Spain Property Guide - January 2022 Issue 7

GOLDEN VISA
A GOLDEN PATHWAY INTO SPAIN
For people outside the EU interested in buying a property,
investing or indeed residing in Spain, the Golden Visa
scheme offers a convenient way of acquiring legal status.
Since Brexit, this also includes British citizens.
The access and rights once automatically granted to British
subjects were withdrawn when the UK left the European Union
along with the free movement of people within its boundaries;
now effectively outside of this zone, the same rules broadly apply to
them that also govern relations with the citizens of many other of the
world’s nations. However, the Golden Visa offers a way of attaining
residence rights and the ability to conveniently own property, invest
in and also reside within Spain.
WHAT IS REQUIRED
The essential requirements to qualify for a Spanish Golden Visa are
pretty straightforward. You really just have to own a property within Spain
with a minimum net value (excluding charges) of €500,000. The second
requirement is to be able to prove to the satisfaction of the country’s
authorities that you have the means to support yourself in Spain without
the need to work here, thus waving any responsibility of the state for
your financial wellbeing. The aim of this is to encourage investment in
Spain and to ensure that any non-EU citizens residing in the country are
financially independent.
HOW YOU APPLY
To apply for the Spanish Golden, you have to be physically present in the
country, as your passport will have to contain a date stamp of entry. While
a lawyer or gestor may submit the application on your behalf, you have to
be present in person during the process and up to its completion.
DOCUMENTS NEEDED
As is standard in such cases, a certain amount of documentation is
required and has to be submitted in a specific manner. Some, such as
your passport, will already be in your possession, while others will have
to be requested in your home country in advance of your Golden Visa
application in Spain. As these will be issued in your mother tongue,
an official translation of all such documents by an accredited sworn
translator will have to be prepared in Spain before submitting both sets
(the original and translated versions) for scrutiny. Make sure you have
both the original versions and copies available. Your lawyer or gestor will
be able to assist you with all of this.
Moreover, all documents have to be legalised and bear the Apostille of
The Hague – and remain valid for only three months from the date of
issue.
The documents needed for your Golden Visa application are:
• Passport and copies of all its pages (including blank ones)
• Non-criminal record certificate
• An updated marriage certificate (if applicable)
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