This guide is for UAE residents who hoped to live in Spain by investing there, and for those who already hold a Spain investor permit. Bolo Asan checked the Spanish law and the Government’s own announcement, so you can see what closed, what it means for you, and what you can do instead.
Quick Answer: The Spain Golden Visa closed on 3 April 2025. No new investor visa or residence permit can be applied for now, whatever the investment. If your permit was valid on that date, it keeps its validity, and you can renew it under the rules from your first grant. If you want to live in Spain now, the entrepreneur residence, the Non-Lucrative Visa and the Digital Nomad Visa are the routes to look at below.
Who this article is for
Spain’s investor route was open to non-EU nationals who made a large investment in Spain, and that includes UAE residents. Bolo Asan wrote this guide for you if you planned to apply, if you filed before the closure, or if you already hold a permit. It is also for you if you only want to know what replaced it.
The Spain Golden Visa closed on 3 April 2025
From that date, no new investor visa or residence permit can be applied for, whatever the investment. Buying a house in Spain no longer gives residence. The closure covers every investment route, not only property, so shares, bank deposits and business projects went with it.
What the Spain Golden Visa was
The route had two steps. You first applied for an investor visa at a Spanish consulate, and that visa let you enter Spain. You then applied for an investor residence permit, which let you live in Spain. The law called them the investor residence visa (“visado de residencia para inversores”) and the investor residence permit (“autorización de residencia para inversores”). “Golden Visa” was only the popular name, and the law never used it.
The table below shows the four investment routes and the minimum amount for each.
| Investment route | Minimum amount |
|---|---|
| Spanish public debt | €2,000,000 |
| Shares in Spanish companies or bank deposits in Spanish banks | €1,000,000 |
| Property in Spain, per applicant | €500,000 |
| Business project of general interest | No fixed amount |
The property investment had to be free of charges or liens, and only the part above the required amount could carry a mortgage. A business project counted only if it met at least one of three tests. It had to create jobs, have a relevant socio-economic impact where it ran, or make a relevant contribution to scientific or technological innovation. You could also invest through a company. That company had to be based in a place Spain does not treat as a tax haven. You also had to hold most of its voting rights and be able to appoint or dismiss most of its board.
The law that closed it
Organic Law 1/2025, of 2 January 2025, on measures for the efficiency of the Public Justice Service, closed the route. Its twenty-first final provision emptied articles 63 to 67 of Law 14/2013, which were the articles that created the investor visa and permit. The law entered into force three months after it was published, and that date is the closure date. The same provision added two transitional rules, which the next two sections explain. It created no replacement investor route.
Why Spain closed it
The Spanish Government said it closed the route because investor residence permits harmed the right to housing. The Housing Minister, Isabel Rodríguez, said ending the property-linked permits gives opportunities to people who now struggle to access a home. She spoke of places with high prices and little housing supply.
What happens if you applied before the closure
If you filed your investor visa or residence application before the closure date, it is decided under the rules in force on the day you filed. Filing before the closure does not guarantee approval. The law says such applicants may receive the visa or permit, so each case is still decided on its own.
What happens if you already hold a permit
If your investor visa or permit was valid on the closure date, it keeps its validity for the period it was issued for. If you apply to renew, the renewal is decided under the rules in force when your first permit was granted. That applies to investor visas and permits generally, not only to those based on property.
Tip: Keep the papers from your first grant. Your renewal is decided under the rules from that grant, so those papers show which rules apply to you.
Where to renew
You renew the visa at a Spanish diplomatic mission or consulate. You renew the residence permit at the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit. It is known as the UGE-CE, and it sits in the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. If your renewal rests on a business project or on an investment made through a company, you need a report first. The Directorate General for Trade Policy and Economic Security must give that report. No new visa can be sought at any consulate now. Renewals are only for people who already hold one.
What still exists: the entrepreneur residence
The entrepreneur residence in the same law was not closed. If you start, develop or run a business in Spain as an entrepreneur, you can still get a residence permit for business activity. It is valid across Spain for three years, and you can renew it for two years. After five years, you can obtain permanent residence. It needs a real business activity. The business must be innovative or of special economic interest for Spain, and it needs a favourable report from ENISA. Investment alone is not enough, and this route is not a renamed Golden Visa.
What you can do instead
If you still want to live in Spain, the route you choose depends on your situation. The table below matches each situation to a route, and the guides linked there explain each one in full.
| Your situation | Route to look at |
|---|---|
| You run a real business in Spain | Entrepreneur residence (see the section above) |
| You want to live in Spain without working there | Spain Non-Lucrative Visa from UAE |
| You work remotely for a company outside Spain | Spain Digital Nomad Visa from UAE |
| You only want a short visit to Spain | Spain Visit Visa from UAE |
The three Bolo Asan guides linked above cover the Non-Lucrative Visa, the Digital Nomad Visa and the visit visa in full. Open the one that fits your situation and check its rules before you plan anything.
Warning: No replacement investor visa exists. If anyone offers you a Spain Golden Visa now, they are selling another permit under an old label, or they are wrong. Check the route on the official pages below before you pay anyone.
Mistakes to avoid
These three mistakes catch readers out. Each one is easy to avoid once you see it.
- Do not treat the 100% tax on property purchases by non-EU buyers as a rule. The Government floated that tax in January 2025, but it did not pass it, so it is not in force.
- Do not mix this visa with the UAE Golden Visa. Spain and the UAE run separate visas with separate rules, and this article is about Spain only.
- Do not buy a house in Spain expecting residence from it. That route is closed, and a purchase now gives you a house, not a permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bolo Asan answers the questions readers ask most about the Spain Golden Visa.
Can I still apply for a Spain Golden Visa?
No. The route is closed, and no new investor visa or residence permit can be applied for now, whatever the investment. The Quick Answer at the top of this guide gives the date and the routes to look at instead.
I bought a house in Spain after the closure. Can I get residence from it?
No. Buying a house in Spain no longer gives residence, because the investor route that linked the two is closed. A purchase now gives you a house, not a permit.
I applied before the closure. What happens to my application?
It is decided under the rules in force on the day you filed, so the closure does not move your case to new rules. Filing before the closure does not guarantee approval, and each case is still decided on its own.
My Spain investor permit is still valid. What happens when it ends?
It keeps its validity for the period it was issued for. When you apply to renew, the renewal is decided under the rules in force when your first permit was granted. The section above on where to renew gives the two offices.
Can I renew my Spain Golden Visa?
Yes, if you already hold one. The renewal follows the rules from your first grant.
Is there a new investor visa to replace the Golden Visa?
No. The law that closed the route created no replacement investor visa. The entrepreneur residence is still open, but it needs a real business, so it is not the same route under a new name.
What can I do instead if I want to live in Spain?
It depends on your situation. The table in the section above matches each situation to a route.
Is the Spain Golden Visa the same as the UAE Golden Visa?
No. They are visas from two different countries with different rules. This guide is about Spain only, and it says nothing about the UAE visa.
Before you act
If you already hold a Spain investor permit, keep your first grant papers safe and start your renewal at the right office before it ends. If you do not hold one, start from the alternatives above and check the official pages below before you pay anyone.
Official Sources
Bolo Asan opened these official pages on 10 November 2026 and copied the lines this guide rests on. Open them to check the latest rules.
- Organic Law 1/2025 on the BOE
- Law 14/2013 on the BOE (consolidated text)
- Law 14/2013 on the BOE (original 2013 publication)
- End of the Golden Visa on La Moncloa
- Investors on the PRIE portal
Disclaimer: This guide gives general information for readers in the UAE. It is not legal or visa advice. Rules can change at any time, so check the official pages above before you act. Bolo Asan holds no link with any state office.
Last Updated: 10 November 2026