The Golden Visa is gone. Which residency routes remain for property buyers in the Málaga region, and how to sequence visa, tax and purchase.
For years, a property purchase of €500,000 or more was a shortcut to Spanish residency. That shortcut was abolished in 2025. Buyers who relocate to the Málaga region today need a different route, and the order in which you arrange visa, tax residency and purchase matters more than it used to.
Note: This guide is general orientation from a buyer's agent, not legal or tax advice. Visa rules and income thresholds change, so confirm current requirements with your Spanish consulate and a Spanish immigration lawyer before you commit.
Spain's Golden Visa, the residence permit linked to a real estate investment, was repealed by Organic Law 1/2025 with effect from 3 April 2025. Applications filed before that date were handled under the old rules. Anyone who starts today cannot obtain residency through the size of a property purchase.
The practical effect for buyers is simple. A purchase is no longer a visa strategy. It is a housing and investment decision that sits next to a separate residency decision. Mixing the two up is the most common mistake we see with people who read older articles.
Yes, but as supporting evidence and not as a legal basis. A signed purchase contract or a deed of ownership shows accommodation in Spain, which consulates ask for in several routes. It does not replace the income, insurance and clean record requirements of the visa itself. If your visa is refused, you still own a property in a country where you may not yet be allowed to live. That risk is why the sequence below matters.
This is the route most of our relocating clients consider first. It is meant for people who live in Spain on passive income or savings and do not work in Spain.
The main requirements are a minimum level of income or capital, roughly four times the Spanish public indicator IPREM per month for the main applicant with an additional amount per family member, private Spanish health insurance without co-payment, a clean criminal record, and a stay of more than 183 days per year. You cannot work for a Spanish employer or Spanish clients on this permit. The first permit runs for one year and renewals run for two years. Check the current monthly figure with your consulate, because it is updated every year.
Who it suits: retirees, people living off investments or the sale of a business, and families where income comes from outside Spain.
Spain's remote work visa, introduced under the 2022 Startups Law, is for people who work remotely for companies outside Spain. A limited share of your income, up to roughly a fifth, may come from Spanish clients. The income threshold is linked to the Spanish minimum wage, at about twice that level, with an uplift for dependants. You need a degree or relevant experience and a documented working relationship with your employer or clients.
The permit can be granted for up to three years and renewed to five. Who it suits: employed professionals and founders whose business sits outside Spain. It is also the route that tends to work best for younger families who want to live in the city of Málaga and keep their income structure intact.
If you plan to run a business, take a Spanish job or invest in a company, separate permits exist for entrepreneurs, highly qualified professionals and employees. They carry business plan, qualification or employer sponsorship requirements and take more preparation. We do not advise on these permits. We recommend that you start with an immigration lawyer, who can tell you in one meeting whether your profile fits.
If you hold a passport from an EU country, which includes Dutch and Belgian buyers, you do not need a visa. You register as an EU citizen after arrival, obtain your NIE and certificate of registration, and show that you have means of support and health cover. This is why many of our Dutch clients can focus on the purchase first. For the NIE process see our NIE number guide.
Immigration status and tax residency are different things. In general you become a Spanish tax resident when you spend more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year or when your main centre of economic interests is in Spain. A visa can be in place while your tax position is still unresolved, and the reverse also happens.
Spain also has a special tax regime for people who move to Spain for work, often called the Beckham regime. Under certain conditions it taxes qualifying Spanish employment income at a flat rate for six years, and it has been opened up to remote workers and entrepreneurs. Whether it applies to you depends on your employment, your prior residency and the timing of your move. This is a question for a tax adviser before you relocate, and not after. Our guide on buying before year end and tax residency explains why timing matters, and the overview of taxes when buying in Andalucía covers the purchase side.
Every client is different, but the order below keeps your options open and limits risk.
First, settle your residency route. Speak to an immigration lawyer and, if relevant, a tax adviser. Know which permit you are applying for, and whether you can submit from your country of residence.
Second, orient yourself on the ground. Visit the area, understand the neighbourhoods and decide whether you want to rent first. Our viewing trip guide shows how to use a short stay properly.
Third, buy when your residency path is clear. If your permit depends on proof of accommodation, build that into your timeline and your contract conditions. Our complete guide to buying property in Spain as a foreigner walks through the steps.
For some clients, renting for the first six to twelve months while the visa is processed and the market is explored is the cheaper and safer choice. We say so when it is the case, even though it means no purchase this year.
Aluma represents the buyer. We do not represent sellers, banks or developers. We do not give immigration or tax advice, and we will not tell you that a purchase guarantees any residency outcome, because it does not. What we do is help you build a purchase plan around your residency timeline: which region and neighbourhood fit your life, which properties are realistic, which conditions to put in the contract and which professionals to involve. Our fees are agreed upfront, excl. IVA, and we explain exactly what is included.
If you are planning to relocate to the region Málaga and want to talk through timing, contact us for a first conversation in English, Dutch or Spanish.
Not through the purchase itself. The Golden Visa was repealed with effect from 3 April 2025. Owning a property can support another application as proof of accommodation, but you must qualify under a different route.
Among non-EU buyers, the non-lucrative visa and the digital nomad visa are the routes we see most. EU citizens do not need a visa and register after arrival.
Usually after, or with contract conditions that protect you if the visa fails. This depends on your route, so check with an immigration lawyer. Renting first is a reasonable alternative.
The purchase taxes in Andalucía depend on the type of property and not on your residency status, but your ongoing tax position does change. Resident status affects income tax and, in certain cases, wealth tax and property taxes. Ask a tax adviser before you move.
Talk to an independent buyer's agent about timing, region and purchase conditions.