Spain Digital Nomad Visa
Spain's international-telework route allows qualifying third-country remote employees and independent professionals to live in Spain while working primarily for companies or clients outside Spain, with a consular visa path and an in-country residence-authorization path.
Quick decision
Is this route worth exploring?
At a glance
A quick view of the main practical features of this residence route.
The qualifying activity is remote work for foreign employers or clients; broader work rights follow the residence rules.
Family timing and dependant rules may vary by applicant.
See the stay requirement notes for route-specific detail.
Additional conditions can apply, including language or residence requirements.
Nationality and transitional rules may affect the applicable timeline.
Financial reference
Income & household benchmarks
Professional incomeFor 2026 the SMI is €1,221/month, so the main international teleworker reference is 200% = €2,442/month gross. For a two-person family, the first accompanying family member adds 75% of SMI (€915.75/month); each additional member adds 25% (€305.25/month). Current UGE guidance lists €73.26 for each initial UGE residence application. Consular visa fees are separate and vary by consulate/nationality. A first temporary-residence TIE currently carries a €16.08 fee when required, and a separately requested NIE currently carries €9.84. Work income is the baseline evidence; if it is below the required minimum, current UGE documentation permits savings or other liquid income to cover the shortfall for the full authorization period.
Not sure whether this route fits your plans?
Use FYPAS to organize your circumstances and compare the routes that may deserve a closer look before you go deeper.
From residence to permanent status and citizenship
These are separate legal pathways with their own conditions. The timelines below reflect the current structured data for this route.
From 5 years
Spanish long-term residence is a separate status. Under the current Regulation, long-term national residence generally requires five years of legal and continuous residence in Spain. Continuity is not broken by absences of up to six continuous months provided total absences do not exceed ten months over the five-year period, with a higher aggregate allowance for qualifying work-related absences. No general Spanish-language test is encoded as a requirement for long-term national residence.
Yes
Nationality by residence is separate from the Digital Nomad Visa. The Civil Code generally requires ten years of legal residence, reduced to two years for nationals by origin of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal, with other shorter special cases including refugees and certain one-year categories. Residence must meet the nationality rules in force. The naturalisation procedure generally uses the CCSE test and, for applicants who are not exempt, DELE A2 or higher; nationals by origin of Spanish-speaking countries are among those exempt from the DELE requirement. Acquisition by residence generally requires a declaration renouncing the prior nationality, subject to statutory exceptions including nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal and Sephardim of Spanish origin.
Why consider it
Key benefits
Best for
Remote professionals with an established foreign work base
The route is designed for qualifying employees and professionals who can perform their activity remotely from Spain.
Benefit
Up to three years on the residence-authorization path
Applicants legally in Spain can seek an international-teleworker residence authorization valid for up to three years, subject to the qualifying work period.
Benefit
Employee and professional pathways
The framework accommodates both foreign employment and independent professional relationships, with different rules for Spanish activity.
Benefit
Limited Spanish professional activity can be possible
Independent professionals may perform up to 20% of their total professional activity for companies in Spain; this is not permission for a Spanish employment relationship.
Benefit
Family can accompany or join
Eligible family members can apply together or later and their Law 14/2013 residence authorizations allow work in Spain under the ordinary rules.
Benefit
Fast statutory UGE decision framework
The residence-authorization procedure has a statutory 20-day decision period, distinct from document preparation, consular steps and card issuance.
Before you decide
Conditions & watch-outs
Condition
The foreign business must already be established
The company or group supporting the application generally must show at least one year of real and continuous activity.
Condition
The work relationship must not be brand new
Employees and professionals normally need at least three months of the relevant relationship before applying.
Limitation
Employees cannot use this route for a Spanish employer
The employee pathway is limited to companies located outside Spain.
Condition
Professionals face a 20% Spanish-activity cap
Spanish professional activity can exist, but must remain professional rather than employment activity and may not exceed 20% of total professional activity.
Condition
Social Security compliance can determine viability
The required Spanish registration or valid international coverage must match the applicant's employment or professional structure.
Condition
The financial threshold rises with family size
The main applicant needs 200% of SMI, with a 75% SMI increment for the first accompanying family member and 25% for each additional member.
Watch out
Visa, tax and long-term residence are separate questions
The immigration route does not automatically settle Spanish tax residence, access to a special tax regime, long-term residence continuity or citizenship eligibility.
Could another European route fit you better?
Use FYPAS to compare practical requirements, financial thresholds, family rules and long-term pathways before you commit.
Application journey
How the process works
First decide whether the consular visa path or the in-country residence-authorization path applies. Then validate the remote-work relationship, company history, professional qualification, financial resources and Social Security structure before filing.
Choose the correct application path
Applicants outside Spain generally use the consular international-telework visa; people legally in Spain may be able to apply directly for the residence authorization through the UGE.
Do not assume the same fee, form or timing applies to both paths.
Validate the foreign work relationship
Confirm the supporting foreign company/group has at least one year of real activity and that the employee or professional relationship has the required prior duration and can be performed remotely.
Employee and professional evidence are not interchangeable.
Check qualification and financial thresholds
Confirm the degree/training or three-year experience route and document the 200% SMI main-applicant threshold plus any family increment.
Use 2026 SMI €1,221/month; document recent work income and any permitted liquid-funds top-up.
Resolve Social Security and health coverage
Determine whether Spanish General Regime/RETA registration or a valid international Social Security certificate applies and whether separate health insurance evidence is needed.
A mere request for a foreign coverage certificate is not enough under current UGE guidance.
Prepare criminal, identity and legalized documents
Collect passport, criminal-record evidence, declarations, translations, apostilles/legalizations and family civil documents where applicable.
Current UGE guidance requests certificates for the last two years plus a declaration covering the last five years.
Submit the visa or residence application
File through the competent consular office or electronically through the UGE process and pay the applicable fee for that path.
The 20-day rule is not a universal consular or end-to-end timeline.
Complete post-approval identity and registration steps
Where the residence authorization exceeds six months, follow the applicable TIE process and complete required Spanish Social Security registration before starting the activity when applicable.
The one-year telework visa itself can serve as the residence/work title during its validity.
Maintain conditions and renew
Keep the qualifying work, income and compliance structure current, communicate relevant changes to the UGE and renew the residence authorization in two-year periods when eligible.
Separate continuity rules matter for long-term residence and nationality.
Preparation
Required documents
Core and conditional documents commonly relevant to this route. Exact requests can vary by applicant and jurisdiction.
Application form
RequiredApplies to: Main applicant
Use the form required for the consular visa or UGE residence path.
Full valid passport copy
RequiredApplies to: Main applicant
UGE guidance requests a legible copy of the full current passport/travel document.
Proof of applicable fee payment
RequiredApplies to: Main applicant
UGE residence applications use Modelo 790 Código 038; consular visa fees are separate.
Employment or professional contract showing at least three months of relationship
RequiredApplies to: Main applicant
Use the evidence corresponding to the actual employment or commercial relationship.
Evidence of at least one year of real foreign-company activity
RequiredApplies to: Main applicant
Current UGE guidance points to an official commercial-register certificate or equivalent.
Remote-work authorization or remote professional terms
RequiredApplies to: Main applicant
Employees need employer authorization; professionals need evidence of the terms and conditions of remote service.
Recent payslips or invoices
RequiredApplies to: Main applicant
Current UGE guidance asks for the three months preceding the application.
Recent bank evidence matching work income
RequiredApplies to: Main applicant
UGE asks for three months of bank evidence identifying payments corresponding to payslips/invoices.
Bank certificate for permitted savings/liquid-income top-up
ConditionalApplies to: Main applicant
Used when qualifying work income is below the required threshold; current UGE guidance requires coverage of the shortfall for the whole authorization period.
Degree/training evidence or three years of professional experience
RequiredApplies to: Main applicant
Regulated professions can require recognition or a specific declaration where applicable.
Social Security compliance evidence
RequiredApplies to: Main applicant
Evidence differs for employees, professionals and valid international coverage arrangements.
Health coverage evidence
ConditionalApplies to: Main applicant
May be satisfied through appropriate public/Social Security coverage; otherwise qualifying public/private health insurance is required.
Criminal-record certificates
RequiredApplies to: Main applicant
Current UGE guidance requests certificates for countries of residence during the previous two years, subject to its stated exceptions.
Declaration covering criminal record in prior five years
RequiredApplies to: Main applicant
Separate from the documentary certificates requested for the previous two years.
Sworn translation and apostille/legalization
ConditionalApplies to: All applicants
Foreign public documents must follow the current Spanish translation and legalization rules.
Family relationship documents
ConditionalApplies to: All applicants
Marriage/partnership, birth and dependency evidence according to the family category.
NIE evidence
ConditionalApplies to: Main applicant
Some consular procedures require the NIE before the visa filing; do not present this as one universal UGE precondition.
TIE application after residence approval
ConditionalApplies to: Main applicant
Required for residence authorizations over six months under the general Law 14/2013 procedure; the one-year telework visa itself is sufficient during its validity.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What is Spain's Digital Nomad Visa officially?
It is the public name commonly used for Spain's international-telework framework under Law 14/2013, which includes a consular telework visa and a residence authorization for international teleworkers.
Who can apply?
Adult third-country nationals who meet the international-telework requirements, including a qualifying remote employment or professional relationship, professional qualification or experience, financial resources and the general Law 14/2013 conditions.
Can an employee work for a Spanish company?
Not under the employee pathway used to qualify for this route. An employee may work only for companies located outside Spain.
Can a freelancer have Spanish clients?
Yes, as professional activity, provided the Spanish-company work does not exceed 20% of total professional activity and the foreign qualifying professional relationship is maintained.
How long must the foreign company have operated?
The supporting foreign company or group generally must show at least one year of real and continuous activity.
How long must I have worked with the employer or client?
The employment or professional relationship generally must have existed for at least the three months before the application.
Do I need a university degree?
Not necessarily. The framework accepts qualifying higher education/training or, alternatively, at least three years of relevant professional experience.
What is the income requirement in 2026?
The main applicant reference is 200% of the 2026 SMI. With SMI at €1,221/month, that is €2,442/month gross. The first accompanying family member adds 75% of SMI and each additional member 25%.
Can savings help if my work income is below the threshold?
Current UGE documentation allows savings or other liquid income to cover the shortfall, but the evidence must cover the difference for the full authorization period and meet the stated bank-certificate requirements.
Can I apply from inside Spain?
If you are legally in Spain, you may be able to apply directly for the international-teleworker residence authorization through the UGE instead of first obtaining the consular visa.
How long is the visa or residence permit valid?
The consular telework visa is valid for up to one year. The residence authorization is valid for up to three years unless the qualifying work period is shorter, and can be renewed for two-year periods while the conditions remain satisfied.
Can my family come with me and work?
Eligible spouses/partners, qualifying children and dependent ascendants can apply under the family framework. Current UGE guidance states that their residence authorizations allow work in Spain without restrictions under the ordinary employed/self-employed rules.
Does the Digital Nomad Visa automatically give me Spain's special tax regime?
No. Immigration residence and tax treatment are separate. Eligibility for any special tax regime depends on separate tax rules and the applicant's facts.
Can this route lead to long-term residence or citizenship?
Potentially, yes, but those are separate legal pathways. Long-term residence generally requires five years of legal continuous residence. Nationality by residence generally requires ten years, reduced to two years for certain nationalities and subject to other special cases and integration requirements.
Ready to explore your options?
Start with the routes that match your goals, then connect with a specialist when you are ready for case-specific execution.
Trust & verification
Official sources
Verification status: Verified
Ley 14/2013 - international mobility and international teleworkers
Articles 61, 62, 74 bis-ter-quater-quinquies, 76 and additional provisions governing the visa/residence framework, work structure, validity, renewal and procedure.
View official sourceSolicitudes iniciales de autorización para teletrabajadores de carácter internacional - documentación
Current initial-residence documentation, financial evidence, Social Security, health coverage, criminal records, qualifications and translations.
View official sourcePreguntas frecuentes - Teletrabajadores Internacionales
Employee/professional distinctions, Social Security, Spanish 20% professional activity, family, work rights, economic resources and €73.26 initial fee.
View official sourceReal Decreto 126/2026 - salario mínimo interprofesional 2026
2026 SMI €1,221/month used to derive the 200% / 75% / 25% teleworker financial references.
View official sourceReal Decreto 1155/2024 - residencia de larga duración
Current five-year long-term national residence and continuity/absence rules.
View official sourceCódigo Civil - Artículos 22 a 24
Residence periods for Spanish nationality, the general declaration of renunciation of prior nationality on acquisition, and statutory exceptions relevant to dual-nationality treatment.
View official sourceVisado de residencia para teletrabajo (nómada digital)
Consular visa-stage scope, family categories, employee/professional distinction and implementation documents.
View official sourceTasas de trámites de extranjería - Modelo 790 Código 012
Current initial TIE fee €16.08 and separately requested NIE fee €9.84.
View official sourcePruebas DELE y CCSE para nacionalidad española
DELE A2-or-higher and CCSE framework plus current DELE exemptions/dispensations.
View official source