Spain distinguishes between short-stay Schengen visas and long-stay national visas for foreign nationals intending to reside in the country for employment, study, business, retirement or family reunification. Citizens of the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland generally benefit from freedom of movement and do not require a visa to live and work in Spain, subject to registration requirements. Long-term residence permits are purpose-specific and are generally issued for employment, self-employment, remote work, education, retirement or family reunification. Residence permits may be renewed where the applicable legal requirements continue to be met. Eligible long-term residents may later qualify for permanent residence or Spanish citizenship, subject to residence, integration and nationality legislation.
Organic Law 1/2025, effective April 3, 2025, fully repealed Articles 63-67 of Law 14/2013, closing the Golden Visa programme entirely — new applications via real estate (€500,000), public debt (€2,000,000), or bank deposits (€1,000,000) are no longer accepted. Applications formally stamped by the UGE/consular services before April 3, 2025 continue under the old framework, and existing Golden Visa holders retain renewal rights (case-by-case transitional review). Non-EU citizens retain the unrestricted right to buy, hold, and sell Spanish real estate — but property purchase is no longer an independent immigration route; buyers wanting to stay beyond the Schengen 90-day limit must qualify via another pathway (e.g. the Entrepreneur Visa, requiring an ENISA-approved innovative business plan). Source: Organic Law 1/2025.
Student visas are now issued for the full duration of the academic programme (no more annual renewal). 2026 financial maintenance requirement: 100% of monthly IPREM (~€600/month, ~€7,200/year) in liquid reserves. Students can work part-time up to 20 hours/week without separate authorization. The old 3-year mandatory wait before converting to a work permit has been abolished — graduates can transition directly into a Highly Qualified Professional Permit or standard employment; a 1-year non-renewable Job Seeker Visa is available to graduates seeking sponsorship. A related pathway, Arraigo Socioformativo, lets undocumented foreign nationals present in Spain 2+ continuous years regularize status via vocational training (up to 50% online), granting an initial 1-year permit with 20 hours/week work rights. Source: Reglamento de Extranjería.
Non-EU family members of Spanish/EU/EEA citizens use the Regimen Comunitario: a 5-year Tarjeta de Residencia de Familiar de Ciudadano de la Unión with immediate unrestricted work rights, covering spouses/registered partners, children under 26 (raised from 21), and economically dependent parents. Non-EU sponsors (Regimen General) must have 1+ year of legal residence with a guaranteed renewal, demonstrate 150% of IPREM (~€900/month) for the first dependent plus 50% IPREM per additional dependent, and obtain a municipal housing suitability report (Informe de Habitabilidad de la Vivienda). Stable unregistered partnerships are recognized if verified via cohabitation history, joint accounts, or shared leases. Source: Reglamento de Extranjería.