Claim: The Spanish government has launched a special scheme for citizens of Gulf countries and Pakistan, offering free visas, Rs. 5 million in financial assistance, and marriage to a Spanish national woman.
Fact: The claim is false. Official Spanish government sources did not announce any “Tech Crown” visa, free visa schemes, financial assistance, or marriage-based offers for citizens of Gulf countries or Pakistan.
A video shared online shows an ARY News broadcast that appears to include stock footage of Spain. The broadcast is overlaid with an audio of a newsreader saying:
“Spain hukoomat ka Saudia Arab, Muttahida Arab Amraat, Bahrain, Oman aur Pakistan mein rehnay walay shehariyon ke liye anokhi scheme ka ailaan. Iss scheme ke tehat na-sirf muft visay jaaray kiya jarahay hain balkay 50 lakh rupay ki maali imdaad, shaadi ke liyay Spain nationality holder ki larki bhi muhaya ki ja rahi hai.
Spain hukoomat ka kehna hai ke naujawan nasl yahan par aye aur Spain ki taraqi mein hisaay daar banay. Iss scheme mein apply karnay ke liyay abhi Google par ja kar search karein, “Tech Crown XYZ”, pehlay anay walay website par click karein, aur pehlay post par click kar ke apply kardein.”
[Translation: The Spanish government has announced a unique scheme for citizens living in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, and Pakistan. Under this scheme, not only are free visas being issued, but financial assistance of 5 million rupees is also being offered, along with the provision of a girl who holds Spanish nationality for marriage. According to the Spanish government, the younger generation must come here and contribute to Spain’s development. To apply for this scheme, go to Google now, search for “Tech Crown XYZ”, click on the first website that appears, and apply by clicking on the first post.]
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check first searched for “Tech Crown XYZ” and clicked on the first website result. The site immediately seemed suspicious as it resembled a poorly maintained blog rather than an official visa platform.
Tech Crown XYZ website
It contained several unrelated and oddly titled blog posts, such as “Viator Dubai Desert Safari Free Visa,” “Free Work Visa Apply Online 2025 Tech Crown,” “TikTok For You Optioin,” and “Top 5 Gemini AI Photo Prompt for Arabic Style.” Many of these posts included grammatical and spelling errors, such as “Viator” instead of “visitor” and “Optioin” instead of “option”. It covered random topics like AI tools and social media content creation. This suggested that the website was unreliable and potentially a scam.
We also found a blog post on the same website, titled “Tech Crown Spain Marriage Visa Full Information.” The post claimed that the Tech Crown Spain Marriage Visa allows couples to reunite and build a life in Spain through a streamlined and tech-driven process offering residency rights along with permission to work, study, and access healthcare. It further claimed that Tech Crown provides free visa initiatives, particularly targeting skilled professionals and applicants from Pakistan, to simplify procedures and promote global talent mobility in the tech and innovation sectors. However, the post did not provide any official application links or references to Spanish government authorities.
Soch Fact Check then scoured through official sources to verify these details. The BLS Spain Visa Application Centre website did not list Pakistan among the Asian countries where applicants can select a visa centre. We then reviewed the official website of Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación [Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs], which provides authoritative information on Spain’s visa framework.
According to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, third-country nationals must apply for a national visa if they intend to stay in Spain for more than 90 days for purposes such as work, study, or establishing residence, or even for short-term work under 90 days. EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens do not require a visa but must register after arrival, while their non-EU family members must apply for the appropriate residence permit or family-member visa.
The website detailed that national visa applications must be submitted in person at the relevant consular office, following a strict procedure that includes preparing visa-specific documentation, booking an appointment through the official system, attending a visa interview, and awaiting a decision, usually within 15 working days, though this may be extended.
The ministry website did not refer to any “Tech Crown” visa, free visa schemes, or tech-driven third-party application platforms. This indicated that neither Tech Crown nor the claimed visa scheme are supported by the official Spanish immigration policy.
Soch Fact Check also contacted Spain’s Sub-Directorate General of the Office of Diplomatic Information, Press Support Unit, under the Directorate General of Communication, Public Diplomacy and Networks, which informed us: “We inform you that this information is completely false and unfounded.”
Additionally, a reverse-image search and keyword searches for the ARY News broadcast did not yield any news bulletin or reports from the news channel. This further confirmed that the viral clip is fake.
Virality
The claim has been shared multiple times on Facebook by the same user, including here, here, and here. Archived here, here, and here.
On Instagram, it was shared here (archive) and here (archive).
Conclusion: Official Spanish government sources do not mention any “Tech Crown” visa, free visa schemes, financial assistance, or marriage-based offers for citizens of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, or Pakistan. The scheme mentioned in the viral video has no basis in Spain’s official immigration policy.
[Update 30 December: A clarification from Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been added after the seventh paragraph following the publication of this article.]
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