Choosing the real alternatives to compare with Spain

Key rules

• Shortlist size: Keep two to four countries in the final head-to-head, with three the usual best choice.
• Order of filters: Check passport access first, then income, work, language, family, and health and climate, dropping any country that fails.
• EU or EEA passport: Other EU countries are easy rivals, because you need only a valid ID or passport for the first three months.
• Income figures: Spain's income thresholds reset each year, so confirm current amounts with the consulate before relying on them.

Start with filters, not feelings

Cut your list with hard yes/no filters before you compare anything else. Any country that fails a filter is out. Aim to finish with two to four countries, with three the usual best choice. Fewer than that and you have no real comparison. More than that and you end up scoring everything shallowly.

The filters, in order

Apply these one at a time, using each country's official immigration rules.

1. Passport and visa access. Is there a legal residence route for your nationality? If not, drop the country.
2. Income or savings. Can you meet the route's minimum means? Spain is a useful yardstick. Its non-lucrative visa needs passive income or savings of 400% of the IPREM per year for you, plus 100% for each dependant. The digital nomad route needs income of at least 200% of the Spanish minimum wage, with 75% added for the first family member and 25% for each extra one. In 2025 the non-lucrative amount came to about 2,400 euros a month, plus about 7,200 a year for the first dependant. These figures reset every year, so confirm the current ones with the consulate handling your application.
3. Work. Can you work remotely, be employed or start a business under that route?
4. Language. Can you manage daily life and public services in a language you speak, or will realistically learn?
5. Family. Can your partner and children join you? Are schooling and healthcare available?
6. Health and climate. Does the country suit any medical or climate needs you have?

If you hold an EU or EEA passport

Other EU countries are easy rivals, because you do not need a visa. For the first three months you only need a valid ID or passport. After that you must be working or self-employed, or have enough resources and comprehensive health insurance, or be a student with insurance. After five years of legal residence you gain permanent residence. Each country still has its own local registration rules, so check them for any country you keep. Swiss citizens have similar rights under a bilateral agreement.

If you hold a non-EU passport

Filter 1 does most of the cutting. Keep a country only if it has a residence route you can actually use. Income and work usually decide the rest.

Which countries usually make the list

Portugal is the one most often weighed against Spain, followed by Italy, France and Greece. Other EU names that come up are Malta, Cyprus, Croatia, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands. Outside the EU, people often look at Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Thailand, Malaysia and the UAE.

Your goal changes the list:

• Retirees mostly compare Portugal, Italy and Greece.
• Remote workers compare Portugal, Croatia and Greece.
• Families compare Portugal and France.

Treat these as starting points, not a ranking. Run each one through the filters above.

Finish with your shortlist

When two to four countries are left, compare them side by side on cost, taxes, healthcare and daily life. The decision, timeline and questions below help you sort which countries stay.

Choosing between options

Which countries stay on your list of real alternatives to Spain?

• Keep other EU countries as easy rivals: You hold an EU or EEA passport, so you can live in any EU country and only need to meet its work, resources or student conditions after three months.

• Keep a country only if it has a residence route for your passport: You are not from the EU or EEA, so each country needs a legal residence route you can use and an income or savings level you can meet.

• Drop the country: It fails any of your filters: no route for your passport, income below the minimum, no way to work, a language you cannot manage, no room for family, or health and climate needs unmet.

Apply the filters in this order: passport and visa access, income or savings, work, language, family, then health and climate. Answer each with a plain yes or no using the official immigration rules, and drop any country that gets a no.

Timeline and deadlines

• Move to another EU country with only a valid ID or passport: for up to three months

• Show you are working or self-employed, have enough resources and comprehensive health insurance, or are a student with insurance: after three months

Frequently asked questions

Which countries do people most often compare with Spain?

Portugal is the country most often compared with Spain, followed by Italy, France and Greece. Retirees mostly weigh Portugal, Italy and Greece, remote workers Portugal, Croatia and Greece, and families Portugal and France.

How much income do I need for Spain's non-lucrative visa if I am not from the EU?

The non-lucrative visa asks for passive income or savings of 400% of the IPREM per year for you, plus 100% for each dependent family member. The IPREM is a public benchmark amount that Spain resets every year.

Can I live in another EU country if I hold an EU or EEA passport?

Yes, an EU or EEA passport lets you live in any other EU country, so those countries are simple alternatives to Spain.