
- Who pays what, by law
- Useful Spanish phrases
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Sorted the visa and now need the home?
Once your immigration route is clear, I help with the part that comes next: finding and securing the right home in Madrid, whether you want to rent first or buy. Independent, on your side, in English.
Talk to me on WhatsAppOr book a free 30 minute callThis is general information about how the Spanish system works, written by a property adviser, not an immigration lawyer, and not legal advice. Visa categories, income thresholds and rules change and are applied case by case. Always confirm your situation with a qualified immigration lawyer before making decisions. Key facts here reflect Organic Law 1/2025 and the position in 2026.