How Russians are treated in Spain today

In everyday life, Russians in Spain are treated calmly: neighbours, colleagues and clients judge people by how they behave, not by their passport, and official statistics do not single out Russians among victims of hate crimes. Attitudes to Russia as a state are a different matter: in the Elcano Royal Institute’s 2025 survey, Spaniards gave Russia 3.7 out of 10 and Putin 1.7. The restrictions a Russian citizen actually runs into come not from people but from EU sanctions: a cap on deposits, crypto, securities, cars and visas. A Spanish residence permit removes most of them.

Below: what surveys and statistics show, which sanctions affect an ordinary Russian citizen and what a residence permit changes, how banks, notaries and land registries behave when you buy property, whose assets were actually seized, what happened to the tax treaty and what to decide before moving if you have capital. How many Russians live in Spain and in which cities is covered in a separate guide to Russians in Spain.

How Spaniards treat Russians in everyday life

In daily life nationality rarely comes up. Spaniards are sociable, strike up conversations easily and care more about whether you speak Spanish and follow local customs than about where you come from; the background is explained in our piece on the Spanish mentality. In spring 2022 Spanish media reported isolated incidents: a cancelled restaurant booking, children complaining of hurtful remarks at school, a domestic worker who linked her dismissal to her nationality (eldiario.es, March 2022). It did not become a pattern.

• Statistics. Spain’s Interior Ministry recorded 2,417 hate crimes and incidents in 2025, the highest figure since 2014. Among foreign victims, Moroccan and Colombian nationals are the most frequent; Russians are not shown as a separate category in the published data (Ministerio del Interior, June 2026).
• The government’s position. In his statement on the invasion on 24 February 2022, Pedro Sánchez spoke of friendship towards the Russian people and of the thousands of Russian citizens living in harmony on Spanish soil (La Moncloa). The widely quoted line that “Russians in Spain should feel safe” does not appear in official texts.
• Ukrainians nearby. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians with temporary protection live in Spain; see Ukrainians in Spain. Official statistics show no ethnic conflict, but the war remains a painful subject, and it is wise not to be the one who raises it.

Attitudes towards a particular person form as they would towards any foreigner: by how you treat your neighbours, whether you pay taxes and whether you learn the language. The pros and cons of life in the country in general are covered in living in Spain.

What surveys show: Russia and Russians

There are no surveys on how Spaniards feel about Russian people as such: neither the Elcano Royal Institute nor the Eurobarometer asks that question. There is data on attitudes to Russia as a state, and it is unambiguous.

The gap between 3.7 for the country and 1.7 for its president is an indirect sign that Spaniards separate the state from its leadership; the report’s authors note that sympathy towards countries is fairly independent of views on their leaders (Elcano report). Relations between the states remain tense: at the end of August 2026 Sánchez accused “Russian networks” of spreading disinformation about the migration crisis in Ceuta, and Russia’s foreign ministry demanded evidence. There is no data on how such episodes affect attitudes to Russians living in Spain, but they set a background worth keeping in mind.

Sanctions: what applies to an ordinary Russian citizen

EU sanctions come in two kinds. Individual sanctions, which freeze the assets of listed people and companies (Regulation 269/2014), apply only to those on the list. The sectoral restrictions of Regulation 833/2014 apply to all Russian citizens and everyone living in Russia, but almost every one of them does not apply to EU citizens or to holders of a temporary or permanent residence permit in the EU.

A few details that matter when the sums are large:

• A D visa counts too. According to the European Commission’s guidance of 13.03.2026, a national D visa holder who has registered their residence is, as a rule, legally resident in the EU and falls under the exemption (Commission FAQs). The exemption lasts as long as the right of residence: if the permit is lost, the bank must stop the prohibited services.
• The €100,000 cap is per bank, not across all accounts. Without a residence permit you can still open an account within the cap, and the Commission says explicitly that this is enough, for example, to pay utilities and taxes on a flat.
• Banks report. Once a year a bank reports deposits over €100,000 held by Russian citizens to the regulator, and separately reports deposits of those who obtained EU citizenship or residence through an investment scheme (Art. 5g). In Spain the competent authority is Tesoro Público.
• Companies with Russian owners. If Russian citizens own more than 40% of an EU company, such as a Spanish SL, the company reports transfers out of the EU above €100,000 every quarter (Art. 5r). Tesoro clarifies that this applies even if the owner also holds Spanish citizenship.
• Nationality is not grounds for refusal. Answering a Russian whose bank restricted an account, the Commission states that sanctions provide no legal basis to refuse payments solely because of Russian nationality.

How crypto is taxed and declared by a Spanish resident is covered in cryptocurrency tax in Spain.

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Banks: why checks take longer

The Spanish regulator has no special rule for Russian clients: we found no SEPBLAC or Bank of Spain document requiring extra checks on Russian citizens who are not on sanctions lists. But under the anti-money laundering law (Ley 10/2010) a bank must understand where the money comes from, and with funds of Russian origin and transfers via third countries the review is usually longer and more detailed. In March 2022 SEPBLAC warned banks of penalties if they failed to freeze funds of listed persons, and compliance teams have been more cautious with anything linked to Russia ever since.

For a large transfer, prepare not a certificate but the history of the money: the sale agreement for a flat or business and proof of tax paid, account statements for the period the funds were accumulated, tax returns, documents on dividends or inheritance. The clearer the chain from the source to the Spanish account, the faster the decision. Opening an account step by step is covered in how to open a bank account in Spain, and cross-border transfers in sending money from Spain to Russia.

Property: can a Russian buy a home in Spain

Yes. EU regulations contain no ban on Russian citizens buying property, including the 20th sanctions package of 2026. According to the Colegio de Registradores, in the second quarter of 2026 Russian citizens accounted for 1.47% of home purchases by foreigners, which by our estimate is about 390 transactions a quarter (Estadística Registral Inmobiliaria).

• A notary will not refuse because of your passport. In case C-109/23 (05.09.2024) the EU Court of Justice ruled that a notary certifying the sale of a flat does not provide prohibited legal services, even to a Russian company.
• Buying through a Russian company is harder: legal, accounting and consulting services to entities registered in Russia are prohibited (Art. 5n). An individual buyer or a Spanish company faces no such restriction.
• Nominee owners do not help. Royal Decree-Law 9/2022 allows land registries to block the disposal of property registered to another person if the police establish that the real owner is a listed person (RDL 9/2022). In May 2022 notaries found 29 properties linked to 14 listed oligarchs, 18 of them registered to relatives (idealista).

How the transaction works and what to check before paying a deposit is covered in buying a house in Spain and luxury property in Spain. Buying property no longer gives residence: the golden visa was abolished from 3 April 2025 for all nationalities, not just Russians.

Whose assets were actually seized

The high-profile seizures of 2022 concerned people on sanctions lists, not Russians in general:

According to Spanish media as of 2023, about €1 billion in property, yachts, aircraft and accounts of 24 listed persons and their relatives has been frozen in Spain; there is no official document with this figure. The lists keep growing: the 20th package in April 2026 added 37 individuals (European Commission). The practical takeaway for a wealthy person: the risk comes not from citizenship but from connections — a joint business, a power of attorney or assets registered in your name by a listed person. Such links are worth checking before the move and before large transactions.

Taxes: the treaty with Russia is suspended on one side

By Decree No. 585 of 8 August 2023, Russia suspended Articles 5–22 and 24 of its double taxation convention with Spain — the ones that allocate taxing rights over dividends, interest, capital gains, salaries, pensions and property (kremlin.ru). The articles on residence, elimination of double taxation and exchange of information were not suspended. Spain has not officially responded and still lists the convention as in force (Hacienda).

• Income from Russia is taxed by Russia at the rates of its Tax Code, not at the reduced treaty rates.
• A Spanish tax resident declares worldwide income and may credit tax paid abroad up to the Spanish tax on that income (Article 80 of the IRPF Act).
• Exchange of information formally continues, and foreign accounts and assets above €50,000 per category are declared on form 720.

A detailed analysis is in the Russia–Spain double taxation treaty; when you become resident is covered in Spanish tax residency; the flat 24% rate on Spanish income with foreign income exempt is covered in the Beckham Law.

Visas and residence permits: how consulates treat Russians

• Schengen visas. Since 12 September 2022 the EU–Russia visa facilitation agreement has been fully suspended (Council Decision 2022/1500): standard fees, timelines and document lists apply. Since 6 November 2025, Russians applying in Russia receive multiple-entry Schengen visas only in narrow cases, such as close relatives of Russians legally living in the EU (Commission decision).
• National D visas and residence permits are not affected by that decision. The Consulate General of Spain in Moscow accepts digital nomad visa applications in person by appointment; Russian citizens also need a copy of their internal passport (consulate page).
• The golden visa was abolished by Law 1/2025 for all foreigners from 3 April 2025 (BOE); it is not an anti-Russian measure. What remains for investors is covered in Spain residence by investment.

How to travel now and what documents you need for the trip is covered in travelling to Spain from Russia; all grounds for residence are in Spanish residence permit. Remote workers can use the digital nomad visa, and those living on capital the non-lucrative visa.

What to decide before moving if you have capital

1. Status first, large sums second. A residence permit or a D visa with registration lifts the €100,000 deposit cap and the limits on securities, crypto and trusts. Moving capital before that means hitting the cap at every bank.
2. Document the history of your money. Agreements, statements and tax documents for each major source: the sale of a business, property, dividends.
3. Check your connections. Partners, companies and powers of attorney against EU sanctions lists. Owners of a Spanish SL more than 40% held by Russian citizens have transfer reporting to consider.
4. Decide what to do with assets in Russia. A non-resident selling a flat pays 30% (tax on selling a flat in Russia), and sole proprietors have their own options (a Russian sole proprietorship while living in Spain).
5. Plan your tax residence. The year of the move, form 720, the Beckham Law, wealth tax and inheritance and gift tax for the family are worked out before moving, not after.

If your situation is more complex than usual — several jurisdictions, a business in Russia, family members with different statuses — it is best to go through the order of steps in a consultation before applying for residence.

Frequently asked questions

How are Russians treated in Spain now?

Calmly in everyday life: people are judged by their behaviour rather than their nationality, and Russians do not stand out in hate crime statistics. Attitudes to Russia as a state are negative: 3.7 out of 10 in the Elcano Royal Institute’s 2025 survey.

Can a Russian buy property in Spain in 2026?

Yes. EU sanctions contain no such ban. Restrictions concern listed persons and purchases through a company registered in Russia. Buying property no longer gives residence: the golden visa was abolished from 3 April 2025.

How much money can a Russian keep in a Spanish bank?

Without an EU residence permit, no more than €100,000 in deposits per bank. With a Spanish residence permit or a national D visa with registration, the cap does not apply, but the bank checks the source of funds.

Can an account be closed just because of a Russian passport?

Sanctions provide no such ground, as the European Commission states explicitly. A bank may refuse based on its own risk assessment if it cannot understand where the money comes from, so source-of-funds documents matter more than the passport.

Can I enter Spain in a car with Russian plates?

No. The ban on importing passenger cars also covers private cars; the only exception is for EU citizens living in Russia. Personal belongings for your own use are allowed.

Is the Russia–Spain double taxation treaty in force?

Russia suspended its main articles in August 2023. Spain still considers the convention in force. A Spanish tax resident can credit tax paid in Russia up to the Spanish tax on the same income.

Do Russians get Schengen visas?

Yes, on standard terms. Since November 2025, multiple-entry visas for applicants in Russia are issued only in narrow cases. This does not apply to national D visas, including the digital nomad visa.

Do sanctions apply to Russians with a Spanish residence permit?

Individual sanctions apply only to listed persons. Restrictions on deposits, crypto, securities and trusts do not apply to EU residence permit holders. The ban on cars with Russian plates and on transactions with Russian crypto platforms applies to everyone.

Sources

• Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014, consolidated version of 16.01.2026: Art. 3i, 5b, 5bb, 5e, 5f, 5g, 5m, 5n, 5r
• European Commission: consolidated FAQs on sanctions against Russia, version of 24.08.2026
• Elcano Royal Institute: barometer, wave 45, July 2025; Standard Eurobarometer 104, autumn 2025
• Spanish Interior Ministry: hate crimes, 2025
• La Moncloa: statement by Pedro Sánchez, 24.02.2022
• Colegio de Registradores: Estadística Registral Inmobiliaria, Q2 2026; Royal Decree-Law 9/2022
• Russian Presidential Decree No. 585 of 08.08.2023; Russia–Spain convention; Hacienda: list of conventions in force
• Council Decision (EU) 2022/1500; Commission Decision C(2025) 7552; Organic Law 1/2025
• Tesoro Público: financial sanctions, Russia; European Commission: 20th sanctions package