If you have capital, the Spanish routes that still work

Key rules

• Non-lucrative visa: You cannot work in Spain on it, including remotely for Spanish clients.
• Digital nomad visa: Your work must be mainly for clients or employers outside Spain, with no more than 20% of income from Spanish clients.
• Entrepreneur route: Investing alone does not qualify you; you must actively develop an innovative business.
• EU citizens: If you are an EU citizen you only register your residence and need none of these visas.

The short answer

Buying your way in is no longer an option. The routes that remain depend on what you will do in Spain, not on how much you have. Pick the one that matches your situation.

• You live on savings or passive income and will not work: non-lucrative visa.
• You work remotely for companies outside Spain: digital nomad visa.
• You want to start an innovative business: entrepreneur route.
• A close relative is a Spanish or EU citizen or a legal resident: a family route.

These apply to non-EU nationals. EU citizens only register their residence and do not need any of them.

Non-lucrative visa: money, but no work

This suits retirees and people with passive income or savings who will live in Spain without working. You must show means of 400% of the IPREM per year for yourself and 100% of the IPREM per year for each dependant. The IPREM is a yearly index set by the government. In 2025 it gave about 28,800 euros for the main applicant and about 7,200 euros for each dependant. Ask your consulate which year's IPREM it applies, because the figure changes every year.

You may not work in Spain, as an employee or self-employed. That includes remote work for Spanish clients. Switching to a work permit is possible only in limited cases, usually after the first year, and the immigration office decides each case. Do not plan on it.

Digital nomad visa: remote income

This is for professionals who work remotely for companies outside Spain, or freelancers with no more than 20% of income from Spanish clients. You need:

• a university degree, or at least three years of relevant professional experience;
• a qualifying relationship with your employer or clients for at least three months;
• income of 200% of the Spanish minimum wage per month, about 2,849 euros in 2025, plus an extra amount for each dependant.

If most of your clients are Spanish, this route is not for you. The documents list below shows what to gather.

Entrepreneur route: an innovative business

This is for people who will actively build a business that is innovative and of special economic interest to Spain. A government body, ENISA, must report favourably on your project. You also need a business plan, relevant qualifications or experience, and enough money to live on.

Putting money into a Spanish company can support your project, but investment alone does not qualify. You must be running the business. Passive investors should look at the other routes.

Family routes

If a relative is a Spanish or EU citizen or a legal resident, you may be able to join them through family reunification or an EU family member card. Each has its own conditions on the relationship, so check them before you pick another route.

Choosing

Start with what you will do day to day. If it is nothing that earns money in Spain, take the non-lucrative visa. If you earn money remotely abroad, take the digital nomad visa. The decision, documents and FAQ below help you narrow it down.

Choosing between options

Which residence route fits you if you have capital but will not work in Spain?

• Digital nomad visa: You earn money working remotely for companies outside Spain, with no more than 20% of income from Spanish clients.

• Entrepreneur visa: You want to start and run an innovative business that Spain sees as economically valuable.

Choose by how you earn: passive income or savings points to the non-lucrative visa, remote work for foreign clients to the digital nomad visa, and a new innovative business to the entrepreneur visa. A family tie to a Spanish or EU citizen or legal resident opens the family route.

Documents you need

• Proof of means for the non-lucrative visa: evidence of savings or passive income of 400% of the IPREM per year for you and 100% for each dependant.

• Contracts with your employer or clients outside Spain, plus proof of employment or of your clients, for the digital nomad visa.

• Proof of income of 200% of the Spanish minimum wage per month, with an extra amount for each dependant, for the digital nomad visa.

• A CV or university degree showing your qualifications, for the digital nomad visa.

• A clean criminal record certificate, for the digital nomad visa.

• Health insurance, for the digital nomad visa.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work remotely for Spanish clients on the non-lucrative visa?

No, the non-lucrative visa bars all work in Spain, including remote work for Spanish clients.

Can I get the digital nomad visa if most of my clients are Spanish?

No, the digital nomad visa is for people who work for companies outside Spain, or freelancers with up to 20% of income from Spanish clients. You also need a degree or three years of relevant experience, and income of 200% of the Spanish minimum wage, about 2,849 euros a month in 2025.

Does investing in a Spanish company qualify me for the entrepreneur route?

No, investing alone does not qualify you for the entrepreneur route. You must actively build an innovative business of special economic interest to Spain, backed by a business plan and a favourable project report from ENISA, a state body under the Ministry of Industry and Tourism.