In an increasingly connected and digital world, the opportunity to work remotely has given rise to a new concept: the digital nomad visa.
Spain, known for its rich history, diverse landscapes, and vibrant lifestyle, has become a popular destination for those who want to combine remote work with fulfilling cultural experiences. (1)
The introduction of the Nomad Visa Spain opens the door to this possibility.
The Nomad Visa, or Digital Nomad Visa, is a program designed to facilitate the legal stay in Spain for remote workers who wish to reside temporarily in the country while performing their professional duties from a distance.
This visa allows holders to work from a remote location for foreign companies or as freelancers, as long as their work does not involve providing services to companies or clients in Spain.
In this way, the Spanish digital nomad visa is similar to the Portuguese digital nomad visa.
Highlights of the Spain Digital Nomad Visa
- Digital nomad visa for citizens of non-EU/EEA countries or Switzerland.
- You didn’t live in Spain the past five years.
- Renewal possible if you spend at least 6 months per year in Spain
- Have sufficient income: €2.268 per month for 2024. More if you plan to bring family members.
- You’ll need to provide proof of your income and of the fact you work remote. Which proof is accepted depends on whether you are an employee or have your own business.
Types of Digital Nomad Visas in Spain
Often people mix up different visas when they speak about the digital nomad visa in Spain.
There’s only one digital nomad visa for Spain. However, there are a few other visas which are sometimes used by digital nomads. So, I’ll mention these briefly as well.
Digital Nomad Visa
First, there is the actual digital nomad visa which was launched in 2023.
The digital nomad visa allows remote workers to spend up to twelve months in Spain. After this first year, you can renew your digital nomad visa for up to five years in total.
Non-lucrative Visa
Spain also offers the non-lucrative or non-working visa.
As the name indicates, this visa is actually meant for people who get their income from other sources than working. You will even need to make an official statement that you won’t be working while residing in Spain. So, for most nomads, this visa is probably not an ideal option.
However, if you live from more passive income (e.g. rental income, investments), this might still work for you.
Golden Visa
Another option that some people pursue is the Spanish golden visa.
You obtain a golden visa by investing a certain amount of money in the country. The amount you need to invest, depends on the assets you want to invest in.
The cheapest option is to buy real estate. In this case, you’ll need to buy a property of at least €500.000 to obtain your Spanish golden visa. You can also invest in government bonds or a Spanish company. However, the thresholds for this are even higher. So, the golden visa is definitely another option but it doesn’t come cheap.
Yet, the government announced in August 2024 that they plan to end the golden visa. Hence, it might not be available anymore in the future.
Requirements for the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa
To apply for the Spanish digital nomad visa, applicants must meet certain requirements established by the Spanish government.
Who Can Apply?
Only citizens of non-EU/EEA countries or Switzerland can apply. The reason is simple. Citizens from these countries can in any case move to Spain without needing a visa. So, if you’re, for example, from the US or Canada you can apply for the visa.
Furthermore, you cannot have lived in Spain for the past five years.
If you want to renew your digital nomad visa Spain once it expires, you will have to proof that you have spent at least six months per year in Spain.
You will also need to meet other criteria. The most important one is the minimum income requirement which we’ll discuss below. Apart from that, you’ll also need to arrange other things like (proof of) medical insurance and a clean criminal record.
Minimum Income Requirement
You will need to show that you have sufficient financial means.
Spain set the threshold at 200%, or twice, the minimum wage. For 2024 the minimum wage amounts to €1.134. This means that you need to make at least €2.268 per month if you want to apply for the digital nomad visa Spain.
If you are planning on bringing family members, you need a higher income. You will need an additional 75% of the minimum income for the first family member and 25% for each one after that.
Application Process for the Visa
The application process for the digital nomad visa Spain consists of a few steps.
Step 1: Gathering Documents
The Nomad Visa application process begins with the collection of necessary documents.
These documents usually include:
- Application form: duly completed and signed.
- Passport: valid for at least six months.
- Proof of income: evidence of sufficient income to support yourself during your stay in Spain. This can include bank statements, employment contracts, and a letter from the employer, among others.
- Medical insurance: a health insurance that covers the period of stay in Spain.
- Criminal record certificate: issued by the authorities of the countries where the applicant has resided during the last five years.
- Passport photo: In the format required by the embassy or consulate.
- Proof of payment of the visa fee.
- Proof of residence in the consular district: you need to prove that you currently have your residence in the place where you apply for the visa.
- If you use a representative to make the application on your behalf this person will also have to provide a copy of an identification document and a notarized power of attorney.
Furthermore, you should provide additional documentation which proof your status as a remote worker. The documents you need to provide depend on the fact if you’re an employee or self-employed.
If you work as a remote employee, you will need to provide the following documents:
- Certificate from the employer indicating the seniority of the employee and the explicit confirmation that the employee can work remote. The employee should have been working for at least three months for the employer.
- Certificate of the commercial register of the country where the employer is established. This should show the date of establishment of the company and the activities it carries out. The company should at least be one year old.
- Declaration in which the employer confirms that they will comply with the necessary social security obligations.
- In the same regard, the employer should provide proof of registration with the Spanish social security system and evidence of the employee’s affiliation.
Self-employed individuals need to provide similar documents:
- Certificate from the client indicating the duration of the contractual relationship and under which conditions the work can be performed remote. The contract should be valid for at least three months.
- Certificate of the commercial register of the country where the self-employed individual is registered as a freelancer. This should show the date of registration of the business and the activities it carries out. The business should at least be one year old.
- Declaration in which the self-employed individual confirms that he/she will comply with the necessary social security obligations.
- In the same regard, the self-employed individual should provide proof of registration with the Spanish social security system for self-employed individuals.
You can also bring family members with you to Spain. If you want to do so, you need to provide some documents in this respect as well depending on your relationship with the family member.
- Partner: marriage certificate or certificate of legal partnership or any document proving unregistered partnership
- Children: birth certificate and for adult children prove that they still economically depend on you
- Ascendants: proof of financial dependency
Step 2: Scheduling an Appointment
Once all the necessary documents have been collected, an appointment must be scheduled at the Spanish embassy or consulate in the applicant’s country of residence.
During the appointment, the documents will be presented and the corresponding fee will be paid.
Step 3: Interview and Presentation of Documents
At the scheduled appointment, all required documents will be presented.
A brief interview may be conducted to clarify details about the purpose of the stay and the work activity to be performed in Spain.
Step 4: Waiting for the Result
After the submission of documents and the interview (if necessary), the result of the application is awaited.
This process may vary in duration, and it is advisable to be careful with the communications from the embassy or consulate.
Step 5: Visa Collection
If the application is approved, the applicant will be notified to pick up the visa at the corresponding embassy or consulate.
The visa will have a specific duration, usually up to one year, with the possibility of renewal.
Cost Associated to the Visa
The fee you need to pay for the Spanish digital nomad visa depends on in which consulate you apply.
After your digital nomad visa is approved you can use this to get your residency card in Spain. This will cost you around €20 more.
Digital Nomad Visa Spain: Tax Considerations
If you apply for the Spanish digital nomad visa, you better think about the tax consequences as well.
Once you settle in Spain, you can become a Spanish tax resident. And if you plan to renew your digital nomad visa in the future, you even have to spend at least six months per year in the country which makes you a tax resident by default. Consequently, Spain will tax you on your worldwide income.
Spain is a country with rather high taxes. Luckily, there are some ways to optimize your tax situation in Spain. If you want to learn about tax residency in Spain I would suggest reading my dedicated article.
How is Spain for Digital Nomads?
Spain is one of those countries who always have been and always will attract many nomads. The Spanish lifestyle is great and attracts many people. There is of course the great weather all year round. However, what not everyone knows is that you can even go skiing in Spain. So, also if you’re rather into winter sport, it’s a great place. And, given it’s vast amount of coastline, it’s of course great for water sports as well.
Some digital nomads go there for a few weeks a year, while others enjoy it so much they decide to make it their base. If you think about establishing yourself in Spain or do you plan to spend a lot of time there? In that case, you better proactively assess your tax situation in Spain!
You can do that by reaching out to me! We’ll have a look at your current situation, your plans and discuss the attention points and opportunities.
