Spain
Europe
Key facts
- Capital
- Madrid
- Population
- 49,355,143
- 2025
- Area
- 505,981 km²
- Official language
- Spanish
- Currency
- Euro
- EUR
- GDP per capita
- US$38,627
- 2025
- Dual citizenship
- Allowed with conditions
- Spain allows dual nationality mainly with Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal and France; otherwise renunciation or a retention declaration applies.
Spain (Europe) has data on 11/14 Prosperous Intelligence indices. Strongest relative position: Passport Index — #2/198 (96.8/100). Lowest relative position: Tax Freedom Index — #145/145 (28.3/100). The passport ranks #2/198 and reaches 203 destinations without a consular visa in advance. Global Citizenship Score 76.4/100 (#43/199). On the entry side, 92/197 passports can enter Spain without a consular visa in advance. The dataset records 5 active citizenship and residence programmes in Spain.
Scores on 11 indices
- Health & Longevity77.2
- Safety & Stability85.2
- Economy & Income71.3
- Education84.7
- Environment & Clean Water79.0
- Infrastructure97.7
- Digital Connectivity79.4
- Equality67.1
- Learning Quality86.5
- Educational Attainment90.5
- Expected Years of Schooling87.1
- Education Spending69.6
- Basic Access87.0
- Violent Crime99.0
- Stability & Absence of Terrorism60.9
- Law Enforcement & Order77.5
- Road Safety93.6
- Absence of Armed Conflict100.0
- Health Outcomes99.1
- Coverage & Access96.3
- Health Workforce & Facilities50.7
- Spending & Investment51.4
- Financial Protection74.0
- Personal Income Tax1.8
- Capital Gains & Dividends30.0
- System & Incentives45.0
- Net Wealth Tax25.0
- Inheritance & Gift Tax39.6
- Corporate & Social Security46.9
- Rule of Law & Property Rights71.2
- Political Stability60.9
- Institutions & Regulation73.6
- Financial Soundness52.7
- Monetary Stability74.1
- Freedom of Capital Movement100.0
- Education84.7
- Healthcare77.2
- Safety85.2
- Quality of Life79.4
- Cost of living57.4
- Passport96.8
- Passport96.8
- Quality of Life79.4
- Safety85.2
- Healthcare77.2
- Purchasing power & price stability60.7
- Education84.7
- Wealth Protection70.8
- Tax28.3
- Cost of living57.4
- Healthcare77.2
- Safety85.2
- Quality of Life79.4
- Tax28.3
- Wealth Protection70.8
- Affordable Prices50.2
- Price Stability74.1
- Purchasing power57.4
Monthly living costs
- Total incl. rentUS$1,952Rank 14 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Total excl. rentUS$470Rank 11 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Housing & utilitiesUS$1,589Rank 14 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Core food basketUS$101Rank 10 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- A fixed basket of 15 everyday items at online retail prices; not a household’s full food spending.
- Eating outUS$173Rank 17 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- TransportUS$37Rank 6 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Internet & mobileUS$54Rank 11 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- 2 adults, 2 primary-school children
- Total incl. rentUS$2,960Rank 9 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Total excl. rentUS$1,014Rank 10 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Housing & utilitiesUS$2,145Rank 10 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Core food basketUS$322Rank 10 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- A fixed basket of 15 everyday items at online retail prices; not a household’s full food spending.
- Eating outUS$345Rank 17 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- TransportUS$73Rank 5 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Internet & mobileUS$74Rank 11 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- International school (reference)US$1,530Rank 11 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- 4 schools, US$894–US$1,814 a month; not included in the totals
At a glance
Entering Spain
- Visa-free: 92 passports
- Visa on arrival: 0 passports
- eTA: 0 passports
- e-Visa: 0 passports
- Consular visa required: 105 passports
Regional position and data sources
- First in Europe on 1/11 indices: Passport Index
- Above the regional median on 5/11 indices
- Each index lists its source and data date on the Data sources page
Citizenship and residence programmes in the dataset
- Self-employed work visa (trabajo por cuenta propia)
- International Teleworking Visa (DNV)
- Visado de residencia no lucrativa
- and 2 more programmes
Frequently asked questions about Spain
What is the capital of Spain?
The capital of Spain is Madrid.
What is the population of Spain?
According to the World Bank, Spain had a population of 49,355,143 in 2025.
What is the official language of Spain?
The official language of Spain is Spanish.
What currency does Spain use?
Spain uses the Euro (EUR).
Does Spain allow dual citizenship?
Spain allows dual nationality mainly with Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal and France; otherwise renunciation or a retention declaration applies.
How strong is the Spain passport?
The Spain passport ranks #2 of 198 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Passport Index and reaches 203 destinations without applying for a consular visa in advance (visa-free, visa on arrival or eTA).
How many destinations require a visa for Spain passport holders?
Holders of the Spain passport must apply for a consular visa before travelling to 13 destinations and need an e-Visa for 31. Full list: Spain passport page.
How many passports can enter Spain without applying for a visa in advance?
92 of 197 passports can enter Spain without applying for a consular visa in advance: 92 visa-free. 105 must apply for a consular visa.
What citizenship and residency programmes does Spain offer?
The Prosperous Intelligence dataset records 5 active citizenship and residency programmes in Spain: Self-employed work visa (trabajo por cuenta propia), International Teleworking Visa (DNV), Visado de residencia no lucrativa and 2 more. Details: Opportunity Map.
How long does an application take in Spain?
In Spain, an application under Self-employed work visa (trabajo por cuenta propia) takes about 1–3 months, International Teleworking Visa (DNV) about 0–1 months and Visado de residencia no lucrativa about 1–3 months (reference processing time).
How long does it take to become a citizen of Spain through these programmes?
Through Self-employed work visa (trabajo por cuenta propia), citizenship of Spain is possible after about 10 years, after a period of permanent residence; through International Teleworking Visa (DNV), citizenship of Spain is possible after about 10 years; through Visado de residencia no lucrativa, citizenship of Spain is possible after about 10 years, after a period of permanent residence (reference time).
How many days a year do you need to spend in Spain?
In Spain, International Teleworking Visa (DNV) requires 183 days of physical presence a year, Visado de residencia no lucrativa 183 days and Entrepreneur visa (Startup Law route) 0 days (reference figure).
Can family members join programmes in Spain?
Family members included: Self-employed work visa (trabajo por cuenta propia): spouse and children under 18; International Teleworking Visa (DNV): spouse, children under 18 and parents aged 65+; Visado de residencia no lucrativa: spouse, children under 18 and parents aged 65+.
Where is Spain strongest and weakest in Prosperous Intelligence’s indices?
Relative to other countries, Spain is strongest on the Passport Index (#2 of 198) and weakest on the Tax Freedom Index (#145 of 145).
How does Spain rank for quality of life?
Spain scores 79.4/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Quality of Life Index, ranking #38 of 211.
Is Spain expensive to live in?
Spain scores 57.4/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Cost of Living Index, ranking #141 of 200. This is the affordability-of-living-costs score: a higher score means lower prices.
How safe is Spain?
Spain scores 85.2/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Global Safety Index, ranking #52 of 203.
How does Spain rank for healthcare?
Spain scores 77.2/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Healthcare Index, ranking #26 of 192.
How does Spain rank for education?
Spain scores 84.7/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Education Index, ranking #16 of 191.
How does Spain rank on taxes?
Spain scores 28.3/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Tax Freedom Index, ranking #145 of 145. Detailed tax rates: Tax Freedom Index.
What the profile contains
- Key facts from government and international sources
- Scores and global ranks on 11 Prosperous Intelligence indices
- Entry rules, passport strength and residency programmes
Why the profile matters
- Compare one country across many criteria on a single page
- Not a substitute for legal, tax or investment advice
Method
- How each index is scored and weighted
- The limits of the data and how to check official sources
