Digital nomad visa refused? The 10 mistakes behind refusals and what to do next

In short

• Income: in 2026 you need €2,442 gross a month on your own, plus €915.75 for the first family member and €305.25 for each additional one.
• Employer letter: it must expressly authorise you to work remotely from Spain.
• Track record: 3 months' relationship with your employer or clients, and 1 year of company activity.
• Social security: the certificate of coverage itself, not the application for it. Freelancers register with the RETA.
• If a consulate refuses you: you have one month for an administrative appeal and two months for a court appeal. You can also reapply with a corrected file.

The full requirements are on our digital nomad visa page. Here we focus on what sinks an application and how to avoid it.

Ten mistakes that lead to refusals

1. Income below the minimum, or miscalculated

The UGE-CE (Spain's Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit) asks for monthly income of 200% of the salario mínimo interprofesional (SMI, Spain's minimum wage). In 2026 the SMI is €1,221 a month. Each family member adds 75% of the SMI (the first one) or 25% (each one after that).

The usual slips are working it out net (the figure is gross), forgetting family members, or income that doesn't match your bank statements. The UGE-CE asks for payslips or invoices for the previous three months, plus bank certificates showing those payments. If you fall short, savings that cover the gap for the whole permit can make up the difference.

The UGE-CE and consulates state the figure per month. At least one consulate has worked it out on the annual SMI paid in 14 instalments (€17,094). If you're close to the line, use the last column as your target.

2. An incomplete employer letter

For employees, this is the key document. It must authorise you to work remotely from Spain and state your role, duties, salary in euros and the conditions of your remote work. It must also say expressly that the job can be done by digital means. A generic "remote work" letter falls short.

3. A relationship that's too recent, or a company that's too young

On the day you apply, you need at least 3 months' relationship with your employer or clients, proven by your contract. The company needs at least one year of real, continuous activity, shown with a company registry certificate or equivalent. Filing a few days before you reach these marks is a risk you don't need to take.

If you invoice through your own company, the UGE-CE also asks for proof that you own or control it, and for its latest corporate tax return, among other documents.

4. A job that isn't fully remote, or the wrong kind of employer

• If your role needs on-site supervision or management, it doesn't qualify.
• If your employer has a branch in Spain, the right route is an intra-company transfer, not this one.
• Employees can't work for Spanish companies. Freelancers' Spanish clients can't go above 20% of their professional activity.
• Some consulates, such as Washington, state that working for individuals, government bodies, universities, foundations or NGOs doesn't count.

5. Social security left half-done

Working from Spain means paying into social security. Employees have two options. In the first, your employer registers with Spanish Social Security, without a workplace here, and you are registered too. In the second, if your country has a social security agreement with Spain, you provide a certificate of applicable legislation (certificate of coverage). It must state that it covers you while you work from Spain.

The UGE-CE doesn't accept a mere application for that certificate, and not every country issues one. Freelancers must register with the RETA (Spain's self-employed scheme): the UGE-CE won't let you stay in your home system under an agreement. Careful: if you don't register after approval, the permit is cancelled.

6. Health insurance that doesn't qualify

It must be public or private, from an insurer authorised in Spain, with cover comparable to the Spanish public health system. Travel insurance, reimbursement-only policies and plans with co-payments or waiting periods are not accepted.

7. Missing or out-of-date criminal records

You can't have a criminal record in the last 5 years. The UGE-CE asks for certificates from every country you've lived in over the last 2 years, plus a signed statement covering all 5. Some consulates, such as New York and Toronto, ask for 5 years of certificates. They must also be recent: several consulates want them less than 6 months old. And they need an apostille and a translation.

8. Qualifications without solid proof

You need a degree from a recognised university, vocational school or business school. Without one, prove at least 3 years' experience in similar roles, for example with contracts and employer certificates. If your profession is regulated in Spain, you'll need your degree recognised (homologación) or a notarised statement that you won't practise it here.

9. Documents without an apostille, without a translation, or incomplete

Foreign public documents need an apostille or legalisation and, if they aren't in Spanish, a sworn translation. A plain translation is enough for your CV. Check your passport too: consulates ask for at least one year's validity, two blank pages and an issue date within the last 10 years. If your partner is coming and you're neither married nor registered as a couple, the UGE-CE asks for proof of at least one year living together.

10. The wrong route, or the wrong timing

• You can only apply from Spain if you're there legally. Once your tourist stay has ended, you can't.
• You can't switch from non-lucrative residence. It doesn't allow work, so you can't rely on previous remote work.
• You can switch from a higher-education student stay if you were registered with Spanish Social Security from the day you started working for the foreign company. Article 52.a of the immigration regulations (RD 1155/2024) allows it.
• If you hold the visa, apply for the residence permit in the 60 days before it expires.

Refused? What to do now

Read the decision carefully. It must explain the reason and state which appeals are available, where and by when. Note the date you received it: for consular refusals, deadlines run from the following day.

If the UGE-CE refused your permit, the decision tells you which appeal applies, where and by when. Check it the same day and don't let the clock run down.

When an appeal makes sense

An administrative appeal (reposición) fits when the authority misjudged something you had already proven. For example, if your income was above the minimum and the decision says otherwise. The same office that refused you decides it. A court appeal is a judicial process and needs a licensed legal professional. If it comes to that, we coordinate it with collaborating professionals.

When reapplying is the better move

If a document was missing or a piece of evidence was weak, a new, complete application is usually more practical. You'll pay the fee again. Fix exactly what the refusal points to and add a cover letter explaining what has changed. If you're applying from Spain, check that you're still there legally. If not, you'll have to go through the consulate.

Before you apply: a final check

• Is your gross income above the minimum, with your whole family included?
• Does your employer letter state your role, duties, salary in euros and express permission to work from Spain?
• Do you have the social security certificate itself, not just the application, or a clear plan to register in Spain?
• Is your insurer authorised in Spain, with no co-payments or waiting periods?
• Is every foreign public document apostilled and translated by a sworn translator?

Want a second pair of eyes? Book a free call. For an in-depth review of your file, our personalised advice session costs €50.