Information about a "Golden Visa"

Th first thing you need is an 'NIE number' to make any transactions like buying a property, you can apply at the Embassy in your own country or need to apply via the national police in Spain Link.     https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/dublin/en/ServiciosConsulares/Paginas/Consular/NIE.aspx

https://www.expatica.com/es/living/gov-law-admin/nie-number-in-spain-849449/

Use a Law firm close to your location of choice who can help with the Visa and property purchase, check their address, many on line are umbellar organisations, location important when buying a property.

Note there are something like 3 million unsold properties is Spain & many over priced, so needs some bartering.

Most agents place their properties on Idealista so you can do a lot of research on property before you come, give yourself enough time to research & barter for what you want.  

https://www.idealista.com/en/venta-viviendas/estepona-malaga/mapa

Thank you very much David. I've got some excellent info from people living there and yours has been so great. I'm going to feel like I have friends before I even get there. With gratitude,  Karen 

Hi Karen,

I’m in the same position as you except I’m going in from Scotland, my experience so far is there’s lots of contradictory information out there, I’d recommend at least looking at the Blevins Franks website, and download the Golden Visa Guide there, as far as I can see the info there is pretty much spot on, at least you can look and decide for yourself, information for the non lucrative visa is also downloadable although this may not be suitable for your particular case.

Hope this helps you,

Alex.

Indeed lots of conflicting advice and people will line up to make money out of people, it's important to gather all the information you can and make your own mind up. For example  If you are buying an older property you should always ask the selling agent for the ITE and the CEE (energy certificate) as 'the law requires them to be available when the property is being marketed and not just presented when the sale is being formalised at the Notary'. The age a property needing this varies, For example, Mijas requires the first inspection for properties as young as 25 years, Estepona is 30 years and every 10 years thereafter, whilst Marbella, located in between those Town Halls, is only after 50 years and every 10 years thereafter.

I have been looking for a second property here and had arguments with agents about not making this available, they try to get your holding deposit and say we can sort this out later, It's a bit like the wild west. There is a say "don't but with the sun in your eyes". 

https://surveyspain.com/2020/06/18/technical-inspection-requirements-structural-stability-spain/

Hi Karen  I would suggest long term let for 90 days.  Perhaps look at San Luis de Sabinillas.  Get in  touch with British Legion there.  They meet at golf club on Tuesdays at 12.00. Folks there will give you all the help you need.  Explore this area and put furniture into storage.  Staying in spain will give you more of a feel.

Thanks so much. I'm actually now looking at the NLV, because I could get that one without having to be in a hurry to buy something. The easiest possible way I guess would be to just go in on a tourist visa which gives me 3 months to find something appropriate then apply for the Golden Visa once I've bought a place (or 2!!!) 

Thanks and good luck with your endeavours as well. Are you going to settle in Estepona too? Karen

Hi again Karen, 

No,I’m going to Mijas, I’ve had a holiday villa there since 2004, and spent the winter 6 months there  since, but brexit has messed up this arrangement, can only now spend 90 days of the winter there, looks like I need to sell and buy something else to qualify for the GV, the most annoying thing is I really like the villa I have but real estate bought before 2014 doesn’t count towards the GV, NLV is an option for me too, but means paying my income tax in Spain which works out quite a lot more, and there’s some other drawbacks like having to resit a driving test for a Spanish licence,

Alex

Indeed and paying tax in Spain a problem, to include the fact no age cap on Social Security, collectively giving a minimum rate of about 60%.    

Bummer, Alex. Brexit seems to have messed up a lot of people but hopefully this will get sorted soon. Must be lovely to have a home in Spain to escape to from the Scottish winter, especially in the South of Spain. Your friends must have envied you! Where I live now is quite lovely weather year-round, beautiful sandy beaches, but I'm feeling dissatisfied, like I want to go somewhere else. So I'm going!!! All the best finding a new place to live.  Karen