Spain’s digital nomad visa allows remote workers to relocate to Spain while working for foreign companies or clients. It is presented as one of the faster Spanish relocation routes, with different requirements depending on whether the applicant is an employee or self-employed.
The digital nomad visa has been available since January 2023. It is aimed at people who work remotely for companies or clients outside Spain, including employees, freelancers, and independent contractors.
Spain is presented as attractive for digital nomads because of its culture, food, climate, beaches, and business hubs. Barcelona, Málaga, and Madrid are mentioned as important startup and business locations.
Core eligibility requirements
Applicants must show that they work for a foreign company or foreign clients.
The applicant must have worked with the company or clients for at least the previous three months.
The foreign company must have been established and registered in the relevant registry for at least the previous 12 months.
The applicant must also prove that they are a highly qualified professional. This can be shown through:
- A university degree
- A master’s degree
- Other higher education
- At least three years of experience in the relevant field
Income requirements
Income is a key part of the application.
The main applicant must earn at least €2,765 per month gross.
For family members, the required income increases:
- First accompanying family member: add €1,033 per month
- Each additional accompanying family member: add €346 per month
These figures refer to gross salary or gross income.
For employees, salary is taken into account directly. For freelancers, the analysis depends on their social security system and tax position.
Employee applicants
Employees must show that they work remotely for a foreign employer.
A key issue is social security coverage. If the employee’s country has a social security agreement with Spain, the employee may need a certificate of coverage showing that they remain covered for work-related contingencies.
If there is no certificate of coverage or no social security agreement between the relevant country and Spain, the foreign company may need to open a representative office in Spain so it can pay Spanish social security contributions for the employee.
Employees using a certificate of coverage must also take out private health insurance to cover non-work-related contingencies.
Employees may also be eligible for the Beckham Law, which can be beneficial from a tax perspective. The transcript does not provide the details of the regime, only that it may apply to remote employees.
Freelancer and self-employed applicants
Freelancers and independent contractors can also apply for the digital nomad visa.
Unlike employees, freelancers do not need to prove that a foreign employer is covering their social security through an agreement. Once the permit is granted, they must generally register as self-employed in Spain and pay their own Spanish social security contributions.
Self-employed applicants must also handle their tax and social security obligations in Spain after approval, unless they are covered by their own social security system and obtain a certificate of coverage valid for Spain.
A self-employed digital nomad may work for Spanish companies, but only within a limit: up to 20% of total revenue can come from Spanish clients.
Applying from a consulate or from Spain
The digital nomad visa can be applied for in two ways:
- From a Spanish consulate
- From inside Spain
If applying from a consulate, the applicant applies for a one-year visa. The application must be submitted at the consulate corresponding to the applicant’s current place of legal residence. The applicant must prove residence in that jurisdiction, for example through a driver’s license or other proof of address.
If applying from inside Spain, the applicant must be legally present in Spain and the Schengen Area at the time of submission. The applicant must not have exceeded the 90 days in any 180-day period Schengen rule. If the applicant has overstayed, the application may be rejected.
If the application is filed from Spain, the authorization can be granted for up to three years.
Required documents
The application requires documents proving the applicant’s employment or professional relationship, income, qualifications, and legal eligibility.
Documents mentioned include:
- Certificate of incorporation of the foreign company
- Criminal records
- Proof of qualifications or professional experience
- Employment agreement or professional services agreement
- Bank statements showing income received from the company or clients
- Payslips or invoices
The exact document list may depend on whether the applicant is an employee or freelancer.
Processing timelines
If applying from Spain, the administration has up to 20 working days to respond. The transcript describes this as a process that should take no more than about one month.
If the administration does not respond within the legal deadline, the permit is understood to be approved by administrative silence. However, the applicant still needs to wait for the official resolution.
If applying through a consulate, processing usually takes one to three months, depending on the specific consulate.
TIE card after approval
After the visa or residence authorization is granted, the applicant must request the TIE, the foreigner identity card.
Before requesting the TIE, the applicant must find more permanent accommodation and register at that address with the local town hall.
The applicant then attends a police station appointment to request the card.
Although the law says the TIE should be requested within one month, in practice appointments can be difficult to obtain. The transcript states that applicants are not penalized for delays caused by lack of police appointments.
The TIE is not issued immediately at the appointment. It usually takes about one month to collect the card.
Long-term residence and absence limits
After receiving the TIE, the applicant begins residence in Spain.
If the applicant wants to qualify for long-term or permanent residence after five years, they must not be outside Spain for more than 10 months total during those five years.
If this absence limit is exceeded, the applicant may not be able to renew into a longer-term status and may need to start the process again.
Tax residence
If a person spends 183 days in Spain during a calendar year, from January to December, they become a Spanish tax resident for that year.
A Spanish tax resident must file taxes in Spain for that calendar year.
Employees working remotely for foreign companies may be able to benefit from the Beckham Law, depending on their situation.
Self-employed applicants must register as self-employed after receiving the permit, unless covered by another social security system with a certificate of coverage. They must pay Spanish social security contributions and taxes.
Renewal
The digital nomad visa can be renewed from 60 days before the current permit expires until 90 days after expiration.
This creates a renewal window of about five months.
To renew, the applicant must prove that they continue to meet the requirements that justified the original permit.
Working for Spanish companies
Digital nomad visa holders generally cannot work for a Spanish company.
The exception applies to self-employed applicants: they can work for Spanish clients up to 20% of total revenue.
Family members
Family members can accompany the main applicant under the digital nomad visa.
The applicant must prove the family relationship.
Generally eligible family members include:
- Spouse
- Registered partner
- Minor children
Adult children may be included if they are financially dependent on the applicant and the dependency is well documented.
Dependent parents or other ascendants may also be included if dependency can be proven clearly.
