Where is Duquesa Lawyers located?

Our office is at Edificio Chanquete, Portal 5, Puerto de la Duquesa, 29692 Manilva (Málaga), on the Costa del Sol. We advise clients throughout Spain.

In which languages does Duquesa Lawyers advise?

We advise directly in Spanish, English and German.

Can you help foreign buyers purchase property in Spain?

Yes. We conduct the conveyancing end to end, examining title, encumbrances, planning status and licences, carrying out anti-money-laundering and risk assessments, and attending to the related tax and formalities.

Does the firm handle accounting and administration as well as legal matters?

Yes. Alongside legal advice we provide accounting, administration, tax compliance and business management support, so clients have a single team for their legal affairs and the running of their activities in Spain.

Do you work with international clients?

Yes. We act for private and corporate clients of many nationalities, from across Europe to the United States.

Which areas does Duquesa Lawyers cover?

We are based in Puerto de la Duquesa and act above all across the Costa del Sol (Manilva, Estepona, Marbella, Fuengirola, Málaga) and the province of Cádiz and Campo de Gibraltar (Sotogrande, San Roque, La Línea, Algeciras, Tarifa, Cádiz, Jerez). We also handle matters in Granada, Seville and Murcia.

How do we start a matter with Duquesa Lawyers?

Contact us by phone, email or the consultation form. Your first conversation is always directly with the lawyers who will handle your matter.

The Golden Visa is gone: how to live and invest in Spain now

By Beatriz Ochoa de Retana Framis - Octubre 2026

If you've read that buying a €500,000 home gets you residency in Spain, that information is out of date. The real-estate Golden Visa was abolished on 3 April 2025. Buying property is still perfectly possible for any foreigner; what it no longer does, on its own, is grant you a residence permit. Any listing still selling "house + residency" in 2026 is working from old information.

The good news. No Golden Visa doesn't close the door to living here; it just changes the route. And for most profiles there is one that fits.

If you won't work in Spain: the non-lucrative residence visa. Designed for those with their own means (pensions, income, savings) who want to live in Spain without working here. It requires proof of sufficient resources and comprehensive private health cover. It's the classic route for the foreign retiree or person of independent means.

If you work remotely: the digital nomad visa. Created by Law 28/2022 (the Startups Act), it is for those working remotely for companies outside Spain. It has its own requirements on income, employment or professional relationship and seniority. It is often combined with a tax advantage, the impatriate regime (the "Beckham Law"), which we cover in another article.

If you just want to enjoy the house: as a non-resident you can stay in Spain within the Schengen limit of 90 days in any 180-day period, with no permit to apply for.

Legal analysis. The Golden Visa was governed by Law 14/2013 on support for entrepreneurs, whose residence-by-real-estate-investment section was repealed with effect from 3 April 2025. It's important to distinguish the figures: non-lucrative residence is governed by the Immigration Regulation (RD 557/2011); the digital nomad, by Law 28/2022; and non-resident stay limits, by the Schengen Borders Code. Each route has its own documents, deadlines and, above all, different tax consequences: becoming a tax resident completely changes how you are taxed. That's why the residency decision and the purchase decision should be taken together, not separately.

Do you want to buy and also live in Spain? We'll tell you which route suits you before you take any step.