15 July 2026

Establishing a European base: what relocating buyers weigh

For those moving to Spain rather than simply buying here, the home is one decision among several - residency, tax, the shape of a life. An orientation to what changes when a house becomes a base.

This is an orientation, not legal or tax advice, and immigration and tax rules change. It is current as of July 2026; confirm your own situation with qualified advisers.

Some of the people we work with are not buying a holiday home but moving a life. That is a larger decision than a purchase, and the property is only part of it. A few of the things worth understanding early.

Residency has changed

The most important recent change: Spain’s investor residence programme - the “Golden Visa,” which for a decade granted residency in exchange for a property purchase of five hundred thousand euros or more - has ended. It was abolished by law and closed to new applications from 3 April 2025. Anyone who applied before that date keeps their rights, but the route to residency through buying a home is no longer open.

For citizens of the European Union this changes nothing - they may live in Spain freely. For others, residency now runs through the ordinary routes. Two are common: the non-lucrative visa, for those with sufficient means who will not work in Spain, and the international teleworker visa - introduced under the 2022 Startups Law - for those working remotely for employers outside the country. Each has its own conditions; the point here is only that the paths exist, and that a home purchase is now separate from the question of residency.

Where you are taxed

Living in Spain and owning in Spain are different things for tax. In general, someone who spends more than 183 days in a calendar year in Spain becomes a Spanish tax resident - though residency can also follow from having your main economic interests here. Spain also has a special regime for people relocating for work, known informally as the “Beckham Law,” which lets qualifying arrivals be taxed under non-resident rules for a set number of years. The details are individual, and this is precisely the kind of thing to model with an adviser before you move, not after.

The things that don’t appear on a contract

Beyond the paperwork, a base is chosen on quieter grounds: how a place feels across a full year rather than a holiday, how near it is to the people and cities you need, whether a home will still suit a life five years on. These are not questions a listing answers, and they are the ones we spend the most time on.

A home meant to last is worth choosing slowly. If you are weighing a move to Spain, we would be glad to think it through with you - and to bring in the advisers who handle the rest.

Sources & further reading

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