Pathway

Spain Digital Nomad Visa

Spain Residency

Last updated June 22, 2026

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At a glance

This residence pathway is for remote workers who want to live in Spain while their work stays outside the country. It generally requires foreign-source work, reliable income, health coverage, and no ordinary local employment.

Type: Remote-work residence
Work setup: Remote workers whose job or clients stay abroad
Core requirements: Remote work, foreign income, insurance, and funds
Local work: Usually does not allow ordinary local employment
Duration: Consular filing can start with a 1-year visa; in-country filing can grant 3 years.
Renewal / path: Renewal can extend the stay, and qualifying residence may count toward long-term residence.

Summary

Spain's Digital Nomad Visa (Visado para Teletrabajadores de Carácter Internacional) is a residence route for non-EU citizens who work remotely for employers or clients outside Spain. It was created by Law 28/2022, Spain's Startup Act (Ley de Startups), and later adjusted by Royal Decree 1155/2024, which changed parts of the renewal structure from 20 May 2025.

In practical terms, this is Spain's main remote-work residence pathway. It can work well for employees of foreign companies, freelancers with mostly non-Spanish clients, and professionals who want to live in Spain while keeping their work anchored abroad.

The route has a few important advantages. It is not tied to an annual quota, so applications are considered year-round. It also does not require a Spanish employer sponsor. Instead, the applicant files directly and provides documents showing the remote-work arrangement, income, qualifications, insurance, and admissibility.

There are two common filing paths:

Apply from a Spanish consulate abroad for a 1-year entry visa.
If you can lawfully enter Spain first, apply in Spain through the UGE-CE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos) for an initial residence permit.

The income rule is tied to Spain's SMI (Salario Mínimo Interprofesional). For 2026, the SMI is €1,221 per month in 14 payments, or €17,094 per year. The digital nomad threshold is 200% of SMI for the main applicant, which works out to roughly:

Main applicant: about €2,849/month, or about €34,188/year.
Spouse or first dependent: add about 75% of SMI, roughly €1,068/month.
Each additional dependent: add about 25% of SMI, roughly €356/month.

Spain can accept different kinds of income evidence, including employment contracts, pay stubs, freelance contracts, invoices, bank statements, and tax returns. The key is showing stable remote income that meets the threshold and matches the work arrangement described in the application.

Freelancers and contractors should pay close attention to the Spanish-client cap. Spanish clients can be part of the picture, but Spanish-source work generally cannot exceed 20% of total professional activity. The point of the route is that the applicant is bringing outside income into Spain, not entering the Spanish labor market as a local worker. Employees of foreign companies do not face the same client-percentage rule, but the employer must be non-Spanish.

Applicants also need to show that they are qualified for the remote work. This usually means either:

A university degree from an accredited institution.
At least 3 years of professional experience in the remote role or a related field.

Spain also wants the remote arrangement to be real and established. For employees, that usually means at least 3 months with the same employer. For freelancers, it usually means an existing client base rather than a brand-new arrangement created only for the visa.

Under the current structure, a consular application can start with a 1-year visa. An in-country filing can result in a longer initial residence permit. Renewals can carry the stay toward 5 years of legal residence, after which long-term residence may become available if the person meets the separate long-term residence rules.

The tax side is a major reason people look closely at this visa. Digital Nomad Visa holders may be eligible for Spain's Special Regime for Displaced Workers, commonly called the Beckham Law. If elected within 6 months of arrival, the regime can offer a 6-year special tax period, a flat 24% rate on Spanish-source employment income up to €600,000, and limited Spanish taxation of foreign-source income and foreign assets. The details are tax-sensitive, so applicants should get Spanish tax advice before relying on it.

Digital Nomad Visa holders should expect to become Spanish tax residents if they spend 183 days or more per year in Spain. That same level of presence is also important for maintaining the residence pathway and building a long-term residence record.

After 5 years of legal residence in Spain, a Digital Nomad Visa holder may be able to apply for long-term residence. Time on this route can also count toward Spanish naturalization, which is usually 10 years for most non-EU nationals. Citizenship planning needs special care because Spain generally requires renunciation of prior citizenship at naturalization unless the person falls within a recognized exception, such as nationals by origin of Latin American countries, Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines, or Equatorial Guinea. Many people who do not fit an exception choose to stop at long-term residence rather than naturalize.

Eligibility

Fully remote work paid by a non-Spanish employer, or predominantly non-Spanish clients with no more than 20% Spanish-client activity for freelancers.
Monthly income at or above ~€2,849 (200% SMI) for a single applicant, scaled up for dependents
Qualified professional with a bachelor's degree or 3+ years of professional experience
3+ months of prior employment/contract history in the remote role
Private health insurance with full coverage, no deductibles, and validity in Spain until any Spanish social-security enrollment applies
Clean criminal record from your country of citizenship and any other country of residence in the past 5 years
Proof of accommodation in Spain
Awareness that dual citizenship at Spanish naturalization is generally not available for nationalities outside Spain's recognized exception list

What This Route Allows

If approved, this route gives you permission to live in Spain while continuing qualifying remote work for a foreign employer or mostly foreign clients. A consular filing can start with a 1-year visa, while an in-country filing can lead directly to a residence permit. Renewals can build toward long-term residence, so it is worth keeping careful records of residence cards, income, insurance, tax filings, remote-work documents, and absences from Spain.

What This Route Is Not

This is not a general work visa for the Spanish labor market. It is also not a guarantee of approval. Spanish authorities can review the documents, income, background checks, insurance, qualifications, and whether the facts truly match the remote-work rules.

Next Steps

Confirm the remote-work basis. Employees should request an employer letter authorizing remote work from Spain. Freelancers should gather client contracts and make sure Spanish-client activity stays within the allowed share.
Verify qualifications. Gather a degree certificate or letters documenting at least 3 years of professional experience.
Assemble income proof. Useful records can include 3-6 months of pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements, employment contracts, client contracts, invoices, and proof of regular deposits.
Obtain private health insurance with full coverage valid in Spain.
Secure Spanish accommodation, such as a lease or property deed.
Gather supporting documents, including passport, police clearance, medical certificate, recent income records, and any social-security coverage certificate if continuing home-country payroll.
Apostille civil records under the 1961 Hague Convention, or use the required legalization process for your country, and obtain certified Spanish translations from a sworn translator (traductor jurado).
Choose the filing path:
- From abroad: file at the Spanish consulate with jurisdiction over your place of residence.
- From Spain: if eligible to enter lawfully first, file in-country through the UGE-CE.
After arrival, apply for the TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) within the required deadline.
Obtain your NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero) if you do not already have one.
Register locally through the empadronamiento process at your town hall.
If appropriate, elect the Beckham Law tax regime within 6 months of arrival by filing Form 149 with Agencia Tributaria.
Track renewal deadlines and keep updated proof of income, remote work, insurance, residence, and absences.
After 5 years of qualifying legal residence, consider long-term residence.
After the required naturalization period, consider whether Spanish citizenship makes sense, especially if renunciation of prior citizenship would be required.