How to get a residence permit in Spain

A residence permit in Spain in 2026 is granted on a specific ground: non-lucrative residence with passive income (400% of IPREM per month), digital nomad (200% of the minimum wage, SMI, per month), entrepreneur with an ENISA report, self-employment, salaried work, EU Blue Card, family members and, for Ukrainians, temporary protection. The first permit runs for 1 to 3 years depending on the ground; after 5 years of continuous residence you can apply for long-term residence. The investor permit («golden visa») was abolished on 3 April 2025. Checked against the laws in the BOE on 9 October 2026.

Request a tailored proposal →

Residence grounds in Spain in 2026

General requirements

For the Law 14/2013 permits (entrepreneur, digital nomad, highly qualified professional, Blue Card), Article 62 requires the applicant to:

• have no irregular status in Spain and be 18 or older;
• have no criminal record in Spain or in the countries of residence over the last 2 years, plus a sworn statement covering 5 years;
• hold public or private health insurance from an insurer authorised in Spain;
• have sufficient funds for themselves and their family for the whole stay;
• pay the application fee.

A spouse or partner, children and dependent parents can apply together with the main applicant or later. The UGE processes these applications electronically; the statutory decision period is 20 days from filing, and no answer within that period counts as approval.

Non-lucrative residence: funds calculation

The Immigration Regulation (Articles 61–64 of Royal Decree 1155/2024) requires funds or regular income of 400% of IPREM per month for the applicant and 100% of IPREM per family member, for the whole permit period. IPREM is €600 per month: the amount was set by the 2023 budget law, and as of 9 October 2026 no new value has been published in the BOE.

Funds are proven with bank certificates, property titles and other evidence; foreign accounts need the bank details, opening dates and balances. If income comes from shares in companies, the applicant confirms they do not work there. The first permit is issued for 1 year. Renewal requires more than 183 days in Spain in the calendar year, insurance and funds; the application is filed within the 2 months before expiry. More than 183 days also means Spanish tax residence, so we plan worldwide-income taxes in advance with Crystal Tax.

Work, business and remote work

If you work remotely for a foreign company or freelance for foreign clients, the digital nomad visa fits: a freelancer may do up to 20% of their work for Spanish clients. For your own business there are two routes: the entrepreneur permit with an ENISA report or self-employment. Registering a Spanish SL (capital from €1) creates no separate right of residence; we set it up alongside the immigration route, and RegServ handles the corporate side.

Residence for Ukrainians with temporary protection

Temporary protection TIE cards were automatically extended to 4 March 2027 (Order INT/96/2026). Since 16 April 2026 holders can apply from within Spain for other permits, including arraigo and the Law 14/2013 permits. Temporary protection is also a ground for residence on humanitarian grounds (Article 128 of the Regulation). The route to permanent residence is explained separately.

Documents from Ukraine

Ukrainian documents (criminal record certificate, marriage and birth certificates, diplomas) usually need an apostille and a Spanish translation. RegServ helps prepare them.

How we run the case

Related services

Sources (as of 9 October 2026): Immigration Regulation, Royal Decree 1155/2024, Articles 61–64, 83–86, 128, 19th additional provision; Law 14/2013, Articles 62, 69–76; Organic Law 1/2025; Law 31/2022 (IPREM); Royal Decree 126/2026 (SMI); Order INT/96/2026; Law 35/2006 on personal income tax, Article 9.