Spanish Residence in 2026: Non-Lucrative Visa, Digital Nomad Visa, Work Routes, the Beckham Law and Citizenship. The Complete Guide

Spain is one of the most popular countries for a European move, and in 2026 the first thing I have to tell people is that the Golden Visa is gone. The investor route through property ended on 3 April 2025 under Organic Law 1/2025. Today the real choice is between routes for people with passive income, remote workers, entrepreneurs and specialists. In this guide I compare them using the 2024 Immigration Regulation, Spanish consulate pages, the Spanish Tax Agency and the BRIDGES Spain page. Everything was checked on 3 November 2026.

The main routes at a glance

Route	First permit	Entry point	Work in Spain
Non-lucrative residence	1 year, then 2	€2,400 a month or €28,800 a year for one person	no
Digital nomad (international telework)	visa 1 year, permit up to 3	about €2,849 a month from remote work	remote only
Entrepreneur	3 years	innovative business plan with a favourable ENISA report	yes, own business
Highly qualified professional	up to 3 years	job offer from €41,356.36 a year	yes
Long-term residence	5 years, renewable	5 years of legal residence	yes
Citizenship by residence	for life	10 years, or 2 for Ibero-Americans	yes

The Golden Visa has ended

Until April 2025, buying property for €500,000 or more gave a residence permit. That is over. Applications filed before 3 April 2025 are still decided under the old rules, and existing permits are renewed under the rules of their initial grant, but no new investor files are accepted. What this means and which routes replace it are in my guide to the end of the Golden Visa and the work routes.

The non-lucrative visa

This is the route for people who live on pensions, rent, dividends or savings. In 2026 the minimum is 400% of the IPREM: €2,400 a month for the main applicant and €600 a month for each family member. Work in Spain is not allowed, and to renew you must have lived in Spain more than 183 days a year. See the non-lucrative visa guide.

The digital nomad visa

Since 2023 Spain has a permit for people who work remotely for companies outside Spain. The income threshold is 200% of the minimum wage, about €2,849 a month in 2026. Freelancers may take up to 20% of their work from Spanish clients. My digital nomad guide explains who qualifies.

Taxes and the Beckham law

If you live in Spain more than 183 days a year, you usually become a Spanish tax resident and pay progressive income tax on your worldwide income. People who move for a job, remote work or an entrepreneurial project can choose the special regime for impatriates, known as the Beckham law: 24% on employment income up to €600,000 for the year of arrival and five more years. Details are in the tax guide.

Permanent residence and citizenship

After five years of legal and continuous residence you can apply for long-term residence. Citizenship takes 10 years in general and only 2 years for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal. You also pass the DELE A2 Spanish exam and the CCSE test. The steps are in the permanent residence and citizenship guide.

My honest view

Spain is no longer a country where money alone buys a residence permit. It rewards people who really move: those who live there most of the year, keep their status without gaps and plan their taxes before arrival. For a family living on passive income I usually start with the non-lucrative visa. For someone who works for foreign clients, the digital nomad visa together with the Beckham law is often the strongest combination.