Moving to Spain from Saudi Arabia

Spain has become one of the most sought-after destinations for people leaving Saudi Arabia — both Saudi nationals seeking a European base and lifestyle, and the very large expatriate workforce that lives and works across the Kingdom on employment contracts. The route into Spain is broadly the same for both groups: with the exception of EU nationals, everyone is treated as a third-country (non-EU) national and normally secures a residence visa before arriving. What changes from person to person is which visa fits, and how the move is planned around Spain's tax system. This page walks through the practical steps and the questions that matter most.

"Clients arriving from Saudi Arabia are used to no income tax, so Spain's worldwide taxation comes as a shock. Plan the visa and the tax together, before you move — that is when the good outcomes are decided."

Who is moving — Saudi nationals and expats

Two very different profiles reach out to us from Saudi Arabia. The first is Saudi nationals — often families looking for a European foothold, a second home on the coast, an education option for children, or a calmer base from which to run international interests. The second, and numerically much larger, is the expatriate workforce resident in the Kingdom: professionals from South Asia, the wider Arab world, Europe, the Americas and beyond who hold Saudi residence (iqama) but keep their original nationality. For Spanish immigration purposes what matters is your nationality and where you are legally resident when you apply, not that you currently live in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam or the Eastern Province. Almost everyone in both groups is a non-EU national and will apply for a Spanish residence visa, typically at the Spanish consulate with jurisdiction over their place of residence.

The visa routes into Spain

There is no single "Saudi visa" — the right route depends on how you will support yourself in Spain. The main options are:

• Non-lucrative visa — for the financially independent who can live in Spain on savings, investments and passive income without working locally. It is the classic choice for retirees and for those with sufficient means who do not need a Spanish salary. See our detailed non-lucrative visa guide.
• Digital nomad visa — for remote workers and freelancers who earn from clients or an employer outside Spain. This route can pair with the Beckham regime and is well suited to consultants and tech professionals who keep their existing income while living in Spain.
• Entrepreneur route and the Beckham regime — for founders and those setting up or transferring a business, often combined with an ENISA-backed innovative-business report and the favourable Beckham tax treatment.
• Highly qualified professional — for those taking up a qualified job with a Spanish employer, or being transferred within a company, where salary and role meet the thresholds.
• Student visa — for those enrolling in a recognised programme, which can be a first step for younger applicants or family members and later transitioned to other permits.

Investment-based residence has historically also been used by higher-net-worth applicants, but the rules in this area have changed and any investment route must be confirmed against the law in force at the time you apply. In practice, most people from Saudi Arabia settle on the non-lucrative, digital nomad or entrepreneur path, and the choice has direct tax consequences — which is why the visa and the tax plan should be decided together, not one after the other.

Documents: apostille and sworn translation

The paperwork chain is where relocations from the Kingdom most often stall, so it deserves attention early. Whatever the route, you will typically need civil-status and background documents — birth and marriage certificates, a criminal-record certificate, proof of means, and health-insurance evidence — prepared to Spanish standards.

Two steps are central:

• Apostille. Saudi Arabia acceded to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, which entered into force for the Kingdom in December 2022. In principle this means many Saudi public documents can now be authenticated with a single apostille rather than the older, slower chain of consular legalisation. Because implementation of the Convention is relatively recent and the competent authority and accepted document types can differ in practice, you should confirm the current procedure for each specific document with the issuing body before you rely on it.
• Sworn translation. Documents issued in Arabic will almost always need a traducción jurada — a sworn Arabic-to-Spanish translation by a translator authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A standard translation is not enough for official filings; the sworn stamp is what makes the document usable before Spanish authorities.

The tax contrast — no Saudi income tax vs worldwide taxation

This is the single most important thing to understand before moving, and the one most often overlooked. Saudi Arabia levies no personal income tax on employment or most individual income. Spain is the opposite: an individual who becomes a Spanish tax resident is, as a general rule, taxed on their worldwide income — income from Spain and from anywhere else — under the progressive personal income tax (IRPF) scale, with top marginal rates that are high by international standards.

You generally become a Spanish tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in a calendar year in Spain, or if your main centre of economic interests is in Spain. For someone arriving from a zero-income-tax environment, this is a step change: salary, business profits, investment returns and foreign-sourced income can all come into scope. There is no double-tax treaty relief to lean on in the way there is for many other origin countries, so the analysis has to be done carefully on the actual facts. The practical message is simple: model your tax position before you trigger Spanish residence, not in the tax return afterwards.

The Beckham regime as the key mitigation

The main tool people use to soften the jump from no income tax to worldwide taxation is the special regime for inbound workers, universally known as the Beckham regime. For those who qualify, it taxes the relevant general base at a flat 24% up to €600,000 per year (with 47% above that), and broadly treats the individual under non-resident principles for the covered years rather than exposing all worldwide income to the ordinary progressive scale.

For someone relocating from Saudi Arabia — particularly a highly paid professional, a remote worker or a founder — this flat 24% can be the difference between a move that makes financial sense and one that does not. But eligibility has conditions (you generally must not have been Spanish tax resident in the prior period, and the move must be linked to qualifying work, employment or entrepreneurial activity), and the regime does not automatically apply to every euro: investment-type income and certain foreign-sourced items are analysed under their own rules. Because the election has strict timing and formalities, it should be assessed and planned before you land. Our dedicated walkthrough is here: how to apply for the Beckham regime in Spain.

Wealth tax awareness by region

Income tax is only part of the picture. Spain also levies an annual wealth tax (impuesto sobre el patrimonio) on net assets above certain thresholds, alongside a state-level solidarity levy on large fortunes. Crucially, wealth tax is largely devolved to the autonomous regions, so the burden varies dramatically depending on where in Spain you establish residence — some regions apply substantial allowances or effectively neutralise the tax, while others apply it in full.

For a family arriving from the Kingdom with significant net worth, this can matter as much as income tax. Where you choose to live is therefore not only a lifestyle decision but a tax decision, and it interacts with how your assets are held. We explain the regional differences in detail in our note on Spanish wealth tax by region, and it is worth reading before you settle on a city or province.

Healthcare

Spain has a well-regarded public health system alongside a strong private sector. For most residence visas from a third country you will be required to hold private health insurance with full coverage in Spain, without co-payments and without exclusions, for at least the first period of residence. Many families arriving from Saudi Arabia are already used to comprehensive private cover, so this is rarely an obstacle — but the policy must meet the specific conditions Spanish consulates require, and a generic international plan may not qualify. Once legally resident and, where applicable, contributing to the system, routes into public healthcare can open up over time.

Where people from Saudi settle

Three areas attract the majority of arrivals from the Kingdom:

• Marbella and the Costa del Sol. By far the most popular choice — warm year-round climate, an established international and Arabic-speaking community, halal-friendly amenities, private schooling, direct flights, and a mature market of quality property. For many families it feels the most familiar and the easiest landing.
• Madrid. The capital appeals to professionals and entrepreneurs who want a major business hub, top schools and universities, and excellent international connectivity, and it sits in a region that has historically been attractive on wealth tax.
• Barcelona. A cosmopolitan Mediterranean city with a strong tech and startup scene, favoured by remote workers and founders, though its region's tax profile should be weighed against the others.

The right base depends on the balance you want between lifestyle, schooling, business needs and the tax and wealth-tax profile of the region — which is exactly why the location decision belongs in the planning, not after the boxes are shipped.

A realistic sequence for the move

A well-run relocation from Saudi Arabia usually follows this order:

• Decide the visa route based on how you will support yourself in Spain and who is moving with you.
• Model the tax position — worldwide income exposure, Beckham eligibility, and wealth-tax by region — before triggering Spanish residence.
• Assemble the document file, arranging apostilles and sworn Arabic-to-Spanish translations early, with names and details consistent throughout.
• Put compliant private health insurance and proof of means in place to the standard the consulate requires.
• File the visa application at the competent Spanish consulate, then complete residence formalities (such as the TIE) after arrival.
• Confirm the tax election and timing so the intended regime applies from the correct year.

Handled in this order, the move from a no-income-tax country to Spain becomes a planned transition with the numbers known in advance, rather than a leap followed by an unwelcome surprise at the first tax return.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Immigration, apostille and tax rules — including the treatment of Beckham and wealth tax — change and depend on your nationality, residence and circumstances; they must be confirmed for your case and year. A lawyer–client relationship begins only with a signed engagement.