The Golden Visa is a special residence permit for citizens outside the European Union who want Spanish citizenship and plan to make a significant capital investment.
Unlike other permits requiring the holder to stay in the country for more than six months of the year, with the Golden Visa, the holder is allowed to leave the country practically whenever they want.
Family reunification is another advantage that the Golden Visa has over other permits, in which the reunification process is much more tedious. In addition, with the Golden Visa, family members have the same rights as the visa holder.
It also entails the right to work for the investor and their family members and is valid for longer than other residence authorisations. Whereas usually, a permit is valid for one year and is renewable for a further two years, the Golden Visa is valid for two years and is renewable every 5 years.
What are the requirements for getting a Golden Visa?
An essential requirement is a capital investment of at least €500,000, net of taxes. If more than one person purchases the property, the minimum investment requirement applies to everyone.
Another option is to buy stocks or shares in a Spanish company or make a deposit of more than one million euros in a Spanish bank. One can also acquire a visa by investing at least €2,000,000 in the Spanish public debt.
Finally, one can acquire a Golden Visa by investing in a Spanish business project. As a requirement, the project must generate employment, have a relevant socio-economic impact, or contribute to an advance in technology or science.
Other requirements:
The applicant must not be a European Union citizen.
They must be 18 or older.
They must not have a criminal record, whether in Spain or any other country, within the past 5 years.
They must have sufficient financial means to support themselves and their family (including family members in the permit application).
They must have private health insurance from an insurer authorised to operate in Spain.
