Spain’s ‘Golden Visa’ Program to Officially End on 3 April 2025

On 2 January 2025, the Spanish Head of State announced a new law bringing an end to the ‘Spain Golden Visa’ program. The controversial program, officially known as the ‘Entrepreneurs’ Support Law,’ will officially close to new applicants on 3 April 2025.

First introduced in 2013, the Golden Visa program enabled wealthy non-EU investors to attain Spain residency which can double as a way to obtain Spain citizenship, since after residing in Spain for a certain number of years you can apply for a Spanish citizenship.

The bill gave residency to wealthy individuals who:

• Invested over €500k in property.
• Purchased €2 million in Spanish public debt bonds.
• Purchased €1 million in shares in Spanish companies.
• Invested €1 million via business participation in Spanish companies.
• Invested over €1 million into Spanish investment funds.
• Deposited cash above a certain threshold into Spanish bank accounts.

The program was launched to boost the Spanish economy, attracting investors and wealthy individuals by offering an easy, streamlined way to obtain residency. However, there was much debate over whether this exclusive residency system for the rich was fair to the average EU citizen who may struggle to attain residency and get on the property ladder.

The Spain Golden Visa program will officially close to new applicants on 3 April, however, current visa holders will continue to be able to renew their residency visa. These visa holders will need to comply with the regulations that were in place when they initially applied.