Most popular residency options in Spain and Portugal
The Iberian Peninsula has been for years one of the most chosen destinations for those who want to settle in Europe: climate, quality of life, access to the Schengen area and a migratory framework that, if well known, opens more doors than many imagine.
The question is not whether it is possible to come. The question is which path fits your profile. Below, we explain the eight most requested options (four in Spain, four in Portugal) so that you can identify which one is yours.
Spain
Digital Nomad Visa. Employee (salaried)
For workers who have a job with a company established outside Spain and wish to telecommute from here.
If your situation is as follows: you have a remote job with a company that is not in Spain and you want to live here, this is probably your best option. The Digital Nomad Visa is designed for exactly that, and in our experience it is one of the most agile and well-designed pathways in the Spanish system.
What you need to be clear about:
- The processing is fast: resolution in approximately 20 working days, with positive administrative silence if there is no response.
- Access to the Beckham Regime: you are taxed at a fixed rate of 24% on Spanish income during the first years, instead of the ordinary progressive scale. For many profiles, it represents a very significant tax saving.
- You can include your spouse and dependent children from the beginning.
- After 5 years of continuous legal residence you can apply for long-term residence, the first step towards Spanish nationality.
| For whom | Employees of a foreign company working remotely from Spain |
| Duration | 3 years initial + 2-year renewals |
| Permitted activity | Remote work for companies or companies outside Spain |
| Financial requirement | 200% of the SMI for the holder (~2,849 €/month in 2026) |
| Minimum seniority | 3 months of employment relationship with the company |
| With family | Yes, spouse and dependent children |
Digital Nomad Visa. Self-employed (own account)
For independent professionals providing services to clients located outside Spain.
If you are self-employed and your clients are outside Spain, this is your way. The logic is the same as the employee modality, but adapted to the freelance profile: you do not have a company to hire you, but contracts or projects with international clients. The regulations require that the activity be carried out mainly outside Spain. You may have some Spanish clients, but they must not exceed 20% of your total turnover.
One thing to keep in mind: you will have to register with the RETA, the self-employed regime of the Spanish Social Security. This has a monthly cost, but in exchange it gives you access to the public health system.
| For whom | Freelancers or self-employed with clients or contracts abroad |
| Duration | 3 years initial + 2-year renewals |
| Permitted activity | Provision of services to customers outside Spain |
| Financial requirement | 200% of the SMI for the holder (~2,849 €/month in 2026) |
| Quote | Mandatory registration in the RETA (Spanish Social Security). |
| With family | Yes, spouse and dependent children |
Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP)
For professionals who are going to join a company in Spain in a managerial, technical or highly specialized position.
If a company in Spain wants to incorporate you into its team in a managerial or specialized technical position, the PAC is the way to go. Unlike other options, here it is not you who initiates the process: it is the company that requests the permit from the Large Companies Unit (UGE-CE) and proves that your profile justifies the hiring.
The resolution period is approximately 20 working days, with positive administrative silence. In practical terms, it is one of the fastest authorizations in the system. The applicant must accredit a university degree or equivalent professional experience of at least three years in the area.
Minimum salary thresholds: the contract must reach the minimums set by the regulations: approximately €41,000/year gross for technical and specialized professional profiles, and around €55,000/year for executives and managers. These figures are updated annually according to INE data.
- Compatible with the Beckham Regime: same fixed rate of 24% as in the DNV, applicable from the first year.
- The contracting company must be established in Spain and prove economic solvency.
- You can include your family from the initial application: spouse, dependent children and dependent ascendants.
| For whom | Professionals hired by Spanish companies in managerial, technical or specialized positions. |
| Duration | Up to 3 years (or length of contract) + 2-year renewals |
| Permitted activity | Face-to-face or mixed work for the Spanish contracting company |
| Academic requirement | University degree or equivalent professional experience (minimum 3 years) |
| Minimum wage | ~41,000 €/year for technicians and specialists; ~55,000 €/year for directors and managers |
| Processing | Before the Large Business Unit (UGE-CE) |
| With family | Yes, spouse, dependent children and dependent ascendants, since initial application |
Non-Profit Visa
For people with their own financial means who wish to reside in Spain without exercising any work activity.
If you have sufficient income of your own and do not need to work in Spain, this is your option. It can be a pension, rental income, dividends, savings or any other source of passive income. What you have to be very clear before applying for it is that it does not allow you to work, either in person or remotely. If you are paid by a company or clients abroad, what you need is the Digital Nomad Visa, not this one.
Economic thresholds in 2026: the main applicant must prove €28,800 per year (400% of the IPREM). For each family member included (spouse, children or other dependents) an additional €7,200 per year (100% of the IPREM) is added. The funds may be in an account abroad, but must be accredited with a bank certificate and statements of the last 12 months.
| For whom | People with passive income, savings or annuities who do not need to work |
| Duration | 1 year initial + 2 year renewals |
| Permitted activity | No remunerated activity (neither on-site nor remote) |
| Financial requirement | 400% of the IPREM for the holder (28,800 €/year) + 100% of the IPREM for each family member (additional 7,200 €/year per person) |
| Valid income | Savings, annuities, pensions, dividends, investments or other liabilities |
| With family | Yes. Spouse, children and other dependents; each increases the financial requirement by €7,200/year. |
Student Visa in Spain
For non-EU citizens who come to study in a recognized educational center in Spain.
If you are coming to study (a degree, a master’s degree, a language program, vocational training), this is the way for you. It covers practically any type of training in recognized centers, and the procedure is done before traveling, at the Spanish consulate in your country.
What we find interesting about this option beyond the study itself: at the end of the program, you can apply for a 12-month authorization to seek employment or start an activity in Spain. In other words, the student visa can be a long-term entry point, not just a temporary stay.
| For whom | Students from outside the EU enrolled in a recognized educational center in Spain |
| Duration | Duration of the training program |
| Job | Limited: compatible with studies according to current regulations (up to 30 h/week in internships or complementary jobs) |
| Financial requirement | ~700 €/month (100% of IPREM 2026) |
| Prerequisite | Letter of admission or enrollment in an authorized center |
| With family | Not directly; family members have their own channels |
Portugal
D7 Visa: Passive Income Residency
For people with stable passive income who wish to reside in Portugal and are not dependent on active employment in the country.
If your situation is similar to that of the Spanish Non-Profit Visa (own income, no need to work) but the Non-Profit amounts are far away, the D7 deserves your full attention. It is possibly the most accessible residency option in Portugal: the economic threshold is significantly lower than its Spanish equivalent, and unlike the Non-Profit, once you obtain the residency you can work in Portugal if you choose to do so.
It is the option that we recommend to explore first of all for retirees, annuitants or people who live on dividends or rental income and want to settle in Portugal without a large investment.
Financial thresholds in 2026: €920/month for the holder (€11,040/year), plus €460/month for a second adult and €276/month for each dependent child. Usually it is also required to prove one year of equivalent savings in a Portuguese or foreign bank account.
| For whom | Individuals with stable passive income (pension, rent, dividends, etc.) |
| Duration | 2 years initial + 3 years renewal |
| Job | Yes, once you have obtained residency (self-employed or employed in Portugal). |
| Financial requirement | 920/month for the holder (11,040 €/year) + 460/month for second adult + 276/month for each dependent child |
| Valid income | Pensions, rents, dividends, interest, royalties and other recurring liabilities |
| With family | Yes (family regrouping available after 2 years of residence of the holder) |
Golden Visa Portuguesa (ARI)
For non-EU investors who wish to obtain residency in Portugal through a qualified investment, with a minimum requirement of physical presence.
The Autorização de Residência para Investimento (ARI) stands out for its flexibility: it is not necessary to live in Portugal on a regular basis to maintain the permit. The minimum stay requirement is 7 days during the first year and 14 days in each subsequent two-year period, making it the most suitable option for investors who are unwilling or unable to relocate their usual residence immediately.
Currently supported investment avenues include:
- Capital transfer of €500,000 for scientific research activities.
- Capital transfer of €250,000 for artistic production or preservation of cultural heritage.
- Capital transfer of €500,000 in non-real estate mutual funds incorporated in Portugal.
- Capital transfer of €500,000 for the incorporation or strengthening of a commercial company in Portugal, with job creation.
- Direct creation of at least 10 jobs.
The time for complete processing is approximately 18 to 24 months.
| For whom | Investors who want Portuguese residency with minimum physical presence |
| Duration | 2 years initial + 3-year renewals |
| Job | Yes, in Portugal |
| Minimum investment | From 500,000 € depending on the most chosen modality (funds) |
| Minimum presence | 7 days the first year; 14 days for every 2-year period |
| Road to nationality | Possible after 5 years of legal residency (10 years in general; 7 for CPLP) |
| With family | Yes |
Student Visa in Portugal (D4)
For non-EU citizens coming to study at a Portuguese university or other educational institution.
If your study destination is Portugal, the D4 is your visa. It works in a similar way to the Spanish option, but with an advantage that is worth noting: students in Portugal can work up to 20 hours a week during the academic year, and full-time during vacations. For many, this makes a real difference on a day-to-day basis.
The procedure starts at the Portuguese consulate in your country, and upon arrival you have 120 days to formalize the residence authorization with AIMA. Upon completion of your studies, you can change your status to seek employment or start activity in Portugal. As in the Spanish option, this visa can be the first step of something longer.
| For whom | Students from outside the EU enrolled in Portuguese educational institution |
| Duration | Duration of program (renewable annually) |
| Job | Yes, up to 20 h/week during the course; full time during vacations |
| Financial requirement | Income or sponsor crediting at least €920/month (Portuguese minimum wage 2026) |
| Prerequisite | Acceptance letter from Portuguese institution + Portuguese Tax ID number |
| With family | Yes, if sufficient financial means are demonstrated |
What is the right choice for you?
If you have come this far with the feeling that one or more of these options might be for you, the next step is to analyze your case in detail. Not all situations are the same: the country where you now reside, the nature of your income, whether you are coming alone or with family, how long you have been in your current job or the capital you have available to you are factors that may make the right path not the most obvious at first glance.
At Gentile Law we have been accompanying people for years at exactly this moment: the moment of moving from idea to action. If you want to know for sure which option fits your profile and how to prepare a solid dossier, we are here to help you.
This publication is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.
Contact us:
Eliézer Ruan
Head of Global Mobility at Gentile Law
eliezerruan@gentile.law eliezerruan@gentile.law
+34 604 516 052
Lais Verissimo
Paralegal of Global Mobility at Gentile Law
laisverissimo@gentile.law laisverissimo@gentile.law
+ 34 684 463 736