Spain Golden Visa

Spain Golden Visa: Is It Still Available? Status, Past Rules and Alternatives for Pakistan Residents. The Spain Golden Visa is no longer open to new applicants. Spain ended its investor visa and investor residence route for new applications in 2025, so buying property or making another qualifying investment today does not lead to residency under that route. This guide from AsanPapa24 explains what changed, what happens to people who already hold the visa, and which residence options Pakistan residents may want to look at instead.

Spain Golden Visa Status: The Short Answer from AsanPapa24

Spain published Organic Law 1/2025 in its Official State Gazette on 3 January 2025. You can read the consolidated text on the BOE website. A Spanish Ministry of Finance summary of the law states that it has been in force since 3 April 2025, with some exceptions. On its investor page, Spain’s Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE) says Articles 63 to 67 of Law 14/2013 no longer have any content. Those articles set out the investor visa and investor residence rules.

The same page gives two temporary rules for old cases:

  • If you applied before the law took effect, you may still get the visa or permit under the rules from your application date.
  • If your investor visa or permit was still valid when the law took effect, it stays valid for its full term. Spain decides renewal requests under the rules from the date it granted your first permit.

So you cannot apply for the Spain Golden Visa any more. But if you already qualified, you keep your rights.

What the Spain Golden Visa Used to Allow

Many online guides still describe the old rules as if they were current, so it helps to know what the programme was. Before it closed, the Spain Golden Visa allowed qualifying investors to apply through several investment categories, including real estate and certain financial investments. Those were old rules. You cannot use them for a new application today.

If an agent or website offers a Spain Golden Visa application as if it were available now, treat the offer with caution and confirm the claim with the Spanish authorities.

What Existing Spain Golden Visa Holders Can Keep

If you already hold an investor visa or residence permit, the UGE page says it stays valid for its full term. Spain processes renewals under the rules from the date it granted your first permit. So the details of your own file matter. For example, check when Spain granted your permit and whether you still hold the qualifying investment.

Because renewal rules depend on your case, existing holders should check their situation with the Spanish immigration authorities or a qualified Spanish immigration lawyer before selling the asset or changing the structure of the investment.

Does Buying Property in Spain Still Lead to Residency?

As far as the official sources reviewed show, no. Spain removed the investor articles. A property purchase alone no longer gives you residence under that old route. Buying property is a separate matter from immigration status, so check the current entry and residence rules before you commit money to a purchase abroad.

Residence Options Pakistan Residents May Consider Instead

Spain has other residence routes that were not part of the removed articles. Each has its own conditions, and none of them is a like-for-like replacement for the Spain Golden Visa.

Non-Lucrative Residence Visa

This visa is for people who want to live in Spain without working there, provided they can show sufficient and guaranteed means. The Spanish Embassy in Abu Dhabi’s non-lucrative visa page says the visa is not a work permit and lists the following among the required documents:

  • National visa application form and the non-working residence application form
  • A recent photograph
  • A valid passport with at least one year of validity, two blank pages, and issued within the last 10 years
  • Proof of financial means
  • Health insurance
  • A criminal record check certificate

The embassy page also says family members such as a spouse or unmarried partner, and dependent children and relatives, may also obtain the visa. That page is written for UAE residents. If you live in Pakistan, confirm where to submit a non-lucrative visa application with the Embassy of Spain in Islamabad before you apply, and check the embassy’s page for the current list, fees and instructions.

Digital Nomad (International Teleworking) Residence

Spain’s official trade portal describes this route for non-EU nationals who work remotely for companies located outside Spain. According to its digital nomad page, applicants need to show things such as:

  • A qualifying degree from a recognised institution, or at least three years of relevant professional experience
  • Real and continued activity by the company they work for
  • Papers that show you can do the work online from anywhere

The page also says that a professional (self-employed) activity may include work for a company located in Spain as long as it does not exceed 20% of total professional activity. For applications made from outside Spain, it describes a one-year duration unless the work period is shorter. Your route and the permit Spain grants you set the length and type of your permit. Check the current requirements before you apply. If you apply from abroad, you submit your application at a Spanish embassy or consulate.

Other Routes

Spain also has routes for work, for people who start a business, and for family reunion. These depend heavily on your profile, so check with the Embassy of Spain in Islamabad or a qualified adviser.

An AsanPapa24 Checklist Before You Act

  1. Check the date on any guide. Guides written before April 2025 may describe a programme that no longer accepts applications.
  2. Ask for official proof. If someone says a Spain Golden Visa application is still possible, ask which law and which official page they rely on.
  3. Do not move money first. Do not pay a deposit or buy property abroad because of a residency promise.
  4. Compare routes. Match your income source, work situation and family needs to the visa conditions.
  5. Use the official channel. For Pakistan residents, short-stay visa applications and the national visa types listed on thespainvisa.com go through the Intiana centres in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Confirm the submission point for your visa type with the Embassy of Spain in Islamabad before you apply.
  6. Keep records. If you hold an existing investor permit, keep the documents showing the date of grant, the investment and the renewals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still apply for the Spain Golden Visa from Pakistan?

Not as a new applicant. Spain closed the investor route to new applications on 3 April 2025. Only people who applied before that date, or who hold a valid permit, fall under the temporary rules for old cases.

Will Spain cancel my existing Spain Golden Visa?

The UGE page says valid investor visas and permits stay valid for their full term. Your renewal conditions depend on the rules from the date Spain granted your first permit.

Is there an alternative that gives residency in return for investment?

The official sources reviewed do not show a new replacement investor residence route. Other residence routes depend on factors such as income, work or family ties, not on an investment.

Can the Spain Golden Visa return?

I found no official source announcing a new investor route. Rules can change, so check the Spanish authorities for current information.

Where do Pakistan residents apply for a Spanish long-stay visa?

It depends on the visa type. For the non-lucrative visa, the Spanish Embassy in Abu Dhabi’s page describes in-person applications at the BLS UAE Visa Application Centre in Dubai — but that page is written for UAE residents. If you live in Pakistan, confirm the process for your visa type with the Embassy of Spain in Islamabad before you apply.

Conclusion

The most important point is this: you cannot apply for the Spain Golden Visa any more. Check any plan that depends on it against official Spanish sources before you spend money.

Official Sources

Disclaimer

AsanPapa24 is an independent informational website. It is not a government authority, embassy, immigration authority, bank, lender or insurer. This article is for general informational purposes only. Immigration rules, requirements and fees can change, so please confirm current details with the Spanish authorities or the Spanish Embassy before acting. This article is not a substitute for professional legal, financial or immigration advice.

Last Updated: November 6, 2026