Quick comparison
Non-lucrative visa
Forpeople with passive income who will not work in Spain — retirees, investors, people with rental income.
Income 2026€2,400/month (400% of IPREM), plus €600/month per family member.
What rules people outit does not authorise work of any kind, including remote work for a foreign employer.
Digital nomad visa
Forpeople working remotely for companies or clients based outside Spain.
Income 2026€2,442/month (200% of the monthly SMI).
What rules people outmore than 20% of income from Spanish sources disqualifies you.
Student visa
Forpeople taking an in-person, full-time course at an authorised institution.
Income 2026€600/month for each month of study (100% of IPREM), plus the return journey.
What rules people outyou cannot apply from inside Spain on tourist status.
Work visa
Forpeople with a Spanish employer, or setting up their own business.
Income 2026varies by route, community and occupation — we do not publish a figure that would not hold for your case.
What rules people outon the employed route the company starts the procedure, not you.
Two routes this page does not compare
They are not visas, so they do not belong in the table above — but they are where a lot of readers actually end up. Spain issues no retirement visa: what retirees apply for is set out on retiring in Spain. And what happens after the first permit — renewals, long-term residence and nationality — is on Spanish residency and citizenship.
The two numbers behind almost every requirement
Nearly every Spanish financial requirement is a percentage of one of two official indicators. For 2026:
The student route uses the IPREM; the digital nomad route uses the SMI; the non-lucrative route uses the IPREM at a higher multiple. That is why two visas in the same year can demand very different amounts — different bases, not inconsistency.
If you are already in Spain
Visas are the route for people applying from outside. Anyone already living in Spain — including people who arrived on a tourist stamp and stayed — has two different doors, with their own requirements and no consulate involved:
Arraigo
Forpeople with two years of presence in Spain — or none, on the arraigo familiar route.
What rules people outmore than 90 days of absence across the period.
Family reunification
Forresidents with one year of legal residence who want to bring a spouse, children or parents.
Income 2026€900/month for two people (150% of IPREM), plus €300 per additional member.
The Golden Visa is closed
Residence by property investment ended in April 2025. Pages still selling it are out of date, and so is any adviser offering it. If that was your plan, the honest replacement is usually the non-lucrative visa — or, if you still work, the digital nomad visa.
Frequently asked questions
Which Spanish visa is easiest to get?
There is no easiest one, only the one that fits your profile. People with remote income from outside Spain usually have the most direct path through the digital nomad visa; people with a pension or investment income through the non-lucrative visa. Applying under the wrong category is what produces refusals.
Does the Golden Visa still exist?
No. Residence by property investment closed in April 2025. Any page still offering it is out of date. People who were looking at that route generally fit the non-lucrative visa or the digital nomad visa instead.
Can I apply from inside Spain?
It depends on the route and on your legal situation at the time. For the student route, tourist status does not qualify you to apply in-country under RD 1155/2024 and Instrucciones SEM 3/2025. For other routes the answer differs — it is the first thing worth checking.
Can I bring my family?
The main routes provide for accompanying family members, but each one adds an amount to the income you must evidence, and the calculation differs by visa and by relationship.
Do I need to speak Spanish?
There is no general language requirement for the student, digital nomad or non-lucrative routes. Your course or your employer may require it; the visa itself does not.
- Ley 28/2022 (startups law) — international teleworking visa (BOE) in force since 1 Jan 2026
- Reglamento de Extranjería — RD 1155/2024 (BOE) in force since 1 Jan 2026
- Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores — visa requirements by category in force since 1 Jan 2026
- IPREM and SMI 2026 — official values (€600/month · €1,221/month in 14 payments) in force since 1 Jan 2026