| Dimension | Spain | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
Lucky Nomads World Index | 7.06 / 10 | 6.91 / 10 |
SafetyShield Index | 8.5 / 10 | 6.9 / 10 |
Affordability Index | 6.3 / 10 | 7.7 / 10 |
Entry Ease Index | 6.6 / 10 | 5.5 / 10 |
Tax Freedom Index | 3.3 / 10 | 7.1 / 10 |
WiFi Index | 8.6 / 10 | 8.7 / 10 |
Admin Ease Index | 8.0 / 10 | 6.8 / 10 |
Healthcare Index | 8.7 / 10 | 7.9 / 10 |
City Comfort Index | 8.8 / 10 | 8.1 / 10 |
WeatherComfort Index | 7.3 / 10 | 4.8 / 10 |
Banking Index | 8.8 / 10 | 7.9 / 10 |
GeoStability Index | 7.8 / 10 | 6.2 / 10 |
Justice & Order Index | 7.8 / 10 | 5.1 / 10 |
Quality of Life Index | 8.2 / 10 | 7.5 / 10 |
Open Society Index | 8.7 / 10 | 5.7 / 10 |
Flight Index | 7.1 / 10 | 6.3 / 10 |
Environmental Quality Index | 8.5 / 10 | 6.6 / 10 |
English Index | 5.7 / 10 | 4.5 / 10 |
Wealth Protection Index | 5.8 / 10 | 7.4 / 10 |
| Dimension | Spain | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate income tax | 25%Very high | 20%High |
| Corporate tax basis | WorldwideWorldwide | WorldwideWorldwide |
| Personal income tax (marginal) | 47%High | 35%Moderate |
| Personal tax basis | WorldwideWorldwide | Remittance basisRemittance basis |
| Population | 49.6 M | 71.6 M×1.44 |
| Area | 505,990 km² | 513,120 km² |
| Population density | 98 /km² | 139 /km² |
| Capital | Madrid | Bangkok |
| Currency | EUR (Euro) | THB (Thai Baht) |
| Main airport | MAD (Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport) | BKK (Suvarnabhumi Airport) |
| Phone code | +34 | +66 |
| Internet TLD | .es | .th |
Pick your nationality above to see how long you can stay in each country and whether you need a visa.
Mobility strength of each country's passport, useful if you are weighing it as a future citizenship.
Spain passport
#4
Henley rank
185
Visa-free destinations
Thailand passport
#59
Henley rank
76
Visa-free destinations
For professionals who prioritize tax freedom index, Thailand leads with 7.1 / 10 versus 3.3 / 10 for Spain. On open society index, Spain is at 8.7 / 10 compared with 5.7 / 10 for Thailand.
Spain
Spain is a European Union (EU) and euro-area banking jurisdiction operating under the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM), in which the European Central Bank (ECB) directly supervises significant institutions while the Banco de España oversees less significant banks and macroprudential policy, the Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) supervises securities markets and investment services, and Sepblac acts as the financial intelligence unit and anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing supervisory authority. The largest domestic banks by assets are Santander, CaixaBank, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), Banco Sabadell and Bankinter, followed by Unicaja, Abanca, Kutxabank and Ibercaja and a layer of cooperative and rural banking groups, while international institutions such as HSBC, Citi, Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas operate mainly through corporate, institutional, private banking and wealth management arms rather than full mass-retail networks. Spain applies the EU anti-money laundering framework through Ley 10/2010 of 28 April, with the new EU package of Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 and Directive (EU) 2024/1640 taking effect mainly from 10 July 2027 under phased transposition and application dates. Foreign residents and non-residents can open Spanish accounts, but onboarding is risk-based rather than frictionless, with institutions requiring identity documents, proof of resident or non-resident status, the Numero de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE) where applicable, proof of address and evidence of economic activity, and higher-value, private banking, complex-structure, foreign-wealth or politically exposed profiles triggering enhanced due diligence with source-of-funds and source-of-wealth evidence. Processing times are not fixed by law and depend on the institution, the client profile and the completeness of documentation. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and Common Reporting Standard (CRS) reporting is fully operational. Cryptoassets are legal and taxed under ordinary Spanish rules, and the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework applies, with the CNMV as the competent authority for crypto-asset service provider authorization and the Banco de España retaining functions over e-money and asset-referenced token issuers. The Banco de España legacy provider registry stopped accepting new entries on 30 December 2024, and the Spanish transition window for pre-existing providers runs to 30 June 2026. Capital movements within the EU and between Spain and third countries are free under Article 63 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), subject to anti-money laundering controls, sanctions and tax reporting. Physical means of payment, meaning cash and bearer instruments, must be declared on form S-1 under Article 34 of Ley 10/2010 from EUR 10,000 when entering or leaving Spain and from EUR 100,000 for internal movements within Spanish territory, while bank transfers are not subject to this cash declaration. Spanish tax residents may also face the Modelo 720 informative return on foreign assets above EUR 50,000 per reportable category, covering foreign accounts, securities and rights, and real estate, and the Modelo 721 informative return on cryptoassets situated abroad above EUR 50,000, meaning cryptoassets custodied by non-resident providers, with self-custody wallets outside its scope. Foreign nationals can acquire Spanish real estate without a general nationality-based prohibition, subject to the NIE, tax, anti-money laundering, notarial and land registry formalities. The main exception is the restricted foreign-ownership zones under Ley 8/1975 and Royal Decree 689/1978, which require military authorization and are far broader than isolated military perimeters, covering insular territories, Cartagena, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Bay of Cadiz, the Portuguese and French border areas, Galicia and the Spanish territories in North Africa, with EU citizens exempt from this authorization and European Economic Area (EEA) nationals generally treated as equivalent in practice. Agricultural land carries no general nationality-based restriction but remains subject to ordinary land, planning, environmental and defense-zone rules. Mortgage financing is available to foreign buyers as a matter of market practice rather than right and is profile-dependent, with EU non-residents commonly accessing 60 to 70 percent loan-to-value and non-EU buyers more often 50 to 60 percent, under fixed, variable or mixed structures rather than only Euribor-linked pricing. Capital deployment into Spanish equities, bonds and funds is open to non-residents through regulated intermediaries, and withholding tax can be reduced under an applicable double tax treaty, although treaty relief requires a certificate of tax residence and is not automatic.
Thailand
Banking is regulated by the Bank of Thailand (BOT) and anti-money-laundering compliance is supervised by the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO). The foreign-resident framework has tightened materially since mid-2025 under coordinated commercial bank enforcement of the Anti-Money Laundering Act B.E. 2542 (1999) and Know Your Customer (KYC) standards, following the so-called mule account crisis where transient foreigners on tourist entries were recruited to open accounts for cybercrime laundering. Major commercial banks accepting foreign clients include Bangkok Bank (most accommodating to expats, particularly for property and foreign exchange flows), Kasikorn Bank (KBank), Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), and Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya), with onboarding practice varying significantly by branch. Account opening normally requires an in-person branch visit, a passport, a valid long-term or non-immigrant residence basis, a Thai mobile number registered with the applicant passport, and proof of Thai address (a Certificate of Residence from Immigration is the most accepted document, with house registration, lease or work-permit documentation also used). Tourist entries, visa-exempt stays, and Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) holders have faced widespread rejection at the major banks since July 2025, although a minority of lenient branches remain. Existing DTV account holders have also reported sudden account freezes during periodic KYC reviews, with banks reclassifying these clients as tourist-category exposure. Banks commonly require Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) self-certification, including Form W-9 for US persons or Form W-8BEN for non-US individuals where applicable, and Common Reporting Standard (CRS) self-certification, with CRS reporting supported by the Emergency Decree on Exchange of Information for Compliance with International Agreements on Taxation B.E. 2566 (2023). AMLO is Thailand's financial intelligence unit and a member of the Egmont Group since 2001, with mandatory record retention of at least 5 years per Section 22 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act. The BOT separately operates a Foreign Exchange Ecosystem Development Plan since 2020 focused on relaxing capital-movement and outbound-investment rules for residents, which is distinct from and unrelated to the KYC tightening described above. Foreign nationals can purchase condominium units within the 49 percent foreign-ownership quota of any building but cannot own land in their personal name, with long lease structures of up to 30 years used as the standard alternative under the Civil and Commercial Code, although renewal rights are not equivalent to freehold and must be treated as fresh enforceable arrangements rather than guaranteed extensions. Cryptocurrency trading is permitted through Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand (SEC) licensed digital asset operators including Bitkub, Orbix Trade (formerly Satang Corporation, now a subsidiary of KasikornBank), GMO-Z.com Cryptonomics, Gulf Binance (Binance TH), Upbit Thailand, and Bitazza. Under Ministerial Regulation (MR) No. 399 (B.E. 2568) gazetted on 5 September 2025, qualifying personal capital gains from transfers of cryptocurrencies or digital tokens through SEC-licensed Thai exchanges, brokers, or dealers are exempt from personal income tax for income received from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2029. The 15 percent withholding framework under Section 50(2)(f) of the Revenue Code does not apply to qualifying exempt transactions during this window, although it remains relevant outside qualifying cases, including foreign-platform activity, mining, staking, airdrops, and other non-exempt digital asset income. Thailand exited the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in 2013 and is not on either FATF list as of the February 2026 Plenary, with the latest Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) follow-up showing 33 of 40 FATF Recommendations rated Compliant or Largely Compliant and 6 Partially Compliant.
Spain
Spain operates a worldwide taxation system for both companies and individuals, modulated by a dense network of special regimes and the 95 percent participation exemption mechanism. The general corporate income tax (CIT) rate is 25 percent under Ley 27/2014, the Corporate Income Tax Law (LIS), but Ley 7/2024 added a transitional reduced-rate schedule under the new Disposicion Transitoria 44 LIS effective 1 January 2025: microenterprises with turnover below EUR 1 million are taxed on a progressive scale (21 percent on the first EUR 50,000 and 22 percent on the rest in 2025, falling to 17 and 20 percent from 2027), and small companies with turnover below EUR 10 million move from 24 percent in 2025 down to 20 percent by 2029. Emerging companies certified by the Empresa Nacional de Innovacion (ENISA) under Ley 28/2022 are taxed at 15 percent for the first profitable year plus the 3 following, with deferral of CIT payment for the first 2 profitable years and exemption from fractional payments. The Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC) under Ley 19/1994 applies a 4 percent corporate rate on income from activities materially carried out in the Canary Islands, capped at EUR 1.8 million plus EUR 500,000 per additional employee above the statutory minimum, requiring at least one Canary-resident director, EUR 100,000 (Tenerife, Gran Canaria) or EUR 50,000 (other islands) of fixed-asset investment within 2 years and 5 or 3 jobs created within 6 months, with new entity registrations authorized until 31 December 2026 and tax benefits available until 31 December 2032 subject to the EU State aid framework. The Patent Box under Article 23 LIS grants a 60 percent reduction on net income from licensing or sale of qualifying intangibles (patents, utility models, legally protected designs and models, and advanced registered software derived from research and development), excluding trademarks, ordinary software, secret formulas and procedures and commercial know-how, under the OECD Modified Nexus Approach, dropping the effective rate to approximately 10 percent. The Entidad de Tenencia de Valores Extranjeros (ETVE) holding regime under Articles 107 to 108 LIS combined with the Article 21 LIS participation exemption taxes qualifying foreign dividends and capital gains at approximately 1.25 percent (5 percent of 25 percent) and exempts outbound distributions to non-resident shareholders. Personal income tax is progressive. The state scale tops at 24.5 percent above EUR 300,000 of general income, and adding the autonomous community scale produces a combined top rate of 47 percent under the default reference, ranging by region from 45 percent in Madrid to 50 percent in Catalonia, 51.5 percent in La Rioja and 54 percent in the Valencian Community. Savings income (dividends, interest, capital gains) is taxed at 19 percent up to EUR 6,000, 21 percent up to EUR 50,000, 23 percent up to EUR 200,000, 27 percent up to EUR 300,000 and 30 percent above, the top bracket having risen from 28 to 30 percent under Ley 7/2024 effective 1 January 2025. The Beckham Law under Article 93 of the Personal Income Tax Law (LIRPF), expanded by Ley 28/2022 effective 1 January 2023, allows qualifying inpatriates with no Spanish tax residence in the prior 5 tax years to be taxed under Non-Resident Income Tax (IRNR) rules at a flat 24 percent up to EUR 600,000 and 47 percent above for 6 tax years. Employment and entrepreneurial business income is taxed wherever it arises, while foreign-source passive income such as dividends, interest and capital gains stays outside the Spanish tax net. The 2023 reform extended Beckham to employee digital nomads, entrepreneurs with ENISA certification and highly qualified professionals serving startups, plus spouses and children under 25. Spain levies wealth tax on worldwide assets above EUR 700,000 (with a EUR 300,000 primary residence allowance) and progressive rates from 0.2 to 3.5 percent, with material autonomous community variation. Madrid and Andalusia maintain a 100 percent rebate that neutralizes ordinary wealth tax for net worth below the large-fortune threshold, but since 2023, under Madrid Ley 12/2023 and the equivalent Andalusian measure, that rebate becomes a variable one for taxpayers liable to the federal large-fortune tax, so net worth above EUR 3 million is effectively taxed regionally rather than escaping wealth taxation. The Balearic Islands raised their exemption to EUR 3 million effective 1 January 2024 and Valencia to EUR 1 million, while Catalonia maintains a EUR 500,000 exemption with the highest progressive rates. The Impuesto Temporal de Solidaridad de las Grandes Fortunas (ITSGF), introduced for the 2022 and 2023 tax years as a federal anti-arbitrage floor on net worth above EUR 3 million and extended by Real Decreto-ley 8/2023 until wealth taxation is reformed within the regional financing system, applies regardless of region with credit for regional wealth tax paid. Inheritance and gift tax applies with major regional variation, effectively near-zero for close family in Madrid, Andalusia and the Valencian Community (the last through a 99 percent bonus on Groups I and II since 28 May 2023 under Ley 6/2023), while Catalonia and a few other communities such as Asturias can remain materially more expensive for larger estates depending on the relationship and estate size. Capital gains on principal residence sale are exempt under reinvestment rules. Spain has an extensive double tax treaty network covering all major OECD jurisdictions, comprehensive Latin American coverage given language and historical ties, and full Parent-Subsidiary and Interest-Royalties Directive access within the EU.
Thailand
Thailand operates a worldwide-basis corporate tax system at a flat 20 percent rate on net profits since 2013, made permanent by the 22 January 2016 Revenue Code amendment. Thai-incorporated companies are taxed on worldwide income, foreign companies carrying on business in Thailand are taxed on profits arising from or in consequence of activities conducted in Thailand, and foreign companies not carrying on business in Thailand may be subject to final withholding tax on certain Thai-source payments including interest, dividends, royalties, rentals, and service fees under Section 70 of the Revenue Code. Qualifying small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with paid-up capital not exceeding THB 5 million and revenue not exceeding THB 30 million benefit from a progressive scale of 0 percent on the first THB 300,000, 15 percent from THB 300,001 to THB 3 million, and 20 percent above. The Emergency Decree on Top-Up Tax B.E. 2567 gazetted 26 December 2024 implements OECD BEPS 2.0 Pillar Two through three mechanisms (Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax, Income Inclusion Rule, Undertaxed Payments Rule) for multinational enterprise (MNE) groups exceeding EUR 750 million in consolidated revenue, effective for fiscal years from 1 January 2025. VAT is at a temporarily reduced 7 percent rate (legal rate 10 percent) extended through 30 September 2026 under Royal Decree No. 799. The Board of Investment (BOI) Investment Promotion Act B.E. 2520 (1977) grants corporate income tax holidays depending on the promoted activity category, commonly 3 years for Group A4, 5 years for Group A3, and 8 years for Groups A1 and A2 under Section 31 of the Act, with selected qualifying projects in Groups A1+, A1, and A2 reaching up to 13 years in total when merit-based or location-based incentives apply, and with the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) providing additional incentives in Chonburi, Rayong, and Chachoengsao under the EEC Act B.E. 2561 (2018). Personal income tax follows a progressive scale of 5 percent to 35 percent, with the 35 percent top rate applying above THB 5 million of annual taxable income. Tax residency triggers at 180 days or more of physical presence in a Thai calendar year. Revenue Department Order Por. 161/2566 effective 1 January 2024 reformed the longstanding remittance rule. Foreign-source income derived from 1 January 2024 by an individual who is a Thai tax resident in the year of derivation is taxable when remitted to Thailand, regardless of the tax year of remittance. Companion Order Por. 162/2566 of 20 November 2023 grandfathers all foreign income earned before 1 January 2024, which remains non-taxable when remitted regardless of timing, provided documentary evidence of pre-2024 vintage is preserved. A draft 2025 amendment, reported by tax advisers and attributed to Revenue Department officials in mid-2025, proposed a two-tax-year exemption window for timely remittances of foreign-source income earned from 2024 onwards. As of 28 May 2026, no enacted measure has been identified in the available official Revenue Department materials, and the legislative process has not advanced through the period spanning the February 2026 general elections. Order Por. 161/2566 therefore remains the operative framework for 2025 and 2026 tax filings, with tax residents required to apply the post-1 January 2024 remittance rule. Thailand operates a network of 61 active double taxation agreements as of October 2025 covering most key partners for inbound capital and resident expatriates. Royal Decree No. 743 B.E. 2565 gazetted 23 May 2022 grants two material derogations to Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa holders. Section 5 fully exempts foreign-source income remitted to Thailand by Wealthy Global Citizen, Wealthy Pensioner, and Work-from-Thailand Professional holders, covering income from employment abroad, business carried on abroad, or property situated abroad. Section 3 reduces the withholding tax rate to 17 percent on Thai-source employment income paid to Highly-Skilled Professional holders working in targeted industries under national competitiveness, investment promotion, or Eastern Special Development Zone laws, while Section 4 exempts such income from annual tax computation provided the foreigner does not claim a refund or credit on the tax withheld. Capital gains on securities listed and sold on the Stock Exchange of Thailand are exempt from personal income tax for individual investors under Ministerial Regulation No. 126 Section 2(23), with the exemption excluding bonds and debentures. There is no annual net wealth tax. Inheritance tax applies only above THB 100 million per testator at 5 percent for ascendants or descendants and 10 percent for other heirs, with legacies received by the surviving spouse fully exempt under the Inheritance Tax Act B.E. 2558. Gift tax of 5 percent applies above THB 20 million per year for gifts from ascendants, descendants or spouse under Section 42(27) of the Revenue Code, and above THB 10 million per year for gifts received in a ceremony or on occasions in accordance with custom and tradition from persons who are not ascendants, descendants or spouse under Section 42(28). Standard outbound withholding tax rates apply to dividends paid abroad (10 percent), interest (15 percent), and royalties (15 percent), reduced under applicable double tax treaty provisions.
Spain
Spain offers four particularly relevant long-term residence routes for internationally mobile non-EU nationals, following the abolition of the Golden Visa on 3 April 2025 by Ley Orgánica 1/2025 of 2 January 2025, which left Articles 63 to 67 of Ley 14/2013 without content rather than formally repealing them. The Digital Nomad Visa (DNV), created by the Ley 28/2022 Startup Act in force since 23 December 2022 and codified in Chapter V bis of Ley 14/2013, is the canonical route for non-EU remote workers and freelancers serving foreign companies. It requires a 2026 minimum income of EUR 2,849 per month for the main applicant, equal to 200 percent of the Spanish minimum wage (SMI) on its annualized 12-payment basis of EUR 1,424.50 per month, the SMI itself being set at EUR 1,221 per month over 14 payments by Royal Decree 126/2026, with EUR 1,069 added for the first dependent and EUR 356 for each additional family member. Applicants must hold a degree from a recognized institution or document at least 3 years of relevant professional experience, and salaried applicants may work only for companies located outside Spain while self-employed applicants may bill Spanish clients for no more than 20 percent of their total professional activity. The DNV consular visa under Article 74 quater is valid for up to 1 year, and within 60 calendar days before its expiry the holder may apply in Spain through the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE) for the residence authorization under Article 74 quinquies, valid for up to 3 years and renewable in 2-year periods, with eligibility for long-term residence after 5 years of continuous legal residence. The Non-Lucrative Visa, now governed by Articles 61 to 64 of Royal Decree 1155/2024, the general immigration regulation in force since 20 May 2025 that replaced Royal Decree 557/2011, targets retirees and financially independent individuals with sufficient savings, assets or periodic income and no work permitted in Spain. It requires 400 percent of the Indicador Público de Renta de Efectos Múltiples (IPREM), equal to EUR 28,800 per year, plus 100 percent of the IPREM, equal to EUR 7,200 per year, for each dependent. Initial validity is 1 year and renewals run in 2-year periods, with renewal conditioned since the 2025 reform on having resided in Spain for more than 183 days in the calendar year under Article 64.2.f of the regulation. The Highly Qualified Professional permit under Article 71 of Ley 14/2013, as amended by Ley 11/2023 transposing Directive (EU) 2021/1883, is the fast-track salaried route, processed by the UGE-CE within 20 working days with approval by positive administrative silence if no decision is issued, valid for 3 years and renewable for 2 years, the 2023 reform having removed the former employer size and turnover thresholds. The Entrepreneur Visa under Article 69 of Ley 14/2013 requires a favorable report from the Empresa Nacional de Innovación (ENISA) assessing the innovation, scalability and viability of the project. There is no fixed statutory minimum capital, the authorization is valid for 3 years and renewable for 2 years, and family members may apply jointly and obtain residence and work rights, with their status remaining linked to the principal holder. All four routes count toward long-term residence after 5 years of continuous legal residence and toward Spanish citizenship after 10 years, reduced to 2 years for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal and Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin, provided the residence is legal, continuous and immediately prior to the application. Existing Golden Visa holders are unaffected by the abolition, since applications filed before 3 April 2025 continue under the prior rules and authorizations already granted retain their validity and may be renewed under the rules in force at the time of the original grant.
Thailand
Thailand offers a structured ladder of long-term residence pathways. The flagship is the Long-Term Resident Visa (LTR) launched on 1 September 2022 by the Board of Investment (BOI), granting 10 years of residence (5+5) with annual reporting in lieu of 90-day reporting and no re-entry permit requirement. BOI Announcement Por. 3/2568 of 4 February 2025 materially relaxed eligibility across three of the four LTR categories. Wealthy Global Citizen (WGC) now requires USD 1 million in personal assets and a USD 500,000 qualifying Thai investment in Thai government bonds, direct investment in Thai companies, qualifying venture capital or private equity structures, or Thai real estate, with the previous USD 80,000 annual income threshold removed. Wealthy Pensioner remains open to applicants aged 50 and above with USD 80,000 passive income, or USD 40,000 to USD 80,000 plus a USD 250,000 Thai investment. Work-from-Thailand Professional (WFTP) targets remote workers earning USD 80,000 from foreign employers meeting establishment criteria (publicly listed, USD 50 million revenue over three years lowered from USD 150 million under Por. 3/2568, or comparable), with an alternative path at USD 40,000 to USD 80,000 for applicants holding a master degree in a relevant field, registered intellectual property, or Series A funding. Highly-Skilled Professional (HSP) is for experts in BOI-targeted industries spanning next-generation automotive, smart electronics, affluent and medical tourism, agriculture and biotechnology, automation and robotics, aviation and aerospace, transportation and logistics, biofuels and biochemicals, petrochemical and chemical, digital, medical, national defence, environmental technologies and circular economy, and International Business Centers (IBC), with USD 80,000 income or USD 40,000 with a relevant master degree, with the 5-year prior experience requirement removed under Por. 3/2568, and includes a 17 percent flat withholding tax rate on qualifying employment income paid by targeted-industry employers under Section 3 of Royal Decree No. 743, with the corresponding final-tax exemption mechanism set out in Section 4. BOI endorsement is free of charge, while the visa issuance fee in Thailand is THB 50,000 per person for the 10-year multiple-entry visa, and the digital work permit costs THB 3,000 per year to maintain. The Thailand Privilege Card (formerly Thailand Elite Visa, rebranded October 2023) is a membership-based residency programme with five tiers. Bronze (THB 650,000 for 5 years, application window extended through 30 September 2026 by Thailand Privilege Card Co. on 18 March 2026), Gold (THB 900,000 for 5 years), Platinum (THB 1,500,000 for 10 years, lowest tier accepting family additions), Diamond (THB 2,500,000 for 15 years), and Reserve (THB 5,000,000 for 20 years, invitation only). Family additions cost THB 1 million to THB 2 million per person at standard rates depending on tier, with time-limited Next Member promotions periodically offered through Thailand Privilege authorised sales channels, including reported 2026 promotional pricing at a flat THB 750,000 per additional Platinum, Diamond or Reserve member running from 18 May 2026 to 14 August 2026, succeeding the earlier THB 500,000 promotion that closed on 31 March 2026. The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) launched on 15 July 2024 is a 5-year multiple-entry visa for remote workers, freelancers, and Thai Soft Power activity participants (Muay Thai, cooking, medical treatment), with financial evidence assessed by the issuing consulate and generally corresponding to approximately THB 500,000 in liquid funds, the documentary lookback and local currency thresholds varying by embassy, and granting 180 days per entry extendable once by another 180 days at immigration. The SMART Visa programme administered by BOI was materially restructured under BOI Announcement Por. 5/2568 of 18 February 2025, following Cabinet approval on 13 January 2025, with the Talent (T), Investor (I) and Executive (E) tracks discontinued and only the Startup (S) track maintained to reduce overlap with the LTR programme. SMART S is a renewable 2-year visa for foreign startup entrepreneurs in BOI-targeted industries, requiring a minimum THB 600,000 deposit held for at least 3 months prior to application, and either at least 25 percent shareholding or a director position in a BOI-certified startup, with work permit exemption and dependents permitted. Applicants who would previously have qualified under SMART T, I or E are now directed to the LTR Visa tracks. Standard pathways include the Non-Immigrant O-A retirement visa (aged 50 and above, generally THB 800,000 Thai bank deposit or THB 65,000 monthly income, with documentary requirements varying by embassy, 1 year renewable), the Non-Immigrant O-X (aged 50 and above, restricted to 14 designated nationalities including major Western countries plus Japan, THB 3 million Thai bank balance or THB 1.8 million deposit plus THB 1.2 million annual income, 10 years as 5+5), and the Non-Immigrant B work visa requiring Thai employer sponsorship and a work permit. Under standard Thai company-sponsored Non-B and work-authorisation structures, immigration and labour practice commonly requires a ratio of four Thai employees per foreign employee, although BOI-promoted companies, LTR holders and SMART Visa holders are exempt or subject to specific regimes. Path to Thai Permanent Residence (PR) is structurally narrow. Eligibility generally requires a Non-Immigrant visa with 3 consecutive yearly extensions and the active extension stamp at the time of application, subject to a 100-PR quota per nationality per year (plus 50 stateless), with the application window announced annually by the Ministry of Interior through the Immigration Bureau, historically opened from October to December but subject to variation as illustrated by the 2024 quota window running from 5 March to 15 May 2025. LTR and Thailand Privilege visas should not be marketed as PR-track pathways since their stay structure does not match the consecutive yearly extension requirement applied by the Immigration Bureau.
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The full report scores 232 jurisdictions against your profile.
| Dimension | Spain | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
Lucky Nomads World Index | 7.06 / 10 | 6.91 / 10 |
SafetyShield Index | 8.5 / 10 | 6.9 / 10 |
Affordability Index | 6.3 / 10 | 7.7 / 10 |
Entry Ease Index | 6.6 / 10 | 5.5 / 10 |
Tax Freedom Index | 3.3 / 10 | 7.1 / 10 |
WiFi Index | 8.6 / 10 | 8.7 / 10 |
Admin Ease Index | 8.0 / 10 | 6.8 / 10 |
Healthcare Index | 8.7 / 10 | 7.9 / 10 |
City Comfort Index | 8.8 / 10 | 8.1 / 10 |
WeatherComfort Index | 7.3 / 10 | 4.8 / 10 |
Banking Index | 8.8 / 10 | 7.9 / 10 |
GeoStability Index | 7.8 / 10 | 6.2 / 10 |
Justice & Order Index | 7.8 / 10 | 5.1 / 10 |
Quality of Life Index | 8.2 / 10 | 7.5 / 10 |
Open Society Index | 8.7 / 10 | 5.7 / 10 |
Flight Index | 7.1 / 10 | 6.3 / 10 |
Environmental Quality Index | 8.5 / 10 | 6.6 / 10 |
English Index | 5.7 / 10 | 4.5 / 10 |
Wealth Protection Index | 5.8 / 10 | 7.4 / 10 |
| Dimension | Spain | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate income tax | 25%Very high | 20%High |
| Corporate tax basis | WorldwideWorldwide | WorldwideWorldwide |
| Personal income tax (marginal) | 47%High | 35%Moderate |
| Personal tax basis | WorldwideWorldwide | Remittance basisRemittance basis |
| Population | 49.6 M | 71.6 M×1.44 |
| Area | 505,990 km² | 513,120 km² |
| Population density | 98 /km² | 139 /km² |
| Capital | Madrid | Bangkok |
| Currency | EUR (Euro) | THB (Thai Baht) |
| Main airport | MAD (Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport) | BKK (Suvarnabhumi Airport) |
| Phone code | +34 | +66 |
| Internet TLD | .es | .th |
Pick your nationality above to see how long you can stay in each country and whether you need a visa.
Mobility strength of each country's passport, useful if you are weighing it as a future citizenship.
Spain passport
#4
Henley rank
185
Visa-free destinations
Thailand passport
#59
Henley rank
76
Visa-free destinations
For professionals who prioritize tax freedom index, Thailand leads with 7.1 / 10 versus 3.3 / 10 for Spain. On open society index, Spain is at 8.7 / 10 compared with 5.7 / 10 for Thailand.
Spain
Spain is a European Union (EU) and euro-area banking jurisdiction operating under the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM), in which the European Central Bank (ECB) directly supervises significant institutions while the Banco de España oversees less significant banks and macroprudential policy, the Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) supervises securities markets and investment services, and Sepblac acts as the financial intelligence unit and anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing supervisory authority. The largest domestic banks by assets are Santander, CaixaBank, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), Banco Sabadell and Bankinter, followed by Unicaja, Abanca, Kutxabank and Ibercaja and a layer of cooperative and rural banking groups, while international institutions such as HSBC, Citi, Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas operate mainly through corporate, institutional, private banking and wealth management arms rather than full mass-retail networks. Spain applies the EU anti-money laundering framework through Ley 10/2010 of 28 April, with the new EU package of Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 and Directive (EU) 2024/1640 taking effect mainly from 10 July 2027 under phased transposition and application dates. Foreign residents and non-residents can open Spanish accounts, but onboarding is risk-based rather than frictionless, with institutions requiring identity documents, proof of resident or non-resident status, the Numero de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE) where applicable, proof of address and evidence of economic activity, and higher-value, private banking, complex-structure, foreign-wealth or politically exposed profiles triggering enhanced due diligence with source-of-funds and source-of-wealth evidence. Processing times are not fixed by law and depend on the institution, the client profile and the completeness of documentation. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and Common Reporting Standard (CRS) reporting is fully operational. Cryptoassets are legal and taxed under ordinary Spanish rules, and the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework applies, with the CNMV as the competent authority for crypto-asset service provider authorization and the Banco de España retaining functions over e-money and asset-referenced token issuers. The Banco de España legacy provider registry stopped accepting new entries on 30 December 2024, and the Spanish transition window for pre-existing providers runs to 30 June 2026. Capital movements within the EU and between Spain and third countries are free under Article 63 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), subject to anti-money laundering controls, sanctions and tax reporting. Physical means of payment, meaning cash and bearer instruments, must be declared on form S-1 under Article 34 of Ley 10/2010 from EUR 10,000 when entering or leaving Spain and from EUR 100,000 for internal movements within Spanish territory, while bank transfers are not subject to this cash declaration. Spanish tax residents may also face the Modelo 720 informative return on foreign assets above EUR 50,000 per reportable category, covering foreign accounts, securities and rights, and real estate, and the Modelo 721 informative return on cryptoassets situated abroad above EUR 50,000, meaning cryptoassets custodied by non-resident providers, with self-custody wallets outside its scope. Foreign nationals can acquire Spanish real estate without a general nationality-based prohibition, subject to the NIE, tax, anti-money laundering, notarial and land registry formalities. The main exception is the restricted foreign-ownership zones under Ley 8/1975 and Royal Decree 689/1978, which require military authorization and are far broader than isolated military perimeters, covering insular territories, Cartagena, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Bay of Cadiz, the Portuguese and French border areas, Galicia and the Spanish territories in North Africa, with EU citizens exempt from this authorization and European Economic Area (EEA) nationals generally treated as equivalent in practice. Agricultural land carries no general nationality-based restriction but remains subject to ordinary land, planning, environmental and defense-zone rules. Mortgage financing is available to foreign buyers as a matter of market practice rather than right and is profile-dependent, with EU non-residents commonly accessing 60 to 70 percent loan-to-value and non-EU buyers more often 50 to 60 percent, under fixed, variable or mixed structures rather than only Euribor-linked pricing. Capital deployment into Spanish equities, bonds and funds is open to non-residents through regulated intermediaries, and withholding tax can be reduced under an applicable double tax treaty, although treaty relief requires a certificate of tax residence and is not automatic.
Thailand
Banking is regulated by the Bank of Thailand (BOT) and anti-money-laundering compliance is supervised by the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO). The foreign-resident framework has tightened materially since mid-2025 under coordinated commercial bank enforcement of the Anti-Money Laundering Act B.E. 2542 (1999) and Know Your Customer (KYC) standards, following the so-called mule account crisis where transient foreigners on tourist entries were recruited to open accounts for cybercrime laundering. Major commercial banks accepting foreign clients include Bangkok Bank (most accommodating to expats, particularly for property and foreign exchange flows), Kasikorn Bank (KBank), Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), and Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya), with onboarding practice varying significantly by branch. Account opening normally requires an in-person branch visit, a passport, a valid long-term or non-immigrant residence basis, a Thai mobile number registered with the applicant passport, and proof of Thai address (a Certificate of Residence from Immigration is the most accepted document, with house registration, lease or work-permit documentation also used). Tourist entries, visa-exempt stays, and Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) holders have faced widespread rejection at the major banks since July 2025, although a minority of lenient branches remain. Existing DTV account holders have also reported sudden account freezes during periodic KYC reviews, with banks reclassifying these clients as tourist-category exposure. Banks commonly require Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) self-certification, including Form W-9 for US persons or Form W-8BEN for non-US individuals where applicable, and Common Reporting Standard (CRS) self-certification, with CRS reporting supported by the Emergency Decree on Exchange of Information for Compliance with International Agreements on Taxation B.E. 2566 (2023). AMLO is Thailand's financial intelligence unit and a member of the Egmont Group since 2001, with mandatory record retention of at least 5 years per Section 22 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act. The BOT separately operates a Foreign Exchange Ecosystem Development Plan since 2020 focused on relaxing capital-movement and outbound-investment rules for residents, which is distinct from and unrelated to the KYC tightening described above. Foreign nationals can purchase condominium units within the 49 percent foreign-ownership quota of any building but cannot own land in their personal name, with long lease structures of up to 30 years used as the standard alternative under the Civil and Commercial Code, although renewal rights are not equivalent to freehold and must be treated as fresh enforceable arrangements rather than guaranteed extensions. Cryptocurrency trading is permitted through Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand (SEC) licensed digital asset operators including Bitkub, Orbix Trade (formerly Satang Corporation, now a subsidiary of KasikornBank), GMO-Z.com Cryptonomics, Gulf Binance (Binance TH), Upbit Thailand, and Bitazza. Under Ministerial Regulation (MR) No. 399 (B.E. 2568) gazetted on 5 September 2025, qualifying personal capital gains from transfers of cryptocurrencies or digital tokens through SEC-licensed Thai exchanges, brokers, or dealers are exempt from personal income tax for income received from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2029. The 15 percent withholding framework under Section 50(2)(f) of the Revenue Code does not apply to qualifying exempt transactions during this window, although it remains relevant outside qualifying cases, including foreign-platform activity, mining, staking, airdrops, and other non-exempt digital asset income. Thailand exited the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in 2013 and is not on either FATF list as of the February 2026 Plenary, with the latest Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) follow-up showing 33 of 40 FATF Recommendations rated Compliant or Largely Compliant and 6 Partially Compliant.
Spain
Spain operates a worldwide taxation system for both companies and individuals, modulated by a dense network of special regimes and the 95 percent participation exemption mechanism. The general corporate income tax (CIT) rate is 25 percent under Ley 27/2014, the Corporate Income Tax Law (LIS), but Ley 7/2024 added a transitional reduced-rate schedule under the new Disposicion Transitoria 44 LIS effective 1 January 2025: microenterprises with turnover below EUR 1 million are taxed on a progressive scale (21 percent on the first EUR 50,000 and 22 percent on the rest in 2025, falling to 17 and 20 percent from 2027), and small companies with turnover below EUR 10 million move from 24 percent in 2025 down to 20 percent by 2029. Emerging companies certified by the Empresa Nacional de Innovacion (ENISA) under Ley 28/2022 are taxed at 15 percent for the first profitable year plus the 3 following, with deferral of CIT payment for the first 2 profitable years and exemption from fractional payments. The Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC) under Ley 19/1994 applies a 4 percent corporate rate on income from activities materially carried out in the Canary Islands, capped at EUR 1.8 million plus EUR 500,000 per additional employee above the statutory minimum, requiring at least one Canary-resident director, EUR 100,000 (Tenerife, Gran Canaria) or EUR 50,000 (other islands) of fixed-asset investment within 2 years and 5 or 3 jobs created within 6 months, with new entity registrations authorized until 31 December 2026 and tax benefits available until 31 December 2032 subject to the EU State aid framework. The Patent Box under Article 23 LIS grants a 60 percent reduction on net income from licensing or sale of qualifying intangibles (patents, utility models, legally protected designs and models, and advanced registered software derived from research and development), excluding trademarks, ordinary software, secret formulas and procedures and commercial know-how, under the OECD Modified Nexus Approach, dropping the effective rate to approximately 10 percent. The Entidad de Tenencia de Valores Extranjeros (ETVE) holding regime under Articles 107 to 108 LIS combined with the Article 21 LIS participation exemption taxes qualifying foreign dividends and capital gains at approximately 1.25 percent (5 percent of 25 percent) and exempts outbound distributions to non-resident shareholders. Personal income tax is progressive. The state scale tops at 24.5 percent above EUR 300,000 of general income, and adding the autonomous community scale produces a combined top rate of 47 percent under the default reference, ranging by region from 45 percent in Madrid to 50 percent in Catalonia, 51.5 percent in La Rioja and 54 percent in the Valencian Community. Savings income (dividends, interest, capital gains) is taxed at 19 percent up to EUR 6,000, 21 percent up to EUR 50,000, 23 percent up to EUR 200,000, 27 percent up to EUR 300,000 and 30 percent above, the top bracket having risen from 28 to 30 percent under Ley 7/2024 effective 1 January 2025. The Beckham Law under Article 93 of the Personal Income Tax Law (LIRPF), expanded by Ley 28/2022 effective 1 January 2023, allows qualifying inpatriates with no Spanish tax residence in the prior 5 tax years to be taxed under Non-Resident Income Tax (IRNR) rules at a flat 24 percent up to EUR 600,000 and 47 percent above for 6 tax years. Employment and entrepreneurial business income is taxed wherever it arises, while foreign-source passive income such as dividends, interest and capital gains stays outside the Spanish tax net. The 2023 reform extended Beckham to employee digital nomads, entrepreneurs with ENISA certification and highly qualified professionals serving startups, plus spouses and children under 25. Spain levies wealth tax on worldwide assets above EUR 700,000 (with a EUR 300,000 primary residence allowance) and progressive rates from 0.2 to 3.5 percent, with material autonomous community variation. Madrid and Andalusia maintain a 100 percent rebate that neutralizes ordinary wealth tax for net worth below the large-fortune threshold, but since 2023, under Madrid Ley 12/2023 and the equivalent Andalusian measure, that rebate becomes a variable one for taxpayers liable to the federal large-fortune tax, so net worth above EUR 3 million is effectively taxed regionally rather than escaping wealth taxation. The Balearic Islands raised their exemption to EUR 3 million effective 1 January 2024 and Valencia to EUR 1 million, while Catalonia maintains a EUR 500,000 exemption with the highest progressive rates. The Impuesto Temporal de Solidaridad de las Grandes Fortunas (ITSGF), introduced for the 2022 and 2023 tax years as a federal anti-arbitrage floor on net worth above EUR 3 million and extended by Real Decreto-ley 8/2023 until wealth taxation is reformed within the regional financing system, applies regardless of region with credit for regional wealth tax paid. Inheritance and gift tax applies with major regional variation, effectively near-zero for close family in Madrid, Andalusia and the Valencian Community (the last through a 99 percent bonus on Groups I and II since 28 May 2023 under Ley 6/2023), while Catalonia and a few other communities such as Asturias can remain materially more expensive for larger estates depending on the relationship and estate size. Capital gains on principal residence sale are exempt under reinvestment rules. Spain has an extensive double tax treaty network covering all major OECD jurisdictions, comprehensive Latin American coverage given language and historical ties, and full Parent-Subsidiary and Interest-Royalties Directive access within the EU.
Thailand
Thailand operates a worldwide-basis corporate tax system at a flat 20 percent rate on net profits since 2013, made permanent by the 22 January 2016 Revenue Code amendment. Thai-incorporated companies are taxed on worldwide income, foreign companies carrying on business in Thailand are taxed on profits arising from or in consequence of activities conducted in Thailand, and foreign companies not carrying on business in Thailand may be subject to final withholding tax on certain Thai-source payments including interest, dividends, royalties, rentals, and service fees under Section 70 of the Revenue Code. Qualifying small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with paid-up capital not exceeding THB 5 million and revenue not exceeding THB 30 million benefit from a progressive scale of 0 percent on the first THB 300,000, 15 percent from THB 300,001 to THB 3 million, and 20 percent above. The Emergency Decree on Top-Up Tax B.E. 2567 gazetted 26 December 2024 implements OECD BEPS 2.0 Pillar Two through three mechanisms (Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax, Income Inclusion Rule, Undertaxed Payments Rule) for multinational enterprise (MNE) groups exceeding EUR 750 million in consolidated revenue, effective for fiscal years from 1 January 2025. VAT is at a temporarily reduced 7 percent rate (legal rate 10 percent) extended through 30 September 2026 under Royal Decree No. 799. The Board of Investment (BOI) Investment Promotion Act B.E. 2520 (1977) grants corporate income tax holidays depending on the promoted activity category, commonly 3 years for Group A4, 5 years for Group A3, and 8 years for Groups A1 and A2 under Section 31 of the Act, with selected qualifying projects in Groups A1+, A1, and A2 reaching up to 13 years in total when merit-based or location-based incentives apply, and with the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) providing additional incentives in Chonburi, Rayong, and Chachoengsao under the EEC Act B.E. 2561 (2018). Personal income tax follows a progressive scale of 5 percent to 35 percent, with the 35 percent top rate applying above THB 5 million of annual taxable income. Tax residency triggers at 180 days or more of physical presence in a Thai calendar year. Revenue Department Order Por. 161/2566 effective 1 January 2024 reformed the longstanding remittance rule. Foreign-source income derived from 1 January 2024 by an individual who is a Thai tax resident in the year of derivation is taxable when remitted to Thailand, regardless of the tax year of remittance. Companion Order Por. 162/2566 of 20 November 2023 grandfathers all foreign income earned before 1 January 2024, which remains non-taxable when remitted regardless of timing, provided documentary evidence of pre-2024 vintage is preserved. A draft 2025 amendment, reported by tax advisers and attributed to Revenue Department officials in mid-2025, proposed a two-tax-year exemption window for timely remittances of foreign-source income earned from 2024 onwards. As of 28 May 2026, no enacted measure has been identified in the available official Revenue Department materials, and the legislative process has not advanced through the period spanning the February 2026 general elections. Order Por. 161/2566 therefore remains the operative framework for 2025 and 2026 tax filings, with tax residents required to apply the post-1 January 2024 remittance rule. Thailand operates a network of 61 active double taxation agreements as of October 2025 covering most key partners for inbound capital and resident expatriates. Royal Decree No. 743 B.E. 2565 gazetted 23 May 2022 grants two material derogations to Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa holders. Section 5 fully exempts foreign-source income remitted to Thailand by Wealthy Global Citizen, Wealthy Pensioner, and Work-from-Thailand Professional holders, covering income from employment abroad, business carried on abroad, or property situated abroad. Section 3 reduces the withholding tax rate to 17 percent on Thai-source employment income paid to Highly-Skilled Professional holders working in targeted industries under national competitiveness, investment promotion, or Eastern Special Development Zone laws, while Section 4 exempts such income from annual tax computation provided the foreigner does not claim a refund or credit on the tax withheld. Capital gains on securities listed and sold on the Stock Exchange of Thailand are exempt from personal income tax for individual investors under Ministerial Regulation No. 126 Section 2(23), with the exemption excluding bonds and debentures. There is no annual net wealth tax. Inheritance tax applies only above THB 100 million per testator at 5 percent for ascendants or descendants and 10 percent for other heirs, with legacies received by the surviving spouse fully exempt under the Inheritance Tax Act B.E. 2558. Gift tax of 5 percent applies above THB 20 million per year for gifts from ascendants, descendants or spouse under Section 42(27) of the Revenue Code, and above THB 10 million per year for gifts received in a ceremony or on occasions in accordance with custom and tradition from persons who are not ascendants, descendants or spouse under Section 42(28). Standard outbound withholding tax rates apply to dividends paid abroad (10 percent), interest (15 percent), and royalties (15 percent), reduced under applicable double tax treaty provisions.
Spain
Spain offers four particularly relevant long-term residence routes for internationally mobile non-EU nationals, following the abolition of the Golden Visa on 3 April 2025 by Ley Orgánica 1/2025 of 2 January 2025, which left Articles 63 to 67 of Ley 14/2013 without content rather than formally repealing them. The Digital Nomad Visa (DNV), created by the Ley 28/2022 Startup Act in force since 23 December 2022 and codified in Chapter V bis of Ley 14/2013, is the canonical route for non-EU remote workers and freelancers serving foreign companies. It requires a 2026 minimum income of EUR 2,849 per month for the main applicant, equal to 200 percent of the Spanish minimum wage (SMI) on its annualized 12-payment basis of EUR 1,424.50 per month, the SMI itself being set at EUR 1,221 per month over 14 payments by Royal Decree 126/2026, with EUR 1,069 added for the first dependent and EUR 356 for each additional family member. Applicants must hold a degree from a recognized institution or document at least 3 years of relevant professional experience, and salaried applicants may work only for companies located outside Spain while self-employed applicants may bill Spanish clients for no more than 20 percent of their total professional activity. The DNV consular visa under Article 74 quater is valid for up to 1 year, and within 60 calendar days before its expiry the holder may apply in Spain through the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE) for the residence authorization under Article 74 quinquies, valid for up to 3 years and renewable in 2-year periods, with eligibility for long-term residence after 5 years of continuous legal residence. The Non-Lucrative Visa, now governed by Articles 61 to 64 of Royal Decree 1155/2024, the general immigration regulation in force since 20 May 2025 that replaced Royal Decree 557/2011, targets retirees and financially independent individuals with sufficient savings, assets or periodic income and no work permitted in Spain. It requires 400 percent of the Indicador Público de Renta de Efectos Múltiples (IPREM), equal to EUR 28,800 per year, plus 100 percent of the IPREM, equal to EUR 7,200 per year, for each dependent. Initial validity is 1 year and renewals run in 2-year periods, with renewal conditioned since the 2025 reform on having resided in Spain for more than 183 days in the calendar year under Article 64.2.f of the regulation. The Highly Qualified Professional permit under Article 71 of Ley 14/2013, as amended by Ley 11/2023 transposing Directive (EU) 2021/1883, is the fast-track salaried route, processed by the UGE-CE within 20 working days with approval by positive administrative silence if no decision is issued, valid for 3 years and renewable for 2 years, the 2023 reform having removed the former employer size and turnover thresholds. The Entrepreneur Visa under Article 69 of Ley 14/2013 requires a favorable report from the Empresa Nacional de Innovación (ENISA) assessing the innovation, scalability and viability of the project. There is no fixed statutory minimum capital, the authorization is valid for 3 years and renewable for 2 years, and family members may apply jointly and obtain residence and work rights, with their status remaining linked to the principal holder. All four routes count toward long-term residence after 5 years of continuous legal residence and toward Spanish citizenship after 10 years, reduced to 2 years for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal and Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin, provided the residence is legal, continuous and immediately prior to the application. Existing Golden Visa holders are unaffected by the abolition, since applications filed before 3 April 2025 continue under the prior rules and authorizations already granted retain their validity and may be renewed under the rules in force at the time of the original grant.
Thailand
Thailand offers a structured ladder of long-term residence pathways. The flagship is the Long-Term Resident Visa (LTR) launched on 1 September 2022 by the Board of Investment (BOI), granting 10 years of residence (5+5) with annual reporting in lieu of 90-day reporting and no re-entry permit requirement. BOI Announcement Por. 3/2568 of 4 February 2025 materially relaxed eligibility across three of the four LTR categories. Wealthy Global Citizen (WGC) now requires USD 1 million in personal assets and a USD 500,000 qualifying Thai investment in Thai government bonds, direct investment in Thai companies, qualifying venture capital or private equity structures, or Thai real estate, with the previous USD 80,000 annual income threshold removed. Wealthy Pensioner remains open to applicants aged 50 and above with USD 80,000 passive income, or USD 40,000 to USD 80,000 plus a USD 250,000 Thai investment. Work-from-Thailand Professional (WFTP) targets remote workers earning USD 80,000 from foreign employers meeting establishment criteria (publicly listed, USD 50 million revenue over three years lowered from USD 150 million under Por. 3/2568, or comparable), with an alternative path at USD 40,000 to USD 80,000 for applicants holding a master degree in a relevant field, registered intellectual property, or Series A funding. Highly-Skilled Professional (HSP) is for experts in BOI-targeted industries spanning next-generation automotive, smart electronics, affluent and medical tourism, agriculture and biotechnology, automation and robotics, aviation and aerospace, transportation and logistics, biofuels and biochemicals, petrochemical and chemical, digital, medical, national defence, environmental technologies and circular economy, and International Business Centers (IBC), with USD 80,000 income or USD 40,000 with a relevant master degree, with the 5-year prior experience requirement removed under Por. 3/2568, and includes a 17 percent flat withholding tax rate on qualifying employment income paid by targeted-industry employers under Section 3 of Royal Decree No. 743, with the corresponding final-tax exemption mechanism set out in Section 4. BOI endorsement is free of charge, while the visa issuance fee in Thailand is THB 50,000 per person for the 10-year multiple-entry visa, and the digital work permit costs THB 3,000 per year to maintain. The Thailand Privilege Card (formerly Thailand Elite Visa, rebranded October 2023) is a membership-based residency programme with five tiers. Bronze (THB 650,000 for 5 years, application window extended through 30 September 2026 by Thailand Privilege Card Co. on 18 March 2026), Gold (THB 900,000 for 5 years), Platinum (THB 1,500,000 for 10 years, lowest tier accepting family additions), Diamond (THB 2,500,000 for 15 years), and Reserve (THB 5,000,000 for 20 years, invitation only). Family additions cost THB 1 million to THB 2 million per person at standard rates depending on tier, with time-limited Next Member promotions periodically offered through Thailand Privilege authorised sales channels, including reported 2026 promotional pricing at a flat THB 750,000 per additional Platinum, Diamond or Reserve member running from 18 May 2026 to 14 August 2026, succeeding the earlier THB 500,000 promotion that closed on 31 March 2026. The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) launched on 15 July 2024 is a 5-year multiple-entry visa for remote workers, freelancers, and Thai Soft Power activity participants (Muay Thai, cooking, medical treatment), with financial evidence assessed by the issuing consulate and generally corresponding to approximately THB 500,000 in liquid funds, the documentary lookback and local currency thresholds varying by embassy, and granting 180 days per entry extendable once by another 180 days at immigration. The SMART Visa programme administered by BOI was materially restructured under BOI Announcement Por. 5/2568 of 18 February 2025, following Cabinet approval on 13 January 2025, with the Talent (T), Investor (I) and Executive (E) tracks discontinued and only the Startup (S) track maintained to reduce overlap with the LTR programme. SMART S is a renewable 2-year visa for foreign startup entrepreneurs in BOI-targeted industries, requiring a minimum THB 600,000 deposit held for at least 3 months prior to application, and either at least 25 percent shareholding or a director position in a BOI-certified startup, with work permit exemption and dependents permitted. Applicants who would previously have qualified under SMART T, I or E are now directed to the LTR Visa tracks. Standard pathways include the Non-Immigrant O-A retirement visa (aged 50 and above, generally THB 800,000 Thai bank deposit or THB 65,000 monthly income, with documentary requirements varying by embassy, 1 year renewable), the Non-Immigrant O-X (aged 50 and above, restricted to 14 designated nationalities including major Western countries plus Japan, THB 3 million Thai bank balance or THB 1.8 million deposit plus THB 1.2 million annual income, 10 years as 5+5), and the Non-Immigrant B work visa requiring Thai employer sponsorship and a work permit. Under standard Thai company-sponsored Non-B and work-authorisation structures, immigration and labour practice commonly requires a ratio of four Thai employees per foreign employee, although BOI-promoted companies, LTR holders and SMART Visa holders are exempt or subject to specific regimes. Path to Thai Permanent Residence (PR) is structurally narrow. Eligibility generally requires a Non-Immigrant visa with 3 consecutive yearly extensions and the active extension stamp at the time of application, subject to a 100-PR quota per nationality per year (plus 50 stateless), with the application window announced annually by the Ministry of Interior through the Immigration Bureau, historically opened from October to December but subject to variation as illustrated by the 2024 quota window running from 5 March to 15 May 2025. LTR and Thailand Privilege visas should not be marketed as PR-track pathways since their stay structure does not match the consecutive yearly extension requirement applied by the Immigration Bureau.
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