// Spain > Digital Nomad Visa
Spanish Digital Nomad Visa (Visa para Nómadas Digitales)
Work remotely while enjoying Spain's quality of life. Introduced under the 2023 Startup Act, the Digital Nomad Visa is an ideal residence route for professionals serving clients outside the EU.
What Is the Digital Nomad Visa?
The Spanish Digital Nomad Visa (Visa para Nómadas Digitales) was introduced under the 2023 Startup Act. It allows remote professionals to live and work legally in Spain.
Important: You can keep working remotely for companies or clients outside the EU while you reside in Spain. Under the Beckham Law (Article 93 LIRPF / Régimen Especial de Impatriados), you can benefit from a 24% flat tax rate on Spanish-source income for the first 6 years.
Who Can Apply?
The Digital Nomad Visa is suited to the following profiles:
- •Remote Employees: Full-time remote workers employed by a non-EU company
- •Freelancers: Self-employed professionals with the majority of their clients (80%+) outside the EU
- •Digital Entrepreneurs: Online business owners who can operate location-independently
- •Developers & Designers: Tech professionals working remotely
Eligibility Requirements
1. Financial Requirements (2026 figures)
- •Main applicant: Minimum monthly income of €2,400 (200% of IPREM)
- •For each family member: An additional 75% of IPREM
- •Accepted income sources: salary, freelance income, company profits, investment income
2. Proof of Remote Work
- •An employment contract permitting remote work, or freelance client contracts
- •At least 3 months to 1 year of working relationship with the company
- •80% of clients or the employer must be based outside the EU
3. Health Insurance
Comprehensive private health insurance valid in Spain is required. Minimum €30,000 cover is recommended. The policy must remain valid for the full duration of your residence.
4. Proof of Accommodation
A document showing your Spanish address: a tenancy agreement, title deed or hotel reservation (sufficient for the initial entry).
5. Criminal Record Check
An apostilled criminal-record certificate from every country you've lived in over the past 5 years.
6. Education / Experience Evidence
A university degree, or evidence of at least 3 years of professional experience in your field (CV, reference letters).
Application Process
- 1.Document Preparation: Gather every required document and have it sworn-translated into Spanish (apostille required).
- 2.Consulate Appointment: Book an appointment at the Spanish consulate in your country of residence.
- 3.Application: Attend the appointment, submit your file and provide your biometric data.
- 4.Review: Your application is reviewed within 1–3 months.
- 5.Visa Approval: Once approved, you must enter Spain within 1 month.
- 6.TIE Card: After arriving in Spain you must obtain your TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) within 30 days.
Tax Advantages
Digital Nomad Visa holders can benefit from Spain's special tax regime, popularly known as the "Beckham Law" (Régimen Especial de Impatriados — Article 93 LIRPF):
- ✓24% Flat Tax Rate: For the first 6 years (year of move + 5 following years), Spanish-source income is taxed at a flat 24% instead of the standard progressive rate. Income above €600,000 is taxed at a 47% marginal rate.
- ✓Foreign-Income Exemption: Throughout the Beckham regime, foreign-source income (remote salary from non-EU companies, foreign dividends/interest, etc.) is exempt from Spanish income tax.
- ✓€600,000 Threshold: The 24% flat rate applies to Spanish-source income up to €600,000 per year; amounts above are subject to the 47% marginal rate.
Example: A remote employee earning about €73,000 a year from a non-EU company pays 0% Spanish income tax on those earnings under the Beckham regime, as the income is foreign-sourced. Under the standard regime they would pay 19–47% progressive tax on their worldwide income.
Other Advantages
- ✓Schengen Travel Freedom: Travel across the Schengen area without the 90-in-180-day limit.
- ✓Family Reunification: Your spouse and children can apply alongside you.
- ✓Extension to 5 Years: After the first year, the visa can be extended up to 5 years.
- ✓Right to Work: Unlike the Non-Lucrative Visa, you may continue your remote work.
- ✓Path to Citizenship: Eligibility to apply for Spanish citizenship after 10 years.
- ✓High Quality of Life: Mediterranean climate, rich culture and modern infrastructure.
Important Notes
- ⚠️80% Rule: At least 80% of your income must come from non-EU sources.
- ⚠️Residence Requirement: To benefit from the tax regime you must spend at least 183 days per year in Spain.
- ⚠️Prior Residence: You must not have been a Spanish tax resident in the past 5 years.
- ⚠️Document Validity: All documents must be issued no more than 90 days before the application date.
Manage Your Digital Nomad Visa with Mi Casa Europa
With 25 years of experience, we manage your Digital Nomad Visa application from start to finish:
- ✓Pre-application eligibility assessment
- ✓Document preparation and sworn translation support
- ✓Consulate appointment booking
- ✓Health insurance arrangement
- ✓Tax planning and Beckham Law application
- ✓TIE card application after arrival in Spain
- ✓Help finding accommodation and settling in
Frequently Asked Questions
Officially called the "Visado de teletrabajo de carácter internacional" (International Remote Work Visa), it was created under Spain's 2022 Startup Law (Ley 28/2022). It is a genuine residence permit — not merely a tourist visa — allowing non-EU professionals to live in Spain while working remotely for clients or employers outside the country. You keep your existing remote job, and gain the right to rent or buy property and open a bank account in Spain. Unlike the Golden Visa, there is no investment requirement.
The core professional criteria: a university degree OR at least 3 years of professional experience; a job that can be performed remotely; a relationship of at least 3 months with your company, which itself must have been operating for at least 1 year; and a letter from your employer authorising remote work. Legally, you must not be an EU/EEA citizen, must have a clean criminal record for the past 5 years, hold comprehensive private health insurance, and have no Schengen entry ban. How these translate into your specific document set is confirmed case-by-case during consultation.
Current 2026 figures: about €2,849 per month for a single applicant (~€34,188/year) — this equals 200% of Spain's minimum wage (SMI) and adjusts automatically each year as the SMI changes (2026 SMI: €1,221/month over 14 payments). Family add-ons are approximately +€1,069 for the first dependent (75% of SMI) and +€357 for each additional dependent (25%). In addition, at least 80% of your income must come from outside Spain; Spanish-sourced income is capped at 20% and only as freelance invoicing. As the figures change yearly, we confirm the current SMI-based threshold at the time of application.
The official government fee is modest: the Tasa 790-038 is around €73 for the in-Spain (UGE) 3-year residence route, or about €90 for the 1-year visa via the consulate. Add the TIE (Foreigner Identity Card) fee of roughly €16–20 once you are in Spain. Sworn translation and apostille costs are borne by the applicant. Mi Casa Europa's service fee depends on the scope of your case and is shared during the initial consultation.
Spending more than 183 days per year in Spain makes you a Spanish tax resident. Digital Nomad Visa holders who are employees of a non-Spanish company can elect the Beckham regime: a 24% flat rate on Spanish-source income up to €600,000, for 6 years (arrival year + 5). Conditions: you must not have been a Spanish tax resident in the previous 5 years, and you must apply within 6 months of registering with Spanish Social Security; the regime is elective, so you have to opt in. Those applying as self-employed (autónomo) generally cannot use Beckham and fall under the ordinary progressive regime. We clarify the framework that fits your situation during consultation.
There are two routes. From abroad: prepare your documents, book a consular appointment (no more than 90 days before your planned travel), apply, collect the visa, enter Spain, and apply for the TIE (Foreigner Identity Card) within 30 days. Alternatively, applying from within Spain is possible and this route grants a 3-year residence permit directly. Which route suits your situation best is determined together during consultation.
For the in-Spain (UGE) route, the statutory decision period is 20 business days; in practice it is usually resolved in around 16–20 business days, and if there is no reply within 20 days, positive administrative silence (approval) applies. The consulate route takes longer (appointment plus assessment). Start to finish — including document preparation, apostilles and the TIE — the total is typically 3–6 months. A complete, well-prepared file speeds things up noticeably; current timelines are shared during consultation based on the practice at the time.
A visa issued by the consulate is valid for 1 year, while the in-Spain residence permit is granted for 3 years directly. With renewals, the total can extend up to 5 years. After 5 years of continuous residence you qualify for Long-Term Residence (Larga Duración), and 10 years of legal residence opens the path to citizenship.
Those who start with the 1-year visa transition to a residence permit and can extend up to 5 years in total. At renewal, you must show that the income threshold, insurance and other criteria continue to be met; preparing your file ahead of the renewal calendar reduces the risk of delays. We plan your renewal strategy and timing around your long-term goal — Long-Term Residence or citizenship.
The visa is for non-EU/EEA citizens. Both remote employees of a foreign company and self-employed professionals invoicing international clients can apply — for freelancers, the rule that at least 80% of income must come from outside Spain applies. Spouses and children can be included through family reunification.
The correct term is "digital nomad" (the official Spanish term is teletrabajo — remote work); "digital migrant" is a misnomer, as it wrongly suggests permanent migration. This is, however, a genuine legal residence permit (residencia): it goes well beyond tourist status, giving you the right to live in Spain, rent or buy property and open a bank account. Its limits are equally clear — no salaried employment with Spanish companies, no free access to public healthcare, and no physical business premises.
For the consular route (applying from outside Spain), no — the application is processed at the Spanish consulate covering your country of legal residence, and you do not need to be in Spain or the Schengen area while it is pending. This differs from applying from within Spain ("desde España"), where you must be legally present in the country at the time of application. We determine which route suits your case during consultation.
There is no specific statutory deadline; however, you are expected to enter Spain and begin your residence and remote-work activity within the validity period of your visa. In practice, the TIE (Foreigner Identity Card) is applied for within 30 days of entry. We map out the timing with you during consultation.
While the application is pending, travel to Spain or the Schengen area depends on your nationality and whether you are visa-exempt for Schengen. Once the Digital Nomad Visa is granted, it can be used to enter Spain during its validity. After you obtain the TIE, you may travel with your valid passport and residence card for as long as the authorisation remains valid. Note: applications made from within Spain are different — you must be legally present when applying, and international travel is generally best avoided until the application has been resolved.
Are You Eligible? Find Out Now
A short quiz checks your eligibility for the Digital Nomad Visa. Takes only 2 minutes.
Ready to Start Your Digital Nomad Visa Application?
Get in touch for a free initial assessment. We'll review your profile and plan your application process transparently.
Related Pages & Next Steps
Content and services connected to this topic.
S
Spain Entrepreneur Visa
Learn moreS
Spain Non-Lucrative Visa
Learn moreS
Spain Residency Permit
Learn more
Spain DNV Renewal 2026: The 20% Income Cap
Renewing Spain's Digital Nomad Visa? The 20% Spanish-income cap is now actively checked. Here's what the 2023 cohort needs to know before applying.
Learn moreSpain DNV Renewal 2026: New Income Rules
Spain's DNV renewal tightened in 2026 — a higher income floor and a 20% cap on local income. Find out who's at risk and how to get your file ready in time.
Learn moreA Guide to Spanish Residence and Property Investment: The Post-Golden Visa Era
The best residence alternatives following the abolition of Spain's Golden Visa programme. A detailed guide to the Digital Nomad, NLV and Entrepreneur visas.
Learn more