A European Union directive published in 2011 means anyone granted the golden investor visa for Spain will be able to live and work anywhere in the EU Schengen visa zone. Investors in Spanish property are first issued a one year residency visa when spending over €500,000 on a property purchase in Spain. After one year the visa can be renewed and again every every two years indefinetly. It is at that point, after the first 12 months, that the European residency rule will allow investors and their families to live and work anywhere in the Schengen visa zone in Europe, as long as the investment in Spain is maintained and the visa renewed every two years.