Toledo, Spain—there are a number of ways you could call Spain home.gettyThere are many reasons you might want to move or retire to Spain. Its cities are perennial travel favorites, and its beaches are admired and sought out—it has the most Blue Flag beaches in Europe, those known for their strong environmental credentials.The cost of living in Spain is much lower than it is in many other Western countries, such as the U.S. and France. In Spain, the cost of living for a single person, including rent, is around $731. This is compared to €1,166 in the U.S. and €1,200 in France.And if you’re looking for other reasons, why not believe the expats who already live there? The 13th annual Expat Insider Survey, voted on by the six million expat members of InterNations, found that Spain ranked ninth globally in 2025 and sixth in 2026, across a range of factors.In particular, though, Spain ranked first among all countries for its quality of life in this report, marking its fifth consecutive year in this spot. Expats love its leisure, culture, nightlife, and culinary options. Clearly, the weather plays a part too.In 2026, the consultancy group Resonance ranked Madrid and Barcelona among the top 10 cities in Europe to visit or live in.Global Citizens Solutions, a residency and citizenship planning advisory firm, recently constructed an index to take a look at the most desirable locations for high-net-worth individuals to buy holiday homes. Spain ranks 1st worldwide because it is the only market to combine the second-highest appreciation rate (12.5%) in the top 10 with the highest quality-of-life score in the entire dataset, driven by Mallorca and Ibiza.How To Move To Spain From The U.S.There are various ways to move to Spain depending on your personal situation. If you have a work contract in Spain, the Highly Qualified Professional visa is the route for skilled workers. If you have Spanish ancestry, the citizenship-by-descent route remains open.Alternatively, there are options for digital nomads and retirees.How to Retire To SpainAmerican retirees could use Spain's non-lucrative visa. This requires a minimum annual income and provides a pathway to permanent residency.It’s a visa for people who don’t work and is popular for American retirees who can prove an income of around €2,400 per month (approximately $32,860 per year) although this might change as it is calculated as a function of the country’s Public Indicator of Income for Multiple Effects—an economic index used as a reference benchmark to determine eligibility for public subsidies, social benefits, financial aid, and legal residency. Currently, the threshold for Spain’s non-lucrative visa is 400 times this benchmark. You can bring your spouse, children and dependents, but at a cost of €7,200 per person (around $8,200).You can renew the non-lucrative visa twice for two years each after the first year. After having lived in the country for five years, you'll then be entitled to apply for permanent residency.In its annual Global Retirement report, Global Citizens Solutions ranked Spain 3rd out of 44 countries, behind only Portugal and Mauritius. In the same report, Spain ranks first for quality of life.Spain’s Digital Nomad VisaSpain’s digital nomad visa is designed for remote workers and freelancers and includes a 24% flat tax perk. It is called the Telework visa and is for working people earning at least €3,300 per month. Spain ranked 1st out of 65 countries in Global Citizen Solutions’ Global Digital Nomad Report. If you’re still not convinced, Spain is the second-largest EU destination after Germany that Americans call home. That’s according to data compiled by Spain’s Permanent Immigration Observatory: 44,804 U.S. nationals held valid residence permits in Spain at the end of 2023.For those who might consider a more permanent move and retire to Spain, it’s also worth noting that Spain was recently among the top three EU countries for granting citizenship to non-EU nationals. In 2024, Spain granted 250,000 citizenships, after Germany and before Italy.MORE FROM FORBESForbesWhy Bulgaria's 2026 Digital Nomad Visa Is Worth ConsideringBy Alex LedsomForbes3 Destination Dupes For Europe’s Most Crowded HotspotsBy Alex LedsomForbesHow Useful Is Your Passport In 2026 For The Best Global Mobility?By Alex Ledsom
How To Move Or Retire To Spain
Interested in moving to Spain? If you're working or retired, there are ways to move to this country that consistently ranks highly in quality of life and affordability.
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