With the imminent closure of the Spanish Golden Visa, we take a look at alternatives for residency-by-investment in Europe.

Spain's Golden Visa programme, which has been a popular pathway for non-EU nationals to obtain residency through property investment, is coming to an end. The programme's termination was officially announced with the publication of Organic Law 1/2025 in Spain's Official State Gazette (BOV) on 3 January 2025 and will take effect on 3 April 2025.

The programme, which launched in 2013, allowed investors to obtain residency in Spain by investing a minimum of €500,000 in property. In exchange, investors and their families could travel freely within the Schengen zone. Close to 16,000 international investors have secured residency through this programme.

The decision to terminate the programme is part of a broader trend in Europe to tighten investment residency options.

Even though Spain’s programme is closing, Portugal and Greece still offer very attractive golden visa options to gain greater access to the EU.

Portugal’s Golden Visa programme now requires a €500,000 investment into a qualifying investment fund. This offers investors and their family Portuguese residency with a pathway to Portuguese citizenship.

The Greece Golden Visa is now one of Europe’s most affordable golden visa options, starting at a €250,000 investment into qualifying real estate.  In exchange, investors and their families can enjoy the Greek lifestyle all year round and travel freely in the Schengen area for 90 out of every 180 days.

Find your place in the sun with Greece or Portugal’s Golden Visa programme. Contact Sable International today to learn more about this life-changing opportunity. Send an email to rei@sableinternational.com or +44 (0) 20 7759 7514 or +27 (0) 21 657 1535.

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