How to Get a Spain Digital Nomad Visa and Residence Permit

Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa is available to foreign nationals who want to live in Spain while working remotely for an overseas company using digital technologies. Holders of the corresponding residence permit may be eligible for a reduced personal income tax rate. By creating a dedicated route for remote professionals, Spain attracts foreign income without directly increasing competition in the local labour market, while many digital nomads also choose quieter areas outside major city centres.

The Digital Nomad Visa is a short-term immigration document that allows legal residence in Spain for up to one year. For a longer stay, applicants can obtain a Digital Nomad residence permit, valid for up to 3 years. If the qualifying conditions continue to be met, it may be renewed for periods of up to 2 years. Once the total period of lawful continuous residence in Spain reaches 5 years, applicants may become eligible for permanent residence. As a general rule, Spanish citizenship becomes available after 10 years of legal residence.

Applicants who want to reduce the time required to obtain broader EU rights may also consider simplified citizenship procedures available in certain other EU member states. Under a suitable route, EU citizenship may be acquired in approximately 12–18 months, allowing the holder to settle in any member state, including Spain, without obtaining an additional residence permit.

What Is Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa and How Does It Differ from Other Residence Routes?

Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa allows remote professionals to work for overseas companies and receive payment for their services without relying on Spanish employers. Self-employed applicants who provide services to foreign companies may also work with Spanish clients, provided that such activity does not exceed 20% of their total professional activity.

Unlike a standard Spanish work visa, the Digital Nomad Visa follows a simplified procedure and is not subject to the same employment quotas. Applicants generally need to demonstrate either at least 3 years of relevant professional experience or a higher-education qualification. The route also allows eligible family members to relocate and gives the holder access to banking and healthcare services in Spain, making it attractive to remote professionals.

Another option is Spain’s non-lucrative residence visa, but this route does not permit employment or professional activity in Spain.

To support economic activity and the start-up ecosystem, Spain adapted its legislation to create a more straightforward immigration route for remote workers. The Spain Digital Nomad Visa combines legal remote work with residence rights, relatively fast processing, and access to a special tax regime where the relevant conditions are met.

Spain Digital Nomad Visa Requirements

The Spain Digital Nomad Visa allows freelancers, IT specialists, entrepreneurs, and other remote professionals to spend an extended period in Spain and obtain residence status under the dedicated international telework route. Applicants must meet a number of conditions:

• Relevant professional experience or higher education.
  You must provide documentary evidence of your skills and qualifications, either through at least 3 years of professional experience or a higher-education diploma.
• Employment or contractual history with the company.
  You must have worked with the relevant employer for at least 3 months while performing your duties remotely. Employees must also have the company’s permission to work remotely from Spain.
• Proof of the company’s registration date.
  You must provide an official document, such as an extract from the Commercial Register or an equivalent authority in the employer’s country, confirming that the company has been operating in its field for at least one year.
• Compliance with social security requirements.
  If you are employed, your employer must register the company and the employee in the Spanish social security system where required. Self-employed applicants must provide evidence of registration under RETA, the Spanish social security scheme for self-employed workers.
• Proof of sufficient financial resources for residence.
  Your monthly income from remote work must be at least 200% of Spain’s statutory minimum wage (SMI).

The Digital Nomad Visa does not restrict applicants to a single overseas employer. You may work with one or several foreign companies, provided they have been operating in the relevant field for at least one year. Self-employed professionals and freelancers may work with both foreign and Spanish clients, but income from Spanish clients must not exceed 20% of total earnings.

You may work remotely for a foreign company and later establish a business or switch to self-employment. If work for Spanish clients becomes the main part of your activity, you will need to change to the appropriate residence status for entrepreneurial or self-employed activity.

One of the main advantages of remote work is the ability to perform it from almost anywhere. However, when moving between countries, foreign nationals generally need to secure the appropriate right of residence in each jurisdiction, which takes time and involves additional costs. One way to simplify long-term mobility within the European Union is to obtain citizenship of an EU member state. EU citizens may live in any member state without applying for a separate residence permit.

Minimum Income: How Much Do You Actually Need?

To qualify for the Digital Nomad Visa, applicants must meet the minimum income requirement. The required amount is at least 200% of the monthly statutory minimum wage (SMI). In 2026, this is approximately EUR 2,440 per month. Sufficient resources may be demonstrated through regular income, an employment or commercial contract, and other documents confirming that the funds are available to the applicant.

If you are relocating to Spain with family members, you must demonstrate an additional amount equal to at least 75% of the SMI for the first accompanying family member and at least 25% for each additional relative. In 2026, this is approximately EUR 916 per month for the first accompanying family member and around EUR 305 for each additional person. As a result, the indicative monthly income requirement is approximately EUR 3,360 for a family of two and EUR 3,660 for a family of three.

Applicants should also budget for accommodation when first moving to Spain, as rental costs vary significantly by city and region. In addition to regular living expenses, you may need to pay the first month’s rent, a security deposit, and other related charges. The actual relocation budget will therefore be higher than the minimum financial requirement and will depend on the destination and family size.

Special Tax Regime for Digital Nomads

In 2005, Spain introduced the special tax regime commonly known as the «Beckham Law». Where the relevant conditions are met, qualifying income may be taxed at 24% on a tax base of up to EUR 600,000 per year, while the excess may be taxed at 47%. The regime may be available, in particular, to applicants who were not Spanish tax residents during the previous 5 tax periods.

The special tax regime may also apply to self-employed foreign nationals carrying out qualifying activity in Spain. However, the Spanish share of their professional activity must not exceed 20% of the total.

From Application to a Digital Nomad Residence Permit

Obtaining the Digital Nomad residence permit can be relatively straightforward if you have a qualifying basis and prepare the required documents in advance. Once approved, you can apply for a Foreigner Identity Card (TIE). The actual time required to receive the card depends on the place of application, appointment availability, and the workload of the relevant office.

Costs and Fees

The consular fee depends on the applicable tariff and the place of application. For applicants filing in Türkiye, the fee in 2026 is approximately USD 85, although the tariff may be revised. The government fee for the initial TIE issued for the residence permit is approximately EUR 16, while renewal costs around EUR 19.

Additional expenses may include translation and notarial services for documents issued in other countries and requiring translation into Spanish and certification.

Required Documents

A Digital Nomad Visa application is generally supported by the following documents:

• application form for the remote-worker visa;
• recent colour passport-size photograph;
• original and copy of a valid passport whose validity covers the intended period of stay and extends for at least 3 months beyond it;
• Spanish identification number (NIE), which may be obtained through a Spanish consulate or embassy;
• proof of legal residence in the country where you are applying;
• a letter or certificate from the employer confirming the length of employment, salary, and permission to perform professional duties remotely;
• evidence of the duration of a self-employed applicant’s contractual relationship with clients, including the terms under which the services are provided;
• an extract from the Commercial Register showing that the company was registered at least one year earlier and indicating its business activity;
• evidence of sufficient financial resources;
• a criminal record certificate from the country or countries of residence during the previous 2 years, issued no more than 6 months before filing, together with a declaration confirming no criminal convictions during the previous 5 years;
• health insurance covering the required risks and valid for the intended period of residence;
• a declaration from the employer confirming compliance with social security requirements before work begins, together with evidence of registration in the Spanish social security system;
• a higher-education diploma or documents confirming at least 3 years of professional experience in the relevant field.

If family members apply with you, each must provide evidence of the family relationship. A visa application submitted on behalf of a minor must be signed by both parents. Adult children must demonstrate that they are financially dependent on the main applicant and do not have an independent family unit. If parents are relocating with the applicant, evidence that they are dependent on the applicant must also be provided.

Documents issued in other countries must be translated into Spanish and notarised.

Who This Route Is Suitable For — and When to Consider Other Options

The Digital Nomad Visa programme allows eligible applicants to live in Spain while working remotely for an overseas company. However, the route is not suitable for every applicant. If you are not a freelancer with sufficient monthly income or a remotely employed professional, you may wish to consider a simplified EU citizenship route instead. This can provide an EU passport and, as an EU citizen, allow relocation to Spain or another member state without having to prove income under the Digital Nomad programme.

EU citizens can take up employment with a local employer in their profession without the immigration quotas and restrictions that may apply to non-EU nationals.

An EU passport can provide visa-free access to more than 170 destinations, together with access to employment, education, and healthcare across the European Union. The process itself does not necessarily take many years: under certain simplified routes, citizenship may be obtained within 12–18 months from filing with the relevant EU authority while allowing the applicant to retain their original citizenship.