Types of Residency Tied to Property Ownership

Buying property in Spain doesn’t automatically grant residency, but it can open a path to it, depending on which option you choose and what your actual goals are. Here’s an objective overview of the main options.

Non-Lucrative Residence Visa (No Lucrativa)

Currently one of the more common options for non-EU buyers who want to live in Spain without seeking employment in the country:

• Income requirement: the applicant must prove income or savings at around 400% of the IPREM (Spain’s public income indicator, used as the base for calculating thresholds), which comes to roughly €2,400-2,600 per month for the main applicant, plus additional amounts per dependent (rates are adjusted annually, worth confirming the current figure before applying).
• Duration: initially granted for 1 year, renewed in 2-year periods, leading to permanent residency after 5 years. After the first renewal, this visa type can be modified into a work-authorized residence permit, upon presenting a preliminary employment contract from an interested employer, or by submitting a business plan to work as a self-employed professional (autonomo).
• Work restriction: holders of this visa type cannot work for a Spanish company, though remote work for a foreign employer has become an increasingly gray area, worth checking directly with an immigration lawyer.
• Not directly tied to property ownership, buying isn’t required to obtain this visa, but owning a home can support the application by demonstrating a stable place of residence.

Digital Nomad Visa

For remote employees of companies outside Spain or freelancers working mainly with non-Spanish clients:

• Income requirement: approximately €2,650-2,800 per month (200% of Spain’s minimum interprofessional wage, adjusted annually), plus roughly 75% extra for a spouse and 25% per dependent.
• Duration: initially for 1 year (or up to 3 years if applying from your home country), renewable up to a maximum of 5 years.
• Tax benefit: eligible visa holders can often qualify for Spain’s Beckham Law, a special tax regime capping income tax at a flat 24% on income from Spanish sources up to €600,000, instead of the standard progressive scale, worth discussing with a tax advisor since it can offer real savings.
• Also not directly tied to property ownership, but many decide to buy a home after settling in, rather than continuing with long-term rental.

Other Paths to Residency

There are also other types of residence permits tied to more specific situations, though demand for them is noticeably lower:

• Residency through marriage or pareja de hecho (a legally registered civil partnership) with a Spanish or EU citizen.
• Residency through family reunification, if a close relative is already a resident of Spain.
• Residency through employment, with a formal job offer from a Spanish employer.
• Residency for highly qualified professionals, for specialists in certain in-demand fields.

These routes come up less often among property buyers, since they usually require a specific personal situation (marriage, pareja de hecho, family ties, a job offer), rather than simply proving financial means, as is the case with the Non-Lucrative visa or the Digital Nomad visa.

EU and EEA citizens

None of this actually applies to you. You already have the right to live in Spain, buying property for you is simply a purchase, not a mechanism for obtaining residency, and the process itself is significantly simpler, no visa application, no need to prove income thresholds.

About the Golden Visa

If you’ve come across a mention of the Golden Visa in an older article or heard about it from someone who obtained it a few years ago, it’s worth knowing that as of April 2025, this route is closed to new applicants. Those who already hold this visa can generally still renew it, but for anyone buying property now, this option is no longer available.

An important addition

If obtaining residency is part of the reason you’re buying property, it’s worth having a proper consultation with an immigration lawyer before committing to the purchase, since the visa landscape changes, income thresholds are adjusted annually, and what applied a few years ago may no longer apply today. Buying the right property and choosing the right path to residency are related, but they’re not automatically the same decision. You’re always welcome to reach out to us for recommendations of immigration lawyers who work reliably.