Life after the Golden Visa: how to legally move to Spain in 2026
Spain closed its Golden Visa, the residency-by-investment route, on 3 April 2025, so buying a home no longer gives you residency. Permits granted before that date stay valid. For buyers who still want to live in Spain, the two routes that actually work in 2026 are the non-lucrative visa and the digital nomad (telework) visa, and we set out the exact income figures for each below.
Most people who contact us about a villa on the Costa Brava ask the same follow-up within the first call: if I buy, can I live here? Until 2025 the honest answer involved the Golden Visa. It is gone, and a lot of the advice still online pretends it is not. This is a plain, current guide to how a foreign buyer legally settles in Spain now, written for the British, Northern European and other international clients we work with every week.
What changed with the Golden Visa
The Golden Visa let non-EU nationals obtain Spanish residency by investing at least 500,000 euros in property. Spain ended the whole programme on 3 April 2025, including the property route, mainly over housing affordability. If you already held a Golden Visa before that date, it remains valid and renewable under the old rules. For everyone else, residency and buying a home are now two separate things: you can still buy freely as a non-resident, but the purchase itself grants no visa.
Route 1: the non-lucrative visa (if you will not work in Spain)
The non-lucrative visa suits people who can support themselves without working in Spain: retirees, and those living on savings, investments or rental income from abroad. The core requirement is proof of stable means equal to 400% of the IPREM, Spain’s public income index. For 2026 the IPREM is 7,200 euros a year, so the main applicant must show 28,800 euros a year, plus 7,200 euros a year for each dependent family member. You prove it with bank statements from the last three months and evidence of pensions or other steady income. You cannot work for a Spanish employer on this visa.
Route 2: the digital nomad (telework) visa (if you work remotely)
Created by the 2022 Startup Law (Ley 28/2022), this visa is for people who work remotely for companies outside Spain. The income threshold is 200% of the Spanish minimum wage (SMI). With the 2026 SMI at 1,221 euros a month, that is about 2,442 euros a month, roughly 29,300 euros a year, plus 75% of the SMI for the first family member and 25% for each additional one. You also need a relevant degree or at least three years of experience in your field, and you may do at most 20% of your work for a Spanish company.
| Criteria | Non-lucrative visa | Digital nomad (telework) visa |
|---|---|---|
| For | Not working in Spain (retirees, passive income) | Remote workers for non-Spanish companies |
| 2026 income (main applicant) | 28,800 EUR/year (400% IPREM) | about 2,442 EUR/month (200% SMI) |
| Per family member | +7,200 EUR/year each | +75% SMI first, +25% each additional |
| Work in Spain | Not allowed | Up to 20% for a Spanish company |
| Legal basis | Non-lucrative residence visa | Startup Law, Ley 28/2022 |
Does buying a villa still help your case?
Honestly, the property purchase and the visa are now decided separately, and no amount of property value buys residency. What a home does give you is a stable Spanish address, a clear tie to the country, and a reason for the consulate to see your move as genuine, all of which help a normal visa application run smoothly. Several of our clients buy first, settle the practical side, then apply for the non-lucrative or digital nomad visa once they have the address and a Spanish bank account in place. You can see the full cost and process picture in our buyer FAQ. Buying and the visa are two tracks that run alongside each other, not one that unlocks the other.
Based on what buyers ask us on the Costa Brava through 2026, the Golden Visa question now comes up in most first conversations with non-EU buyers, and the misunderstanding is almost always the same: people assume a 500,000 euro purchase still carries residency. It does not, and we would rather correct that on day one than let someone build a plan on it.
Why the Costa Brava suits relocators
Girona airport is about 35 minutes from the central coast and Barcelona around an hour, so you keep easy flights home, which matters on both the non-lucrative and telework routes where people travel back regularly. Towns like Lloret de Mar, Blanes and Santa Cristina d’Aro have established international communities, year-round services and international schooling within reach, rather than the shuttered-in-winter feel of some resort strips. For Russian-speaking and British buyers in particular, there is already a settled community here, which makes the first year far less lonely than most expect.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still get Spanish residency by buying a property in 2026?
No. The Golden Visa closed on 3 April 2025. Buying a home no longer grants residency; you apply for a separate visa such as the non-lucrative or digital nomad visa.
How much income do I need for the non-lucrative visa in 2026?
28,800 euros a year for the main applicant (400% of the 2026 IPREM), plus 7,200 euros a year for each dependent family member, shown through bank statements and proof of pensions or passive income.
How much do I need for the digital nomad visa?
About 2,442 euros a month (200% of the 2026 minimum wage), plus 75% for the first family member and 25% for each additional one. You also need a relevant degree or three years of experience and must work mainly for companies outside Spain.
Do I need an NIE and a Spanish bank account to buy?
Yes to the NIE for any purchase. A Spanish bank account is not strictly required but makes paying the price, taxes and utilities much simpler, and it helps a later visa application.
Which visa is better for me?
If you will live off savings or a pension, the non-lucrative visa. If you work remotely for a company outside Spain, the digital nomad visa. For anything borderline, take proper immigration advice before you commit.
Thinking about a move to the Costa Brava?
If you are weighing a purchase and a residency route together, we can talk you through both in one conversation and show you homes that fit the plan. Browse our current villas: Casa Port Salvi, Villa Golf, Villa Rosamar, Villa Santa Cristina and the Villas de Tamariu, or message us directly.
Sources: Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (exteriores.gob.es), non-lucrative residence visa and telework (digital nomad) visa pages; Ley 28/2022 (Startup Law); the 2025 reform that closed the Golden Visa. Figures as of October 2026; verify current terms with your immigration lawyer in Spain.