Spain Digital Nomad Visa: Requirements, Income and How to Apply

The Spain digital nomad visa lets you live in Spain while you work remotely for companies based outside Spain, as an employee or as a self-employed professional. You need a degree or three years of professional experience, at least three months’ work with a company that has been trading for a year or more, and income of at least 200% of Spain’s minimum wage, which works out at about €2,849 a month in 2026. You can apply at a consulate for a one-year visa, or from inside Spain for a permit of up to three years, and after five years you can apply for permanent residency.

At a glance

Minimum income	About €2,849 a month (2026)
First permit	A visa for up to 1 year from a consulate, then a permit for up to 3 years; or up to 3 years straight away if you apply from inside Spain
Renewable?	Yes, for 2 years at a time
Apply from inside Spain?	Yes, if you’re there legally, for example as a visa-free visitor
Leads to permanent residency?	Yes, after 5 years (national or EU long-term residence)
Leads to citizenship?	Yes, you can apply after 10 years of legal residence, or 2 years if you’re a national by birth or descent of certain countries, such as Ibero-American countries and Portugal
Special tax regime	Beckham Law: 24% flat rate, named for employees on this visa
Freelancers and business owners?	Freelancers: yes, with up to 20% of work for companies in Spain. Business owners: yes, but how you structure it matters

Who can apply for the Spain digital nomad visa?

You can apply if you’re a non-EU citizen who works remotely for one or more companies based outside Spain, and you have a degree or at least three years of professional experience. Spain’s law calls this “international teleworking”, and it covers two groups:

• Employees: you work under an employment contract for a company outside Spain. You can only work for companies based outside Spain
• Self-employed professionals: you provide services to companies outside Spain. You can also work for a company in Spain, as long as that work is no more than 20% of your total professional activity

This is a residence permit: you’re expected to live in Spain.

Your work has to be for companies. The Washington consulate says the visa doesn’t cover work for individuals, international organizations, government agencies, universities, foundations, NGOs or other non-profits.

You also need to show:

• Your qualification: a degree or postgraduate degree from a university, vocational training center or business school of recognized prestige, or at least three years of professional experience in work similar to the job you’ll do remotely. If you practice a regulated profession, you need your qualification recognized in Spain
• The company: the company you work for, or your client, has to have been trading for at least a year
• Your work history with it: at least three months with that company before you apply, plus a document confirming you can do the work remotely from Spain. Employees need a letter from the employer showing how long you’ve worked there, your salary and its permission for you to work from Spain. Self-employed applicants need their contract and the terms of the remote work, and the Washington consulate says the relationship has to continue for at least another year
• A clean criminal record: certificates from every country you’ve lived in over the past two years, plus a signed declaration covering the past five

Business owners can apply, but how you structure it matters. In many countries, including the UK and the US, a company is a separate legal entity from its owner, so it’s normal to own a company and be employed by it, with or without being a director. Spain hasn’t published how it treats an applicant who owns their employer. One immigration lawyer, reported by Spainguru in February 2026, says the UGE strongly discourages applying as the owner or director, and advises applying as a contractor or employee of your own company instead. Applicants in the same community also warn against signing your own employer letter. The set-up also has tax and social security consequences in more than one country, so get professional advice before you rely on it.

What’s the minimum income for the Spain digital nomad visa?

You need income of at least 200% of Spain’s minimum wage, the SMI (salario mínimo interprofesional). Spain’s law itself only asks for “sufficient economic resources”; the 200% rule comes from the consulates and the office that handles applications in Spain.

For 2026, plan on about €2,849 a month. Spain sets its minimum wage as 14 payments a year, 12 monthly ones plus two extra, which comes to €17,094 for 2026 under Royal Decree 126/2026. Double that and spread it over 12 months and you get €2,849. The Spanish consulate in Washington quotes €2,442, which doubles a single €1,221 payment.

Confirm the number with the consulate or lawyer handling your application. The SMI changes every year, so the threshold does too. The law says renewals depend on still meeting the conditions, so expect to show the figure in force when you renew.

The income has to come from the work you’re applying on. Expect to prove it with payslips or invoices, your contracts, and bank statements showing the money arriving. One law firm reports that the office in Spain asks for the last three months, with bank documents signed or stamped and matching your payslips or invoices. The UGE’s own FAQ says the money has to come from work. Lawyers report that in practice savings can top up a shortfall, as long as they cover the whole permit period, but don’t rely on them as your main proof.

Not earning €2,849 a month yet? The Portable Income Launchpad is a six-week program for experienced professionals turning their expertise into remote income that meets a visa threshold like this one.

What health insurance do you need for the Spain digital nomad visa?

You need public or private health insurance from an insurer authorized to operate in Spain. That’s the rule in the law, and the consulates add their own conditions:

• London asks for a policy that covers all the risks Spain’s public health system covers. It also accepts an S1 form registered with Spain’s social security as public cover
• Washington asks for an insurer listed on Spain’s register of authorized insurers, with cover for all the risks of the public system for the whole permit period. The policy can’t have copayments, waiting periods or coverage limits, and the consulate doesn’t accept travel insurance. You don’t need private insurance if you can show you’re covered by Spain’s public social security system
• The office in Spain that handles applications also rejects travel insurance, reimbursement-only plans and policies with copayments or waiting periods

Check that your insurer’s certificate shows:

• Your name, and policy dates that cover the whole permit period
• That the insurer is authorized to operate in Spain
• That it covers everything Spain’s public health system covers
• No copayments, waiting periods or coverage limits

Can you bring your family?

Yes. Your spouse or partner, your children, and dependent parents who are part of your household can apply with you or join you later. Adult children have to show they depend on you financially and haven’t formed their own family unit, and parents that they’re in your care. Each family member raises the income you need to show:

• The first family member adds 75% of the SMI: €916 a month on the Washington consulate’s figures, or about €1,068 on the 12-month basis
• Each additional family member adds 25%: €306 a month, or about €356

If your family members apply at the same time as you, Spain decides the applications together. Family members need apostilled and translated marriage or birth certificates, and they can work in Spain.

How long does the visa last, and can you renew it?

From a consulate you get a visa for up to one year, followed by a residence permit for up to three years. From inside Spain you get a residence permit for up to three years straight away.

• From a consulate abroad: the visa lasts up to one year. In the 60 days before it expires, you apply in Spain for a residence permit of up to three years if you want to stay
• From inside Spain: you apply directly for a residence permit of up to three years

After that, you renew for two years at a time, as long as you still meet the conditions. The law doesn’t set a limit on renewals. One immigration lawyer, reported by Spainguru, says renewals now ask for your Spanish tax return for the previous year and proof that you’re tax resident in Spain.

How are you taxed in Spain on this visa?

You’ll usually become a Spanish tax resident once you spend more than 183 days of the year in Spain, and Spain then taxes your worldwide income at its normal progressive rates.

Spain’s special regime for inbound workers, known as the Beckham Law, can lower that. You pay a flat 24% on employment and other general income up to €600,000 a year, and 47% above that, while savings income such as dividends and interest has its own scale. It lasts for the year you move plus the next five, and you can’t have been a Spanish tax resident in the previous five years. You have to apply for it within six months of the start date recorded when you register with Spanish social security, or of the date on your home-country certificate of coverage.

Article 93 of Spain’s income tax law names employees who hold this visa. Self-employed holders only qualify through narrower routes, such as becoming a director of a company (with conditions), a business officially certified as an entrepreneurial activity, or highly qualified work for Spanish startups. If you’re freelancing, plan your budget on Spain’s normal rates.

You also need social security cover, and the UGE says that means cover from Spain’s system. Employees from countries with a social security agreement with Spain, such as the US and the UK, can stay in their home system with a certificate of coverage. The UGE and the Washington consulate accept that certificate from employees only. If you’re self-employed, they say you have to register as an autónomo in Spain, and the UGE can cancel your permit, and your family’s, if you don’t. The London consulate’s page (May 2024) still accepts a UK CA3837 certificate for self-employed applicants, so confirm with the UGE before you rely on it.

Talk to a tax adviser who works with both countries before you move.

Does the Spain digital nomad visa lead to permanent residency or citizenship?

Yes. Time on this visa counts as legal residence, so it can lead to both.

After 5 years of legal, continuous residence, you can apply for long-term residence. Spain has two versions:

• National long-term residence lets you live and work in Spain indefinitely on the same terms as Spanish citizens
• EU long-term residence gives you the same rights in Spain, plus the possibility of a residence permit in other EU countries under their rules. It also asks you to show stable, regular income and health insurance

For both, continuous means no absence longer than six months in a row and no more than ten months in total over the five years (18 months if the absences were for work). The national version ends if you spend 12 months in a row outside the EU.

Spanish citizenship by residence usually takes 10 years of legal, continuous residence immediately before you apply. Nationals by origin of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and Sephardic Jews, qualify after 2 years. This applies only if you hold that nationality by birth or descent. If you became a citizen of one of these countries by naturalization, the standard 10 years applies. You also need to show good civic conduct and that you’re integrated into Spanish society, which means passing the CCSE test on Spain’s constitution and culture and, unless you’re from a Spanish-speaking country, a DELE A2 Spanish exam. Spain expects you to give up your previous nationality, except nationals of the countries with the two-year route and Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin.

How do you apply for the Spain digital nomad visa?

You apply either at the Spanish consulate that covers where you legally live, or online from inside Spain if you’re there legally.

From your home country

1. Get your foreigner identity number (NIE) first. It’s Spain’s personal ID number for foreign nationals, and it also works as your Spanish tax number (NIF). Both the London and Washington consulates ask for it before you apply.
2. Gather your documents: the national visa application form, a photo, your passport (valid for at least a year at London), proof of income and of your work relationship, the company’s registration certificate showing it has traded for at least a year, your degree or proof of experience, criminal record certificates, health insurance and, for family members, relationship certificates. Official documents need an apostille and a sworn translation into Spanish.
3. Submit in person at the consulate or visa center that covers where you legally live, and pay the fee. The fee depends on your nationality as well as where you apply. For example, from 1 January 2026 the Washington consulate charged US citizens $190, while a British citizen living in the US and applying there paid $963. Washington revises its fees every quarter in line with exchange rates, so check the current figure with your consulate.
4. Wait for the decision. The legal deadline is 10 working days, but the consulate can extend it if it asks for more documents or an interview.
5. Collect your visa within a month of approval, travel to Spain, and apply for your residence permit in the 60 days before the visa expires if you want to stay.

From inside Spain

1. Be in Spain legally, for example as a visa-free visitor within your 90 days.
2. Apply online to the UGE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos), the government unit that handles these applications, with the same documents. The fee is €73.26. Applying extends your legal stay until the decision.
3. Wait for the decision. The UGE has 20 days to respond, and if it doesn’t, the application counts as approved (positive administrative silence).
4. Once approved, apply for your residence card (TIE), which you need for any permit longer than six months.

Why do applications get refused?

The law asks for a company that has traded for at least a year, a three-month work history and proof that the work can be done remotely, so a gap in any of these can lead to a refusal. One law firm, Machelín Díaz, lists these problems:

• Income that doesn’t come from the work relationship you’re applying on
• No proof that the company has been trading for at least a year
• Bank documents that are unsigned, unstamped, or don’t match your payslips and invoices
• A job description that doesn’t make clear the role is fully remote
• Mixing up the employee and self-employed routes in the documents
• Health insurance with copayments or waiting periods, or travel insurance instead of full cover
• Documents without an apostille or sworn translation

One immigration lawyer, reported by Spainguru, says checks tightened in 2026 after cases of fabricated contracts and companies.

What applicants report

• You can qualify without a degree, but the proof of experience has to be solid. A freelance web designer without a degree got approval in March 2025, and members of one applicant community report several approvals on the three-years-of-experience route. Some also report that the office in Spain now asks for official records, such as apostilled tax or social security documents, alongside letters from employers or clients.
• One applicant got her permit from inside Spain in 10 working days. She applied through the UGE as a self-employed freelancer and got a three-year permit for herself and her son. Another applicant chose the in-country route because she didn’t have a home-country income tax return.
• One freelancer needed a signed contract with a client. She worked on one-off projects, asked a long-term client for a formal contract before applying, and said she couldn’t have applied without it. The Washington consulate’s checklist confirms that self-employed applicants need their contract terms.
• Costs and timing vary a lot. One applicant who did everything herself spent about €519 on both her own and her son’s application. Another reported seven months and thousands on paperwork, translations and apostilles.
• The two-year citizenship route works in practice. A Brazilian applicant who got the permit in September 2023 applied for Spanish citizenship in December 2025 and got it in August 2026. Another reported timeline went from a June 2023 permit to citizenship granted in April 2026.

Sources for this section: a freelance applicant’s account in Spainguru (March 2025), a Spainguru community Q&A on approvals without a degree (updated October 2026), a Brazilian applicant’s citizenship timeline in Spainguru (September 2026), Nomad Desk (updated October 2026), Spainguru’s report on 2026 changes (February 2026) and the Spanish consulate in Washington’s checklist.

Who this visa suits

We think the Spain digital nomad visa suits you if you have solid experience in your field, even without a degree, because three years of professional experience is enough. Unlike Italy, Portugal and Greece, Spain also lets you apply from inside the country, as long as you’re there legally, for example as a US or UK visitor, and applying that way gets you a permit of up to three years straight away.

It works well for freelancers whose clients are other businesses, including one-person companies, and you can do up to 20% of your work for companies in Spain. If you’re a national by birth or descent of an Ibero-American country, Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines or Equatorial Guinea, it can also lead to Spanish citizenship after two years.

Look elsewhere if you bill individuals directly, such as coaching or therapy clients, because that work doesn’t count. It’s also a poor fit if your freelance work or business is brand new, since you need at least three months of work with a client company that has been trading for a year or more. If you’re self-employed, budget for registering as self-employed in Spain and paying into Spanish social security.

Before you go further, check two things: that your employer or clients are companies that have been trading for at least a year, and that your income clears about €2,849 a month.

How Spain compares with other digital nomad visas

Country	Minimum income (a month)	First permit	Apply from inside the country?	Leads to permanent residency?
Spain	About €2,849	Up to 3 years in Spain, or a 1-year visa then up to 3 years	Yes	Yes, after 5 years
Italy	About €2,066	1 year, renewable	No	Yes, after 5 years
Greece	€3,500, after tax	1-year visa, then a 2-year permit	No, since February 2026	Yes, after 5 years on the permit
Portugal	€3,680	4-month visa, then 2-year permit (renewals 3 years)	No	Yes, after 5 years

For the full side-by-side comparison, see our digital nomad visas page.

FAQ

How much money do you need for Spain’s digital nomad visa?

For 2026, plan on about €2,849 a month for a single applicant, because Spain’s minimum wage is set as 14 payments a year and €2,849 reflects the full yearly amount. Each family member adds to that: 75% of the minimum wage for the first and 25% for each one after.

What are the requirements for a digital nomad visa in Spain?

A degree or three years of professional experience, at least three months’ work with a company outside Spain that has traded for a year or more, income of at least 200% of Spain’s minimum wage (about €2,849 a month), health insurance from an insurer authorized in Spain with no copayments, and a clean criminal record.

Is it hard to get a digital nomad visa for Spain?

The rules are clear, but you need a lot of paperwork, and one immigration lawyer reports that checks tightened in 2026. The common refusal reasons are about documents: income that doesn’t match your contracts, a company that can’t show a year of trading, missing apostilles or unsuitable health insurance.

Can I apply from inside Spain?

Yes, if you’re in Spain legally, for example as a visa-free visitor. You apply online to the UGE and, if approved, get a residence permit of up to three years straight away.

Does my degree need to match my work?

The law doesn’t say your degree has to match your remote work. If you qualify through three years of experience instead, that experience has to be in work similar to the job you’ll do remotely. A regulated profession needs its qualification recognized in Spain.

Can I work remotely in Spain for a US company?

Yes, on this visa. You can work for a US company as an employee or a self-employed contractor, as long as the company has traded for at least a year and you’ve worked with it for at least three months.

Can freelancers apply?

Yes. You apply as a self-employed professional, with contracts showing your clients are companies outside Spain. Companies in Spain can account for no more than 20% of your work.

Can I apply if my clients are small businesses or one-person companies?

Yes, as long as each client is a registered company outside Spain. The law and the consulates ask for work for companies and don’t set a minimum size, so a client who trades through a US LLC or a UK limited company is a company client, even if one person runs it. For each client you rely on, you need its registration certificate showing at least a year of trading, apostilled and translated into Spanish, and at least three months of work with it before you apply. The Washington consulate also wants the relationship to continue for at least another year. Make your contracts and invoices out to the company, not the person behind it. If you bill individuals directly, that work doesn’t count.

Do I pay tax in Spain on this visa?

Yes, once you spend more than 183 days a year in Spain. Employees on this visa can opt for the Beckham Law’s flat 24% rate; self-employed holders only qualify through narrower routes.

If you don’t qualify: alternatives and similar visas

If your income comes from savings, pensions or investments rather than remote work, look at Spain’s non-lucrative visa, which doesn’t allow you to work. Spain’s golden visa closed to new applicants in 2025. If your employer has a branch in Spain, you apply under the intra-company transfer route instead of this one. And if you’re in Spain on a non-lucrative permit, you can’t use remote work done while on that permit to qualify.

To compare other digital nomad visas, see our digital nomad visas page, or start with:

• Italy’s digital nomad visa, with a lower income requirement
• Portugal’s digital nomad visa, with its own route to permanent residency
• Greece’s digital nomad visa, with a 2-year residence permit after the first year

Sources

• Spanish Government (La Moncloa): the differences between the DNI, NIE and NIF (official)
• Law 14/2013, articles 62, 63 to 66 (golden visa, removed in 2025) and 74 bis to 76, BOE (official)
• Spanish Consulate General in London: Digital Nomad Visa (official)
• Spanish Consulate in Washington: Telework (Digital nomad) Visa (official)
• UGE: digital nomad FAQ (in Spanish) (official)
• Royal Decree 126/2026, minimum wage for 2026, BOE (official)
• Ministry of Inclusion: national long-term residence (official)
• Ministry of Inclusion: EU long-term residence (official)
• Ministry of Inclusion: recovering national long-term residence (official)
• Civil Code, articles 22 and 23 (nationality), BOE (official)
• Personal Income Tax Law, articles 9 (tax residence) and 93 (special regime for inbound workers), BOE (official)
• Income Tax Regulation (Royal Decree 439/2007), article 116 (six-month deadline for the special regime), BOE (official)
• Machelín Díaz Abogados: requirements and refusal reasons (law firm guide)
• Immigration Spain: digital nomad visa guide (law firm guide)
• Innolegals: 2026 income requirements (law firm guide)
• Spainguru: 2026 updates reported by an immigration lawyer (expat community guide)
• ARC Legal: DELE and CCSE exams for nationality (law firm guide)
• Nomad Desk: Spain digital nomad visa (independent guide)

Educational information, not legal, immigration or tax advice. Rules change, so check the official sources before you apply.