Spain Visa and Residency Information 2024 - Visa Options in Spain

Spain has long been a popular destination for expats. Like neighboring Portugal, it offers independent means, digital nomad, and investor visas. However, the current government has announced plans to wind down the golden visa program, although it is still in place.

Temporary Visas

The tourist stay is 90 days during a 180-day period under the Schengen tourist visa. This period is visa-free for American citizens and most other Westerners. Keep in mind that you can’t apply for further visas during this tourist period. You have to do it from home. However, residency can be applied for after you arrive in Spain.

Long-Term Visas

Non-Lucrative Visa

People who earn income from passive sources such as pensions, dividends, or other investments can apply for a Non-Lucrative Visa. Applicants must demonstrate an annual income of at least €30,000, health insurance, a clean criminal record, and a medical certificate showing no communicable diseases.

The visa is valid for one year and can be renewed for two years at a time as long as you continue to meet the requirements. You may not engage in any professional or economic activities in Spain, including work for foreign clients, although this is rarely enforced.

Digital Nomad Visa

This visa allows non-EU/EEA nationals to live and work remotely in Spain for foreign companies or clients. No more than 20% of their income can come from Spanish businesses. Applicants need to prove a stable income, generally around €2,000–€2,500 per month, though this can vary slightly depending on personal circumstances. The visa is valid for up to one year, with the possibility of renewal for up to five years.

Digital nomads can benefit from Spain's Beckham Law, which offers favorable tax rates for foreigners during their first six years in the country. It allows eligible individuals to pay a flat tax rate of 24% on the first €600,000 of income, with income above that taxed at 47%.

Investor Visa

Like Portugal and Greece, Spain offers a golden visa, although its status has been uncertain in recent months. After an initial two-year permit, it allows a five-year residency permit without the requirement to live in Spain. It counts towards permanent residency or citizenship, although this will depend on integration into Spanish society. The permit includes immediate family members. It also allows you to work and study in Spain.

Under current law, the following investments qualify:

• Purchase real estate in Spain worth at least €500,000. The investment can be in a single property or a combination of properties (residential, commercial, or land).

• Invest at least €1 million in Spanish bank deposits, Spanish companies, or investment funds.

• Invest €2 million in Spanish government bonds.

• Invest in a business project that is deemed to create jobs, contribute to scientific or technological innovation, or have a significant socio-economic impact in Spain.

In the second half of 2024, the Spanish Prime Minister announced his government's intention to wind down all forms of golden visas, although this had not yet happened at the time of writing.

Permanent Residency

Permanent residency can be acquired in several ways. The non-lucrative and digital nomad visas can be extended into permanent residency after five uninterrupted years. The same applies to the investor visa. In all cases, out of the past five years, at least four must be spent inside Spain. Permanent residency status allows you to work inside Spain.

Citizenship

Foreigners can become Spanish citizens after a number of years of continuous residence. The minimum is one year for someone married to a Spanish citizen, two years for a citizen of a Spanish-speaking country, and 10 years for everyone else.

However, there is a big downside. Unless you come from a Spanish-speaking country other than Spain, you must renounce your original citizenship.

Requirements and Documentation

All Spanish long-term visas require the following documentation:

• A completed application form, which is available from the websites of Spanish embassies and consulates.

• Passport valid for one year with at least 2 blank pages.

• Two passport-sized photos.

• Proof of financial means, typically meaning bank statements from the last three to six months as well as demonstration of savings and investments.

• Proof of valid private health insurance valid for at least one year.

• A police clearance certificate, apostilled and translated into Spanish.

• A medical certificate declaring that you don't suffer from any diseases that would pose a risk to public health.

• Proof of long-term accommodation.

• Marriage and birth certificates as needed.

• A letter of motivation is sometimes required by some Spanish consulates

• The investor visa requires the same documents but also requires documentation related to the investment itself.

Processing Time

The non-lucrative and digital nomad visas typically take one to three months to process. The investor visa takes about one month for initial approval, followed by one month to submit a formal application to a Spanish embassy or consulate in your home country and another two weeks to have the permit issued in Spain.

Cost

The non-lucrative residency costs €80 euros. The cost of the other documents (including translations and notarizations) can vary depending on your country/city. Getting the TIE foreigners’ card is mandatory and currently costs €12.

The investor visa costs are currently around €8,000 for a single applicant and €2,500 for each renewal.

Contacts

• 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

• Tel. (202) 452-0100

• Web: http://www.spainemb.org

Video: Guide to Visa and Residency in Spain