Golden visa in Spain

The Spanish Golden Visa (or "Property Visa") grants automatic residency in Spain when you purchase property for 500,000€ or more. This can be any type of property: home, commercial, land, or a combination of properties. As opposed to the wealth visa, the golden visa does not require you to be in Spain 183 days of the year.

In order to apply for the golden visa in Spain, you will need to fulfill the following requirements:

• You must invest 500,000€ in a property. (There are other lesser used options, such as investing 1,000,000€ in shares of Spanish companies or 2,000,000€ in Spanish public debt.)
• You must be over 18 years old.
• You must have a police clearance certificate showing that you have not had a police record during the last five years.
• You must provide a medical certificate, and have medical insurance valid in Spain.
• You must show sufficient means to support yourself and your family.

The steps to getting a golden visa:

• You come to Spain with your travel visa and look for a property.
• Once the pre-agreement (contrato de arras) is signed and corresponding funds are deposited, you can apply for the golden visa. If needed, the authorities can grant you a permit for six months so you can complete the process of buying your property.
• If your golden visa application is accepted, you will receive a visa for one year. As opposed to other visas, the golden visa application can be presented while you are in Spain.
• After receiving your golden visa, you can keep renewing the visa, as long as you do not sell your property.

Please see our property guide to understand the steps to buying a property.

In 2015, the golden visa experienced an easing in the criteria for its concession and renewal. This has helped overcome the bureaucratic hurdles that characterized the prior procedure. The government has also expanded the beneficiaries to include unmarried couples (parejas de hecho) and children of the buyers who are over 18.

Strong Abogados offers a combined golden visa service to perform all the legal work involved in the property purchase ("conveyancing") as well as the work to obtain residency in Spain. We have longstanding expertise in both fields: since 2003, Strong Abogados has performed the legal work for 500 property transactions and helped 350 families obtain residency.

FAQs:

With the Golden Visa, can I bring my family?

The family members that you can include in the same Golden Visa application are:

• Your spouse. This may also include an unmarried couple with a certificate as pareja de hecho in Spain, or showing via birth certificate that you have a child in common.
• Children under 18.
• Children over 18 who are financially dependent on you, and don't have a family of their own.
• Dependent parents or grandparents.

Full documentation is necessary for all family members.

With the Golden Visa, can I travel to other countries in Europe?

Yes, you are free to travel to the Schengen countries of Europe.

How long do I have to stay in Spain?

With the golden visa, you only need to visit Spain once during each residency period.

What taxes will I have to pay once I have my Golden Visa?

Once you have a property in your name in Spain, you will need to file yearly income tax and property tax. Please see our article on Taxes for Property Owners.

Regarding whether you are considered a resident of Spain or not: since the Golden Visa does not require you to be physically present in Spain during the whole residency period, the usual tests to determine residency apply.

Can I work in Spain with the Golden Visa?

Yes. As opposed to the wealth visa, with this visa you can be employed in Spain.

This applies as well to family members who arrived in the same visa.

When can I sell the house that I bought with the Golden Visa?

If you sell your house without having obtained the status of permanent resident, then your residency visa will be denied when you try to renew it.

For a Golden Visa, there are few limitations about having to stay in Spain (see the FAQ), but if you want to become a permanent resident, then you will have to follow the residency track outlined here, which means living in Spain the majority of each year.

How long before I can become a Spanish citizen?

The golden visa will not automatically get you on track for Spanish citizenship. To get on track for Spanish citizenship, please read this FAQ. If after obtaining your golden visa, you decide you want to work towards citizenship, please talk to us.

What property can I buy for 500,000€?

Here are some sample properties in Spain: