golden visa Spain alternatives

Spain's golden visa is closed

If you are researching the Spanish golden visa, the current fact is that it no longer exists. Spain abolished it on 3 April 2025 through Organic Law 1/2025, ending the residence-by-property-investment route and closing it to new applications. Any page still presenting it as available is out of date. This page does the useful thing instead: sets out the honest alternatives for someone whose plan was Spain.

What the closure means

The measure ended the *new-applications* route; it does not travel back in time to unwind residences already granted under the old rules — those continue under their own terms, which you should confirm with the Spanish authorities for your specific case. But if you were counting on entering the programme, that door is shut, and the sensible move is to compare the remaining EU and non-EU options on their own merits, not to chase a route that has been legislated away.

EU alternative: Portugal

The closest EU equivalent is the Portuguese golden visa. Since real estate was excluded there in 2023, it runs through a fund or cultural investment from 289,000 USD, with a low presence requirement and Schengen access. One honest update: Portugal's 2026 nationality law lengthened naturalisation to ten years, so the road to a passport is longer than it used to be — see Portugal's 2026 nationality law. For EU residence and lifestyle, it remains a leading choice.

EU alternative: Greece

The other main EU option is the Greek golden visa, which — unlike Spain and Portugal — is still built on real estate, on a tiered scale by location, with no minimum-stay requirement. If you specifically wanted the property-ownership model that Spain offered, Greece is the closest fit. Confirm the current tiered thresholds for your location directly with the Greek authorities, as we flag on that page.

Outside the EU: the UAE

If the EU is not essential and a low-tax base appeals, the UAE's ten-year golden visa is the fast, tax-light alternative — a long, renewable residence with no personal income tax on individuals. It trades Schengen access for a global business hub and a longer permit. Also worth a look are Malta's MPRP for EU permanent residence and Andorra for a low-tax European base.

Remember: these are residences, not passports

Every option here grants residence, not a second passport. Citizenship, where it is possible at all, is a separate, later step measured in years of naturalisation. If a passport rather than residence is your real goal, that is a different search — start from residency by investment to understand the distinction, and remember that holding any of these permits does not by itself change where you are taxed (second citizenship and taxes).

How to choose

The right replacement for Spain depends on your priority: EU residence with low presence (Portugal), EU residence with a property you own (Greece), or a low-tax non-EU base (UAE). Weigh them side by side on our golden visa comparison. Confirm the current investment, presence rules and fees with each country's authority, use only reputable, licensed advisers (risks, scams and vetting an agent), and see how we verify every figure and status on our methodology page.