Visa Comparison
Two very different visas — one is about income, one is about investment
Spain's Digital Nomad Visa suits remote workers who earn a living. The Golden Visa suits investors with significant capital to commit. Understanding which applies to you is straightforward once you know the basics.
€2,849
DNV minimum income per month (2026)
€500k
Golden Visa minimum real estate investment
24%
Beckham Law flat rate — available to qualifying DNV holders
~20
Working days typical DNV processing via UGE
Digital Nomad Visa (DNV)
For remote workers who earn income abroad
Employees, freelancers, and company directors working for non-Spanish entities. You work, you earn, you live in Spain legally — no significant capital required.
- Remote employment and freelance income fully permitted
- Income threshold €2,849/month — no investment needed
- Beckham Law flat 24% tax available to qualifying holders
- 3-year permit directly — processed via UGE in ~20 working days
- NIE assigned automatically on approval
Golden Visa (Investor Visa)
For investors with €500,000+ to commit
Real estate purchasers, significant capital investors, and those creating employment in Spain. Residency is granted in exchange for a qualifying investment — not income.
- No income requirement — investment is the qualifying criterion
- Minimum €500,000 real estate investment (most common route)
- No minimum stay required to maintain the permit
- Can work for Spanish employers with no restriction
- Beckham Law potentially available — separate eligibility assessment needed
Side by side
Full comparison
Every meaningful difference between the Digital Nomad Visa and the Golden Visa in one place.
Digital Nomad Visa
Golden Visa
Eligibility
Who it's for
Remote workers, freelancers, company directors earning from non-Spanish entities
Investors making qualifying investments in Spain (real estate, company shares, government bonds, or significant employment creation)
Qualifying activity
Employment or professional activity for non-Spanish employers or clients
Investment of €500k+ in real estate, €1m+ in company shares or deposits, €2m+ in government bonds, or qualifying employment creation
Non-EU citizens eligible
Yes
Yes
Income & investment requirement
Financial threshold
€2,849/month income (200% of Spanish SMI, 2026)
€500,000 minimum real estate investment (most common route) — debt-free
Nature of the requirement
Ongoing earned income — demonstrated monthly
One-time qualifying investment — maintained for permit duration
Private health insurance required
Yes for employed applicants; autónomos covered via social security contributions
Yes — required for all applicants
Right to work in Spain
Remote work for foreign employer
Yes — this is the core purpose
Yes
Work for Spanish employer
Not as primary income source
Yes — no restriction on working for Spanish entities
Freelance for Spanish clients
Up to 20% of income from Spanish clients
Yes
Beckham Law (flat tax regime)
Beckham Law eligibility
Yes, if employed by non-Spanish employer — strong eligibility position
Potentially — if moving to Spain for employment purposes; separate assessment needed
Flat tax rate
24% on Spanish-source income up to €600,000 for up to 6 years
24% on qualifying income — if eligible (assessment required)
Included in My Spanish DNV package
Separate — not included
Separate — not applicable to this service
Processing time
Typical processing time
~20 working days via UGE (from within Spain); 1–3+ months via consulate
Typically 2–3 months
Where you apply
From within Spain (UGE — recommended) or via consulate abroad
Via the Unidad de Grandes Empresas or consulate
Permit duration
Initial permit duration
3 years
3 years (initial residence authorisation — with 1-year investor visa preceding it for some routes)
Renewal
2-year renewal — provided income requirement continues to be met
5-year renewal — provided qualifying investment is maintained
Residency obligations
Minimum stay required
No minimum stay required to maintain permit
No minimum stay required — a key appeal of the Golden Visa
Path to long-term residency
Yes — 5 years continuous legal residence
Yes — 5 years continuous legal residence
Path to Spanish citizenship
Yes — 10 years (2 years for some nationalities)
Yes — 10 years (2 years for some nationalities)
Family inclusion
Spouse / partner included
Yes — as dependant
Yes — as dependant
Dependent children included
Yes — minor children
Yes — minor children and dependent adult children
Cost
Service / legal fee
From €1,899 service fee + government tasas (included in our UGE package)
Typically €4,000–10,000 in legal fees, plus government fees
Capital required
No capital investment required — income-based
€500,000+ in real estate (most common route) — capital tied up in investment
Which one fits?
Who should choose which visa
The decision is usually straightforward. If you work remotely for a living, the DNV is your visa. If you have significant investment capital and want maximum flexibility, the Golden Visa is worth exploring.
Choose the DNV if you…
Digital Nomad Visa
The right choice for the vast majority of non-EU remote workers. If you earn income from employment or professional activity, this is almost certainly your route.
- Work remotely for an employer based outside Spain
- Freelance primarily for clients based outside Spain
- Earn above €2,849/month from employment or professional activity
- Do not have €500,000 to commit to a property investment
- Want the fastest possible processing time (~20 working days via UGE)
- Want to be active in Spain's lifestyle and community day-to-day
- Want to explore the Beckham Law flat 24% tax option
Choose the Golden Visa if you…
Golden Visa
Suited to investors, the wealthy retired, and those who want maximum flexibility — particularly the option to spend most of their time outside Spain while maintaining Spanish residency.
- Have significant capital to invest (€500,000+ in real estate)
- Want to invest in Spanish real estate regardless of visa status
- Want the freedom to spend most of the year outside Spain
- Are retired or living on investment or passive income
- Want the ability to work for Spanish employers if desired
- Are not primarily motivated by the Beckham Law tax regime
Golden Visa real estate route — check current status
The Spanish government announced plans to abolish the real estate route of the Golden Visa (the €500,000+ property investment route) in early 2024, citing concerns about housing affordability. As of our knowledge cutoff, the abolition had been proposed but implementation was still ongoing and had not been fully enacted. This situation may have changed. If you are considering the Golden Visa, we strongly recommend confirming the current status of the real estate route with a specialist immigration lawyer before making any investment decisions.
Common questions
DNV vs Golden Visa — FAQ
Potentially yes, but eligibility is more restricted than for DNV holders. The Beckham Law (Régimen Especial de Impatriados) requires you to move to Spain for employment purposes. Golden Visa holders investing in real estate and not taking up Spanish employment are unlikely to qualify. If you are moving to Spain on a Golden Visa and also taking up employment with a Spanish entity, a separate Beckham Law eligibility assessment is needed. DNV holders in employment with non-Spanish employers are typically in a stronger position to qualify. The Beckham Law is not included in our DNV service — it requires a separate engagement with a tax adviser.
The most common route is a minimum real estate investment of €500,000 in Spain (debt-free). Other routes include €1,000,000 in Spanish company shares or bank deposits, €2,000,000 in Spanish government bonds, or investment that creates significant employment or innovation. The real estate route has been the subject of proposed abolition as of early 2024 — you should confirm the current status with a specialist immigration lawyer before proceeding with any investment.
No. The Golden Visa has no minimum stay requirement — this is one of its main appeals compared to other Spanish residency routes. You can hold a Golden Visa and spend only a few days per year in Spain while maintaining the permit. Note, however, that if you spend 183 or more days per year in Spain you will become a Spanish tax resident and your worldwide income will be subject to Spanish taxation. The Digital Nomad Visa also has no mandatory minimum stay to maintain the permit, though in practice most DNV holders intend to live in Spain for extended periods.
Yes, provided you meet the DNV's income requirement of €2,849 per month (2026 figure) from remote work, freelancing, or as a company director working for non-Spanish entities. The DNV is designed for people who earn income from their work rather than from capital investment. If you work remotely and earn above this threshold, the DNV is very likely the right route for you. Start your case assessment via our dashboard or contact us directly.
The Spanish government announced plans to abolish the real estate route of the Golden Visa (the €500,000 property investment route) in early 2024. As of our knowledge cutoff, implementation of the abolition was still ongoing and had not been fully enacted. This is a rapidly evolving area of immigration law — we strongly recommend speaking with a Spanish immigration lawyer to confirm the current status before making any investment or application decisions. My Spanish DNV specialises in the Digital Nomad Visa; for Golden Visa advice, please contact Platinum Legal Spain directly.