Spain Visa Rule Change on April 3

April 24, 2025

Spain terminated its Golden Visa/ investor visa Rule/program on April 3, 2025, after 12 years of granting residence to non-EU investors. The scheme resulted in rising property prices, which affected housing availability for the residents of Spain. However, the government aims to priorities the needs of locals and is trying to make housing accessible to them.

Spain officially terminated its Golden visa Program on 3 April 2025, which marked the residency scheme that had always seemed attractive to foreign investors over the last 12 years. This Spain visa rule change on April 3 concludes that from now onwards, non-EU nationals will no longer be able to get Spanish residency and visa-free access to the Schengen zone by simply investing in the property.

GOLDEN VISA/ INVESTOR VISA: A program launched in 2013 under the Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. This program allows non-EU investors to obtain residency in Spain by making investments in the country, and the minimum investment will be €500,000. The investment is done primarily through real estate purchase, business venture, Spanish public debt, etc.

• Allowed visa-free travel in Schengen countries
• After five years of continuous residence, applicants could apply for permanent residency, and after ten years, they could apply for Spanish citizenship.

*** Since 2013, a total of 14,576 golden visas have been issued.

Impact of the termination of Spain’s Golden visa program on UK residents

• UK residents can no longer obtain residency and visa-free access to the Schengen region by investing in Spanish property.

• Affected individuals who sought property purchase a way to get Spanish residency, and now they have to get other Spain visas, like a long-stay visa.

• UK residents who are planning to retire in Spain will have to re-evaluate their choice and ensure they meet the requirements as per other residency visas.

Conclusion:

As of April 2025, the Spanish government abolished the Golden Visa program for real estate investments, making it a dilemma for foreign investors.

This Spain Visa Rule Change came when Spain grappled with serious housing accessibility and property issues. Many locals believe that this increase in the flow of foreign money has only worsened the shortage of affordable property in the country. However, this pushed the government towards this transformative step.

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