Digital nomad visa: income and eligibility

What is the Spain digital nomad visa?

Spain’s digital nomad visa, officially the international teleworker visa, lets people from outside the EU live in Spain while they work remotely for companies or clients based abroad.

It is not for citizens of the EU, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, who can already live and work in Spain without it. You must be over .

You can apply as an employee of a foreign company or as a self-employed worker with foreign clients. Employees must work only for companies based outside Spain. If you are self-employed, up to of your work can be for clients in Spain.

What is the Spain digital nomad visa income requirement?

You must earn at least of the Spanish minimum wage. For the minimum wage is a year, so on your own you need a year.

Each family member who comes with you adds to that: a year for the first one and for each one after that. Family members can be your spouse or partner, your children who are minors, adult children who still depend on you, and parents who depend on you.

These are gross amounts, before tax and social security, and the income must come from your remote work. If you fall short, you can also show savings or other liquid funds that cover the difference for the whole time the permit lasts, with a bank certificate in your name stamped or signed by the bank. This is the UGE’s rule for applications made in Spain; consulates apply the same approach but can be stricter.

The calculator compares your income over a full year. Underneath, it shows what the requirement means per month if you are paid in or payments. Some consulates quote the lower -payment monthly figure, so if you are paid monthly, the annual figure is the safer one to aim for.

What are the other Spain digital nomad visa requirements?

• You have worked for your current employer or clients for at least months before applying.
• The company or business has been active for at least year.
• You have a university degree, a recognised vocational or business-school qualification, or at least years of experience in similar work.
• You have health insurance valid in Spain, with cover similar to the public system. Travel insurance, or policies with co-payments or waiting periods, are not accepted. You do not need it if you will be registered with Spanish Social Security. Feather offers a visa-compliant policy in English (partner link).
• You have no criminal record: certificates from the countries where you lived in the last years, plus a signed statement covering the last years.
• You register with Spanish Social Security, unless an agreement between Spain and your country lets you stay in your home system.

How do I apply for the Spain digital nomad visa?

There are two routes:

• From abroad: apply for the visa at the Spanish consulate for the place where you legally live.
• From inside Spain: if you are already in Spain legally, for example as a visitor, apply online for a residence permit to the Large Companies Unit (UGE), the immigration office that handles these permits. You cannot apply for this residence permit from abroad.

If you already hold the visa, you can apply for the residence permit from Spain in the days before the visa expires. The UGE has days to decide, and if it does not answer in that time, the application counts as approved.

How much does the Spain digital nomad visa cost, and how long does it last?

The consular visa fee: The residence permit fee is per person, and the foreigner identity card (TIE) costs .

A visa from a consulate lasts up to months. A residence permit from inside Spain lasts up to months, and you can renew it for months at a time while you still meet the conditions.

Is there a reduced income tax rate for digital nomads in Spain?

Employees who hold this visa can apply for the special tax regime for people who move to Spain to work, known as the Beckham law, if they meet its other conditions. Self-employed digital nomads are not covered by that route. The Beckham law calculator shows whether it could apply to you and how it compares with normal income tax.