A Llawyer's overview of visas in Spain

At LNA, we can assist you with all four visas plus the Spanish residency permit.

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23 October 2026, 8:00

Spain was the second most visited country in the world last year, with 97 million tourists. It’s a beautiful country to visit or live in. Gorgeous weather, delicious food, affordable prices, great amenities, easygoing natives, and ultra-low taxation (in some regions) appeal to foreigners at large. Many tourists decide to move to Spain and buy property.

In recent years, Spain introduced a new immigration scheme called the Digital Nomad Visa, which has associated significant tax advantages for those who qualify. It allows successful applicants to enrol in a tax scheme called Beckham’s Rule. The bottom line is that you pay few to no taxes. Due to its unique tax benefits, it is proving wildly popular amongst foreign applicants (more details below).

As a general rule:

If you are a non-EU national and wish to stay in Spain for over 90 consecutive days, you need to apply for a visa. Please be advised that not all visas grant the right to work in Spain.
If you are an EU/EEA national and wish to stay in Spain for over 90 consecutive days, you need to apply for a Spanish residency permit. This is cheap and fast-tracked (takes a few weeks). We offer this service: Spanish Residency permit for EU nationals.

Visas allow you to live anywhere in Spain; you will be spoilt for choice: Barcelona, Costa del Sol, Granada, Ibiza, Madrid, Malaga, Mallorca, Santiago de Compostela, San Sebastian, Seville, Sotogrande, and Valencia.

At Larrain Nesbitt Abogados (LNA), we help you obtain a visa or a residency permit to live in Spain legally in record time at an affordable price. Your case will be handled by one of our immigration lawyers assisted by a visa manager.

General requirements for all Spanish visas

Unlike other countries, you are not required to have a minimum proficiency in Spanish to apply for a visa. Whilst this is true, we strongly advise you to learn the language, at least at a basic level, to better blend in and understand Spanish society. You will find natives greatly appreciate the effort and will be far more receptive towards you. Spanish is fairly easy to learn, by comparison to other languages, and is the second most important language in the world. It is the official language of 21 countries.

The following five are staple requirements across all visa types:

Non-EU national
Hire private health insurance
Clean criminal record, no trace (previous 5 years)
Be financially self-supporting (you will not claim benefits)
Not be living in Spain illegally at the time of making the visa application

Spanish visa overview

At LNA, we can assist you with all four visas listed below plus a Spanish residency permit (which is not really a visa). After five years of continued and legal residency, you may apply for permanent residency in Spain.

Some visas suit applicants better than others; some offer unique tax advantages.

1. Digital Nomad Visa (tax-free visa)

After the Golden Visa was phased out in April 2025, the DNV was next in line to occupy the visa throne as the most sought-after in Spain. DNVs extend to family members i.e. spouse and children under the age of 18 years old. It allows applicants to work remotely from Spain, i.e. teleworking.

The main advantage is privileged taxation. It grants applicants a special tax regime whereby they pay ultra-low tax as opposed to standard tax rates which apply to Spanish tax residents. The initial duration is 3 years and is renewed for another 3 years. It is attained by us in under 3 weeks.

Depending on which region in Spain you settle in, there are also lenient regional tax allowances available that work in tandem with this visa, making you pay less tax, or even none at all.

Key tax advantages:

No tax on assets & income abroad. This is of special interest for applicants holding substantial assets abroad and overseas earnings (i.e. HNWIs), which would go untaxed by Spain.
Pay a flat tax rate of 24% on the first €600,000 of gross annual earnings in Spain. This translates into huge tax savings of 50% or more.
Not required to file a 720 tax return (unlike Spanish tax residents)
Not required to file the Wealth Tax (unlike Spanish tax residents)

Suitable for:

International teleworkers
Self-employed (freelancers) who manage their foreign business remotely
HNWI and UHNWIs

Further reading: Digital Nomad Visa explained (tax-free visa)

2. Marriage Visa – Family Regroupment Visa

It’s intended for families or couples that have been separated, in and out of the EU. It seeks to reunite them in an expedited manner within the EU. Although this type of visa is popularly dubbed as ‘Marriage Visa,’ it would rather be more appropriate to refer to it as ‘Family Visa’.

Its scope goes well beyond a married couple. It ought to be understood in broader terms, as in family reunion. This visa allows you the right to work in Spain. It has low fees, and it is fast-tracked, taking between one and four weeks. This visa is for 5 years (maximum).

Suitable for:

Separated family members who wish to reunite within the EU
Married couples
Non-married couples

Further reading: Marriage Visa explained

3. Retirement Visa – Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV)

This is Spain’s Retirement Visa. It allows applicants to live but not work in Spain.

The applicant is expected to be financially self-supporting and will be required to prove he or she has enough savings for at least two years. This visa is ideal for retirees who wish to spend extended periods of time in Spain – without working – enjoying the finer things in life.

It takes 2 to 3 months on average. This visa is initially for 1 year, and then it works on 2-year renewals.

Suitable for:

Pensioners, retirees
Bon vivants

Further reading: Retirement Visa explained

4. Business Visa – Lucrative Visa

As its name implies, this permit allows the applicant to work in Spain as you will be self-employed. This residency applies to someone who is looking to set up his own business in Spain. This requires a proactive, hands-on attitude.

Typically, you will be acting as a director or managing director overseeing a company. Needless to say, one of the key requirements is that you will have enough means to be self-supporting, both for yourself and your family, for one year.

The catch, besides a cast-iron motivation, is that you need to invest in the ballpark of €80,000 to €100,000 to open & run a business in Spain. You will also be required to hire employees and enrol them in Spain’s Social Security (the cornerstone of this visa).

Visa renewals are contingent on your business making a profit every year. This visa allows you and your family the right to work in Spain as self-employed. This visa has the highest fees and also takes the longest (3 to 4 months).

Suitable for:

Entrepreneurs
Applicants (families) wishing to set up and run a business in Spain
Self-employed

Further reading: Lucrative residency permit (Business Visa)

5. Spanish residency permit

All expats (EU/EEA nationals) who spend over 3 consecutive months in Spanish territory, within a 6-month rolling period, must apply for residencia.

However, if you are a non-EU national but are married or are a first-degree family member of an EU national, you are also entitled to this residency permit.

It is fast-tracked and granted in a few weeks. It has low requirements and lasts 5 years (maximum). Also, it’s the cheapest.

Suitable for:

EU/EEA nationals
Non-EU/EEA nationals married or family of an EU/EEA national

Further reading: Beckham’s Rule explained

Conclusion

Visas are your gateway to a new life.

Migration services LNA offers:

LNA has a strong track record of attaining Spanish visas & residency permits since 2013. We have assisted over one thousand satisfied visa clients and their families.

At Larrain Nesbitt Abogados (LNA), we have over 23 years’ experience specialising in taxation and property conveyance. We also assist clients with immigration & residency visas and inheritance procedures (probate). You can contact us by email at info@larrainnesbitt.com, by telephone on our UK line (+44) 0754 3838 218 or Spanish line (+34) 952 19 22 88, or by completing our contact form.

Please note the information provided in this article is of general interest only and is not to be construed or intended as a substitute for professional legal advice. This article may be posted freely on websites or other social media so long as the author is duly credited. Plagiarising, whether in whole or in part, this article without crediting the author may result in criminal prosecution. Ní neart go cur le chéile. Voluntas omnia vincit.