Spain Digital Nomad Visa
The Spain Digital Nomad Visa is Spain’s international telework residency, created by the 2022 Startup Law, for professionals who work remotely for companies or clients outside Spain. It gives the whole family residency, lets the spouse work, and can be combined with the Beckham tax regime. Most refusals are not about income — they are about the structure of the employment or the social security position behind it, and that is where we spend our time.
Thresholds are indexed to Spain’s official reference figures and change when those figures are updated. We confirm the figure that applies on the date your file is actually submitted — not the one in force when you first enquired.
Who it is for
- Employees of companies established outside Spain who can perform their role remotely.
- Freelancers and consultants whose clients are mainly outside Spain.
- Founders who work remotely for their own foreign company, provided the relationship and the company’s activity can be evidenced.
What’s included
- Preparation and submission of the full application, including the review of your contract or client base and the 20% limit.
- Fingerprint appointment and issue of your TIE residence card.
- Opening of a Spanish bank account.
- An administrative appeal (recurso de reposición) if the application is refused.
- Applications for your spouse, children and dependent parents, filed together with yours.
Not included
- Sworn translations, apostilles and legalisations of documents.
- Government fees and administrative charges (tasas).
- Registration as self-employed when you work for clients — see Self-Employed Registration (Autónomo).
- The Beckham regime application — see Beckham Regime Applications.
- A contentious-administrative appeal before the courts (recurso contencioso-administrativo), which is quoted separately.
How we work
- 01 · Initial assessment. We review the structure of your employment contract or client base, including the 20% limit on Spanish clients, before anything is filed.
- 02 · Strategy and document map. We recommend the route — consulate or UGE-CE from inside Spain — based on your nationality and timeline, and map every employer letter, company document and personal certificate.
- 03 · Preparation and filing. Employer letters, the social security position and the full evidential file, filed at the consulate or with the UGE-CE.
- 04 · Approval, TIE and settling in. Fingerprint appointment and TIE for you and your family, and your Spanish bank account.
- 05 · Obligations and renewals. We keep the 20% limit and the social security position in order, and handle renewals under Residency Renewal & TIE.
Core requirements
- A working relationship with the employer or clients of at least three months before the application.
- The employer or client company must have been actively operating for at least one year.
- A university degree, recognised professional qualification, or at least three years of experience in the field.
- Written authorisation from the employer to work remotely from Spain, with the role, salary and terms.
- A clean criminal record and health cover. If you apply from inside Spain to the UGE-CE, private health insurance is not required: once registered with Spanish Social Security you are covered by the public health system. If you apply through a Spanish consulate, private health insurance is required for the visa.
Social security — the point that decides most files
- Spain has no social security agreement with the UAE, Iran or most GCC states, so an A1 or bilateral certificate is usually not available.
- In that case the foreign employer must register with Spanish Social Security and pay contributions, or the applicant registers as self-employed where they work for clients. We structure this before filing and coordinate with the employer’s finance team.
Two ways to apply
- From your country of residence: a one-year visa from the Spanish consulate, after which you apply in Spain for the three-year residence authorisation.
- From inside Spain: while in legal stay, you apply directly to the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE-CE) for the three-year authorisation, decided within 20 working days.
- We recommend the route based on your nationality, visa requirements to enter Spain and the timeline you need.
Family members
- Spouse or partner, children and dependent parents apply together with the main applicant and receive authorisations with the same expiry date.
- Family members are authorised to work in Spain.
Tax
- Remote workers who move under this route can apply for the Beckham regime: 24% flat rate on employment income up to €600,000 and most foreign income excluded, for the year of arrival and the following five. The election must be filed within six months of registering with Spanish Social Security.
- We handle the Beckham application as a separate service — see Beckham Regime Applications.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Spain Digital Nomad Visa income requirements in 2026?
€2,849 per month (€34,188 per year) for the main applicant — 200% of SMI — plus €1,068 per month for the first family member and €356 per month for each additional family member.
Can I work for Spanish clients?
Yes, but work for Spanish clients may not exceed 20% of your total professional activity.
Can I apply from inside Spain?
Yes. While in legal stay you can apply directly to the UGE-CE for the three-year authorisation, decided within 20 working days with positive administrative silence. From abroad, you first obtain a one-year visa at the Spanish consulate.
Can my spouse work in Spain?
Yes. Family members apply together with the main applicant, receive authorisations with the same expiry date and are authorised to work in Spain.
Do I need private health insurance?
It depends on where you apply. From inside Spain, through the UGE-CE, it is not required: once registered with Spanish Social Security you are covered by the public health system. If you apply for the visa at a Spanish consulate, private health insurance is required.
What happens if my application is refused?
The service includes an administrative appeal (recurso de reposición) against the refusal. A contentious-administrative appeal before the courts is not included and is quoted separately.