In 2019, Spain granted 681 "golden visas" to foreigners who paid more than 500,000 euros for the purchase of one or more real estate assets, according to data collected by one of Spain's main newspapers, El País. This figure is a record for the country. In 2016, the State granted 658 Golden Visas for this reason, the highest figure up until last year, while in 2018, 599 foreigners obtained this visa. In other words, in year-on-year terms, the growth in 2019 was 13.7%.
On the whole, Spain has also beaten all general records with respect to the golden visa. In this sense, the country granted a total of 8,061 of these visas last year, according to the parliamentary response given recently by Bildu MP Jon Iñarritu. This figure represents an increase of 22.6% compared to 2018.
Real estate investment was the third most common cause for reaching this milestone, surpassed only by family reunification at 3,530 visas, and business relocation at 1,361 visas issued. In short, these are changes of residence for work reasons or all first-degree relatives of those who have obtained a golden visa in any other category.
With respect to real estate investment, Daniel Cuervo, the secretary general of the Asociación de Promotores Constructores de España (Association of Construction Promoters in Spain) explains that Spain should lower the minimum investment amount to obtain this golden visa, as is the case in Portugal where the criteria states that the minimum amount is 250,000 euros, half of the value in Spain.
Looking at nationalities, China appears in the first place as the country that has obtained more golden visas through real estate investment in Spain with a total of 455 permits. It is followed by Russia with 42 visas and Iran with 21.
Looking at 2020, only figures from the first two months of the year are known thanks to the parliamentary response issued by the central executive. In January, 50 gold visas were issued for buying houses of more than half a million and in February, 31 more.
Article seen at: España bate por séptima vez el récord de visados dorados: entregó más de 8.000 en 2019 (El País)