Months Until Its Elimination
Between January and October, the government issued more than eight hundred golden visas, with at least five hundred granted after Pedro Sánchez announced his intention to repeal these residency permits aimed at international investors. ACTIVOS, the economic vertical of Prensa Ibérica, obtained the figures through a Transparency request. In the official resolution, signed by the director general for Spaniards Abroad and Consular Affairs, the executive confirms 833 golden visas issued since the start of the year, with a total investment inflow of 518.47 million euros. The program had operated since 2013 and was repealed on 14 November. The permits were granted to foreigners who bought one or more homes valued above half a million euros. During this year the average investment stood at 653,816 euros. This snapshot underscores how a policy designed to attract international buyers evolved into a political issue that shaped debates on housing and investment in Spain. Source: ACTIVOS; Transparencia.
Of the total 833 golden visas issued, 550 were granted from May onward after the Government signaled its plan to abolish them. On 8 April, during an official visit to Seville, Pedro Sánchez stated that this is not the model of the country we want, the one built on speculative investment in housing, and he pledged to take the necessary measures to guarantee that housing is a right and not a mere speculative business. These remarks were documented for public record and reflected in subsequent policy discussions. Source: Servimedia reporting on the Seville visit and government statements.
Non-EU Citizens Most Affected
Prior to answering a Transparency request, the EH Bildu deputy Jon Iñarritu demanded that the Government disclose the detailed data on golden visas. In the written reply, the Executive acknowledged granting 780 golden visas, of which 573 were authorized after 1 April. The resolution, advanced by Servimedia in the press cycle, included the nationalities of the citizens who received the visas, with the majority coming from outside the European Union. Source: Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda data via Transparency channels.
The disclosed list includes residents from Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, the United States, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Qatar, the United Kingdom, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Serbia, Singapore, Syria, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Vietnam. According to Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda figures, between 2016 and the first quarter of 2024 Spain granted 10,528 golden visas tied to real estate purchases totaling 10,014 million euros. Source: Ministry disclosures via Servimedia and official channels.
The available data cannot be considered final for 2024, since the golden visas issued between 1 and 14 April, the date of the repeal in the Congress, have not yet been fully reported. This uncertainty highlights the evolving nature of the program during a year marked by political negotiations and changes to housing policy. Source: Official records and news agencies tracking the legislative timetable.