Italy or Spain: Investor Visa or Digital Nomad Visa in 2026

Briefly: verdict and who gets what?

In short: Italy - for capital, Spain - for income. The Italian investor visa requires an investment of 250,000 to 2,000,000 euros and is tailored for wealthy people who value flat tax and a long European perspective. The Spanish digital nomad visa does not require a single cent of investment in the country - you just need to show a stable remote income of 2,850 euros per month.

Who is Italy for: an entrepreneur, an investor, a person with large foreign capital who wants to legally optimize taxes and is not obliged to live in the country in order to maintain a residence permit. For whom Spain: IT specialist, freelancer, consultant, founder of an online business - those who earn money remotely and are ready to actually move. This is not a debate about “which investment is more profitable”, but a question about which of two different profiles you belong to. Helps you understand the nuances Italian Investor Visa Reviewandanalysis of the Spanish digital nomad visa.

Summary table: Italy and Spain side by side

The main parameters of both programs in one frame. The figures are for 2026; The exact family thresholds and tax options depend on your situation.

Italy: Investor Visa - Door to Capital

The Italian investor visa (Investor Visa, commonly referred to as the “golden visa”) has existed since 2017 and in 2026 it works without queues or serious delays. Its logic is simple: you confirm a major investment in the Italian economy and in return receive a residence permit for yourself and your family, not tied to mandatory residence.

Four login options:

• 250 000 € - investment in an Italian innovative startup. The most affordable threshold, designed for those who are ready to take on the risk of early business.
• 500 000 € - investment in shares/shares of an existing Italian company.
• 1 000 000 € - a charitable donation to a project in the field of culture, education, ecology or immigration. This money do not return.
• 2 000 000 € - purchase of Italian government bonds.

Important detail: with the exception of the donation, this is an investment and not a non-refundable contribution. A startup share or bonds can be sold and the capital returned - but when you exit the investment, you lose the basis for a residence permit if you have not found a replacement. Details of thresholds and procedures are in our full analysis of the Italian investor visa.

The residence permit is issued for 2 years, then extended for 3 years while maintaining the investment. There is no minimum period of stay for the residence permit itself - you can maintain the status while actually living in another place. This is a key difference from the Spanish script.

Spain: Digital Nomad Visa - Door to Income

Here it is important to record a fact that takes many by surprise: Spain golden visa closed. Organic Law 1/2025 repealed articles 63-67 of the 2013 law, and from April 3, 2025, it is no longer possible to buy a residence permit for real estate or capital in Spain. Therefore, comparing the “Italy golden visa and the Spanish golden visa” in 2026 is already pointless - the Spanish golden visa does not exist.

What is left for those who want to enter Spain legally in Europe? Main tool - digital nomad visa. It was introduced by the 2023 Startup Law and is designed for people who work remotely for a foreign employer or run their own online business with clients outside Spain.

Baseline conditions for 2026:

• Income - from ~2,850 euros per month (this is about 200% of the interprofessional minimum salary SMI). The figure changes annually following the SMI.
• Source of income - remote work for a company outside Spain; Spanish clients may account for no more than ~20% of revenue.
• Experience - proven work experience/cooperation with the employer (usually from 3 months), specialized education or experience.
• No investment in the country - you do not buy real estate and do not place capital. The money remains yours.

A visa when applied from abroad gives 1 year; when applying from within Spain, a residence permit is issued immediately for 3 years with an extension for another 2 - a total of up to 5 years, after which the path to permanent residence opens.

Total cost: investment, fees, family

It is incorrect to compare costs head-on - the programs are designed fundamentally differently. In Italy, you invest a large amount of capital (which, apart from the donation, remains your asset). In Spain, capital is not brought into the country at all - you just prove income.

Italy - order of expenses:

• Investment: from €250,000 (start-up) to €2,000,000 (government bonds). This is not a “spending”, but an investment of capital (besides the €1,000,000 donation).
• Government fees and charges for visas and residence permits are several hundred euros per person.
• Legal support, translation and legalization of documents, nulla osta.
• A family joins without additional investment - just confirm income and relationship.
• If you choose flat tax: €300,000 per year for the main applicant plus €50,000 for each family member.

Spain - order of expenses:

• There is no investment in the country. The financial condition is not a contribution, but a monthly income of ~2,850 €.
• For each dependent, the income requirement increases: approximately +916 € for the first family member and +305 € for each subsequent one.
• Consular/administrative fees, legalization and apostille of documents, medical insurance, translations.
• Legal support for applying and registering a residence permit.

Conclusion on money: Spain is incomparably cheaper at the entrance, because you don’t invest anything - you just need a stable income. Italy requires capital, but this capital is yours in most cases. If you want to understand what budget you really need for your situation and family composition, sign up for a free consultation with BRIDGES GLOBAL - let's break down the expenses into items.

Taxes: Italian flat tax against the Beckham regime

This is perhaps the most interesting area of ​​comparison - and here both countries play strongly, but in different ways.

Italy: flat tax for new residents. A person becoming a tax resident in Italy for the first time can choose a regime in which his entire foreign income is taxed at a fixed amount - in 2026 it is 300,000 euros per year (The budget law raised the previous 200,000 €). For each family member added to the regime - an additional 50,000 € (previously it was 25,000 €). The regime is valid for up to 15 years. Logic: If you have millions in income abroad, a flat payment may be more profitable than a progressive scale. Those who switched to the regime before January 1, 2026, retain the same rate - the law respects the principle of the “grandfather clause” and does not apply retroactively. Source - Italian Tax Agency.

Spain: Beckham regime. A special tax regime for visiting specialists (nicknamed after a football player) allows you to pay fixed 24% for earned income up to 600,000 euros instead of a progressive scale of up to 47%. From 2023, digital nomad visa holders who work remotely for a foreign employer will also be eligible - this has been confirmed by practice. But there is a catch: the regime is not given automatically. You must submit Form 149 within 6 months of registering with Social Security; missed the window - you lose the benefit for the entire period. Details - on the website Spanish Tax Agency.

Comparison in essence: the Italian flat tax is a tool for those who have a very large foreign income; a payment of €300,000 is justified when the alternative is a progressive tax on millions. The Beckham regime is a tool for a highly paid specialist with an income of up to 600,000 €: 24% versus 47% provide serious savings without any “input” million.

Time frame and process step by step

Italy - investor visa:

• Step 1: Apply for nulla osta (prior authorization) through the online portal - processing usually takes a few weeks.
• Step 2. Having received permission, you apply for an investor visa at the consulate within the specified period.
• Step 3. Entry into Italy and actual investment (usually within 3 months after entry).
• Step 4. Registration of a residence permit for a period of 2 years, then extension for 3 years.

Spain - Digital Nomad Visa:

• Step 1. Collection of documents: confirmation of income, labor relations, education/experience, certificate of good conduct, medical insurance.
• Step 2. Submission - either at a consulate abroad (visa for 1 year), or from within Spain in UGE-CE (residence permit for 3 years at once). Decisions on electronic applications are made relatively quickly.
• Step 3. Registration in Spain, obtaining a residence permit card (TIE), completing the Beckham regime with Form 149 within 6 months.
• Step 4. Extension to a total period of 5 years for stays of 183 days per year.

In terms of speed, entry into Spain is usually faster and easier administratively, since there is no need to make and verify an investment. Italy requires more preparation due to the investment part, but in 2026 it will proceed without any pronounced queues.

What status gives: residence, movement, perspective

Both countries are Schengen and the EU, so the basic freedom of movement within the zone (90 days out of 180 in other Schengen countries) is similar for holders. The difference is what the status requires of you and where it leads.

• Italy does not oblige you to live in the country in order to maintain the investor’s residence permit - convenient for those who conduct business in several jurisdictions. But you have to pay for this on the path to citizenship: days of residence will still be needed if the goal is a passport.
• Spain awaits real presence: from 183 days a year for renewal. This status is for those who actually move and do not “park” a residence permit.

Perspective: both routes lead to permanent residence after 5 years and to citizenship after 10 years of permanent residence. Spain has a nuance - for citizens of a number of countries (mainly Latin American, as well as Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines and some others), the period for citizenship has been reduced. If you are interested in other European routes with investment, check out our review of European golden visas 2026.

Family: who and how you can take with you

Both programs are family friendly, but the details differ.

Italy. The main applicant is joined by a spouse, minor children, dependent adult children and dependent parents. There is no need to make additional investments for family members - it is enough to confirm the relationship and sufficiency of funds. If you choose flat tax, each relative included will cost €50,000 per year on top of the basic payment.

Spain. The digital nomad visa allows you to bring your spouse or registered partner, children under 18, dependent adult children, and dependent parents. But the income requirement increases with each family member: approximately +916 € to the monthly threshold for the first and +305 € for each subsequent one. That is, a family of four needs to prove a significantly larger income than a single person.

Practical conclusion: for a large family, Italy may be more predictable - the entry threshold is fixed, and does not grow with the number of people; but Spain does not require capital at all if the total income is sufficient.

Document verification: what BRIDGES looks at in both programs

Both Italian and Spanish applications are sensitive to the quality of the dossier - refusal often comes not because of “lack of money”, but because of poorly collected documents. What we check before submitting:

• Origin of funds and income. For Italy - legality and traceability of invested capital; for Spain - stability and a source of remote income, the share of Spanish clients.
• Labor/contractual relations. For DNV - the reality of an employer outside Spain, length of service, absence of fictitiousness.
• Criminal record and reputation. Certificates from all countries of residence for the relevant period, apostille/legalization.
• Correctness of investment. For Italy - that the chosen instrument actually falls under the program (startup in the register, correct bonds, accredited recipient of the donation).
• Tax strategy. Does a flat tax or the Beckham regime make sense in your situation, and will a change of residence create problems in your country of current residence?

We have been working since 2004 and guide the applicant from the initial assessment of chances to obtaining a residence permit card and setting up the tax regime.

Common mistakes when choosing

• Compare golden visas of two countries. The Spanish golden visa is no more - it is closed in April 2025. Any advice “buy a Spanish residence permit for real estate” in 2026 is outdated.
• To think that a flat tax of 300,000 € is for everyone. It is justified only with very large foreign income. It is not profitable for a person with a modest income - and is completely unnecessary for the investor’s residence permit itself.
• Forget about Form 149 in Spain. Beckham's regime does not turn on itself - missing the 6-month window will deprive you of benefits for the entire period.
• Underestimate the residency requirement. The Spanish residence permit requires real presence (183 days), the Italian investor residence permit does not, but days will still be needed for citizenship.
• Do not take into account the increase in household income in Spain. The threshold rises with each dependent; “passing” personal income may not be enough for everyone.
• Ignore the tax trail in the current country. Changing residence is not only new rules, but also a way out of old ones.

Which program is suitable for whom: scenarios

Scenario "capital and taxes". You have large foreign income and assets, you are ready to place from 250,000 to 2,000,000 euros and want to legally fix the tax - your option is Italy with an investor visa and, for large amounts, a flat tax.

“Remote work and relocation” scenario. You are an IT specialist, designer, consultant or founder of an online business with an income of 2,850 euros per month and want to really live in Europe - choose Spain with a digital nomad visa and the Beckham regime.

Scenario "mobility without residence". It is important for you to hold a European residence permit, but actually live in several countries - Italy is more convenient, its investor visa does not require constant presence.

The “high, but not a million dollar salary” scenario. You earn, say, 150,000-500,000 euros as a specialist - the Beckham regime (24% versus 47%) in Spain will give savings without any input capital, while the Italian flat tax of 300,000 euros does not make sense here.

"Big family" scenario. If the family is large, compare: in Italy the entry threshold is fixed, in Spain the income requirement is increasing. Often the deciding factor is whether you have capital or regular income.

Final verdict

Italy and Spain are facing different challenges in 2026, and the right answer depends not on the country, but on your profile. Italy - this is a capital route: you invest a large amount (mostly returnable), receive a flexible residence permit without obligatory residence and, with large incomes, include a flat tax. Spain - this is an income route: you don’t invest a single cent in the country, prove remote earnings and get the right to live in one of the most comfortable countries in Europe with preferential tax for specialists.

If you have capital and need a high-level tax and immigration tool, look away Italian investor visa. If you have a stable remote income and a desire to move, this is your path spanish digital nomad visa. And in order not to guess which scenario you fit into and what budget you will need, sign up for a free consultation with BRIDGES GLOBAL - We will select a route to suit your situation.