Spain's digital nomad visa

Is it for you?

This route is for you if you work remotely, using only digital and telecom tools, for companies based outside Spain. The law calls it teletrabajo de carácter internacional (international telework). It is set out in articles 74 bis to 74 quinquies of Law 14/2013, added by Law 28/2022.

• Employees: you can only work for companies based outside Spain.
• Freelancers: you can have Spanish clients, as long as that work is no more than 20% of your total professional activity.
• You must be an adult and not a national of an EU country.

There are two routes:

• A visa from the Spanish consulate where you live. It lasts up to one year and lets you live and work remotely in Spain.
• A residence permit applied for from inside Spain, through the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE-CE). It's for people who are already here legally, for example as tourists within their permitted stay. It lasts up to three years.

It doesn't fit if your employer has a branch in Spain (that's an intra-company transfer) or if your job needs on-site supervision. Nor does it work if you currently hold non-lucrative residence. If you'll work for a Spanish employer, look at the highly qualified professional permit. If you won't work at all, non-lucrative residence is your route.

Requirements

• A relationship with your employer or clients of at least 3 months on the date you apply.
• A company with at least 1 year of real, continuous activity.
• Qualifications: a degree from a recognised university, vocational school or business school, or 3 years' experience in similar roles. For a regulated profession, you need your degree recognised in Spain (homologación) or a notarised statement that you won't practise it here.
• Social security: registration in Spain (your employer registers with Spanish Social Security; freelancers join the RETA, the self-employed scheme). Employees from a country with a social security agreement with Spain can instead provide a certificate of coverage for their work from here.
• Health insurance, public or private, from an insurer authorised in Spain, with no co-payments or waiting periods. Travel insurance doesn't count.
• No criminal record in the last 5 years. The UGE-CE asks for certificates from the countries you've lived in over the last 2 years, plus a signed statement. Some consulates ask for 5 years of certificates.
• Enough income for you and your family.

Minimum income in 2026

How it's calculated: the UGE-CE applies the percentages to Spain's 2026 monthly minimum wage (SMI), which is €1,221, and looks at gross income. At least one consulate has used the annual SMI paid in 14 instalments (€17,094): on that basis, you alone would need €34,188 a year. If you fall short, savings covering the gap for the whole permit can top you up.

Documents

• Application form, proof that you've paid the fee, and your full, valid passport. Consulates ask for at least one year's validity.
• Employment or service contract showing the 3-month relationship.
• Company registry certificate (or equivalent) showing its year of activity.
• A letter from your employer authorising you to work remotely from Spain. It should state your role, duties, salary in euros and that the work can be done remotely.
• Payslips or invoices for the last 3 months, with bank certificates showing those payments.
• Your degree or proof of experience, plus your CV.
• Social security documents, health insurance, and criminal record certificates with the signed statement.
• For your family: marriage, partnership or birth certificates, and their passports.

Foreign public documents need an apostille (or legalisation) and a sworn translation into Spanish. The UGE-CE recommends adding a cover letter that explains your documents. It helps whoever reviews your file.

Step by step

1. Choose your route. The consulate if you live abroad; the UGE-CE if you're already in Spain legally.
2. Build your file. Order criminal records, apostilles and translations early. Some consulates require an NIE (foreigner identification number) before you apply.
3. Pay the fee. For the UGE-CE, form 790, code 038. At the consulate, the consular fee.
4. Apply. At the consulate, by appointment. With the UGE-CE, online through its electronic office, using a digital certificate or a representative.
5. Wait for the decision. Consulates have 10 days, extendable if they ask for documents or an interview. The UGE-CE has 20 days. If it doesn't answer in time, your application is deemed approved (silencio positivo).
6. After approval. Collect your visa within one month. With the visa you don't need a TIE (foreigner ID card), although you can get one. With a UGE-CE permit, you apply for your TIE at the police. Freelancers must join the RETA before they start working.

Costs and fees

The visa fee depends on your nationality. For example, at the Washington consulate, since 1 January 2026, US citizens pay $190 and most other nationalities pay $106. At the Bogotá consulate, Colombian nationals are exempt. Budget too for sworn translations, apostilles and health insurance.

With us, the first call is free. For an in-depth review of your case, our personalised advice session costs €50.

Mistakes that lead to refusals

• An employer letter that doesn't expressly authorise remote work from Spain.
• Income below the minimum once your family is added, or worked out net instead of gross.
• Sending only the application for a social security certificate. It isn't accepted: you need the certificate itself.
• Travel insurance, or a policy with co-payments.
• Documents without an apostille or a sworn translation.
• Applying from Spain after your permitted stay has ended.

We go through each mistake, and what to do if you've already been refused, in our guide to digital nomad visa refusals.

Renewal

The visa lasts up to one year. To stay on, you apply to the UGE-CE for a residence permit in the 60 days before the visa expires. That permit lasts up to three years and renews for two-year periods, as long as you still meet the conditions.

If you already hold the visa or a previous permit, you don't need to prove the 3-month relationship again. You will still need to show that you keep working remotely, your income, your social security registration and your insurance. Renewals also carry the form 790, code 038 fee.

Over time, legal and continuous residence opens other doors, such as long-term residence or Spanish citizenship. Living in Spain may also make you a tax resident: check this with a tax adviser.

How we help

• A free call to check whether you qualify and which route suits you: consulate or UGE-CE.
• A tailored checklist, including the documents your employer has to sign.
• A check of your income calculation with your family and of your social security cover.
• A review of translations, apostilles and insurance before you apply.
• Electronic filing with the UGE-CE and follow-up until the decision, for your family too.
• If an appeal is needed, we coordinate it with collaborating professionals.

Book your free call.