Digital Nomad Visa in Spain in 2024

Spain is characterised by high European standards and advanced technologies, experimental design and innovative principles in urban planning, combined with traditional culture, hospitable atmosphere and warm summers that last almost 10 months a year. All this makes Spain an attractive country for relocation.

In 2023, Spain started the Digital Nomad Visa programme for those who can work remotely from anywhere in the world. Today, Spain provides digital nomads the most convenient and simple conditions for obtaining a residence permit in comparison with other EU countries.

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Who qualifies as a digital nomad in Spain?

Digital nomads are called those who can work remotely from anywhere in the world. This term is increasingly heard after the pandemic due to the fact that during the lockdown, many companies let their employees work remotely, and after the end of the pandemic, they decided to maintain a partial or full remote mode. Such a system allows you to significantly reduce office and maintenance costs, and also allows employees to independently choose the country and place to work.

From the point of view of the legal system, a digital nomad in Spain is considered to be a person who has a long-term contract with an employer in any country other than Spain, with an income equal to or exceeding the established limit of 2,500 euros. The self-employed and sole proprietors can also claim the status of a digital nomad if their customers are legal entities. According to Spanish law, a digital nomad can receive up to 20% of income in Spain after obtaining a residence permit.

There are two documents offered to digital nomads in Spain — a long-term visa and a residence permit.

The Spain Digital Nomad Visa

This is a long-term visa, which is issued at the Spanish consulate in the applicant’s country of residence. The visa is pasted into the passport and is valid for a year from the date of issue. It is mandatory to validate a visa when you first enter Spain in this status. A few months before the expiration of the visa, it will be necessary to apply for a residence permit for a digital nomad in Spain.

The Spain Digital Nomad Residence Permit

It is possible to apply for a residence permit of a digital nomad already in Spain. You can apply for this type of residence permit after entering the country with a tourist visa. With a positive decision, a residence permit is issued for 3 years with the right to extend. It is important that your work contract is indefinite, because otherwise a residence permit will be issued only for the duration of the work contract.

The Spain Digital Nomad Visa advantages

The Digital Nomad Visa allows you to live in Spain for an unlimited amount of time. The main condition is to have a valid work contract in another country, which guarantees a high level of income. Among the main advantages, the following can be distinguished:

1. Residence permit in Spain for the applicant and his/her family members: the digital nomad status can be obtained by the applicant’s spouse and children. 75% of the income is added for the first family member, and 25% for each subsequent one.
2. Travelling around the Schengen area. A resident of Spain can move freely within the Eurozone.
3. Getting income in Spain. The applicant can receive up to 20% of the total income from individuals and legal entities in Spain.
4. Opening an account with an EU bank. A resident has the right to open accounts in banks of Spain and other EU countries.
5. The possibility of obtaining Spanish citizenship after 10 years of stay in Spain.
6. Treatment. «Cuadro medico sin copago» health insurance provides free doctor visits, ambulance calls, hospitalisation, treatment and operations.
7. EU driver’s licence. The visa holder can buy and register a car.
8. You do not need to take exams for knowledge of the Spanish language and the history of the country.

Spain Digital Nomad Visa requirements

1. The applicant must be over 18 years old.
2. The applicant must not be a relative of a person with EU, Eurozone or Swiss citizenship.
3. It is necessary to confirm the possibility of remote work, that this type of work does not require the personal presence of the applicant.
4. Confirm the length of service at the current place of work / work with customers for at least 3 months before applying for a visa.
5. It is necessary to confirm that the company/ the customers for which the applicant works have been working for more than 1 year.
6. It is necessary to confirm that the amount of your income is equal to or exceeds the required minimum level of 2,500 euros per month.
7. The applicant should not be on the EU sanctions list.
8. The applicant should not have been deported from the EU countries before, and should also have no violations of the visa regime.
9. No criminal record in the country of his citizenship and residence.
10. Own or long-term rented housing in Spain.
11. It is necessary to obtain medical insurance from an insurance agency authorised in Spain.
12. Absence of dangerous infectious diseases (it is necessary to provide a certificate from a medical institution).

Spain Digital Nomad Visa documents

• valid passport with a copy of all pages;
• 2 colour photos (35×45 mm);
• application form;
• documents on the professional qualifications: diploma, certificates, or confirmation of three years of experience;
• CV with career description;
• documents confirming relations with the customer / employer with the amount of payments;
• confirmation of financial funds for the last 3 months (bank statements, lease agreements, tax returns);
• documents confirming that this company has been operating for 1 year;
• medical insurance from the company accredited in Spain;
• certificate of non-criminal record;
• medical certificate on the absence of dangerous diseases;
• the contract of sale or rental of housing in Spain;
• receipt of payment of state duty on form 790–038;
• confirmation of entry into Spain (stamps in the passport or declaration).

When submitting the application, it is also necessary to provide documents confirming the candidate’s social insurance:

• An employee provides a social insurance certificate from his company if there are social insurance agreements with Spain in the country in which it is registered. If there are no agreements in this country, the company must register with the Spanish social insurance authorities;
• The sole proprietor undertakes to register himself with the Spanish social insurance authority.

When applying for family members, you must additionally provide:

• marriage certificate;
• birth certificates;
• documents on the education of children in the previous country of residence;
• documents confirming financial dependence on the main applicant when applying for an adult child or relatives in the ascending line.

All documents must be apostilled and translated by a sworn Spanish translator.

How to apply for Spain Digital Nomad Visa

1. Preparation of documents, obtaining a Schengen visa, entry to Spain. At this stage, the applicant collects all the necessary documents for a Digital Nomad Visa, receives a foreigner identification number (NIE) at the Spanish consulate in the country of residence, submits documents and receives a Schengen visa to enter Spain, entering the territory of the Kingdom of Spain. If entry into the Schengen area was made through a third country, it is necessary to fill out a declaration at the local Spanish police department about your entry into the country in the first 72 hours. This document is important for obtaining a residence permit.
2. Applying for a Digital Nomad Residence Permit in Spain. The applicant must, following the instructions, obtain an EDS and submit an electronic application for a residence permit with all documents attached. The approval of the application takes about a month from the date of submission. You can track the notification in your personal account and in the mail.
3. Obtaining a residence permit for a digital nomad. Then you need to make an appointment with the police, fill out an application and pay the state fee on form 790 012. Biometric data must be submitted to the police. After 40 days, a ready-made residence permit card is issued at the same police station.

The entire process of obtaining a residence permit for a digital nomad takes up to six months: about 2 months it takes to collect and prepare documents, as well as obtain a Schengen visa, after entering Spain, the process of submitting and approving an application, as well as submitting biometrics, can take from 1 to 4 months, depending on the workload of local administrative authorities.

Spain Digital Nomad Visa taxes

One of the most important conditions for maintaining the status of a digital nomad is to become a tax resident of Spain, that is, to live in the country for at least 183 days a year. In this case, you will need to pay taxes in Spain on all income inside and outside of Spain.

Spain has a progressive tax system, the percentage of income tax will depend on the amount of annual income and the region of residence. If the amount of annual income is less than 600 thousand euros, then a tax rate of 24% is applied, and if this amount is exceeded — 47%.

Spain has concluded a convention on the avoidance of double taxation with some countries. In this case, taxes are first paid in the country of the source of income, and then in Spain you only need to pay the difference between the percentage, if any. Documents on payment of tax abroad must be submitted to the Spanish tax inspectorate.

Difficulties in obtaining Spain Digital Nomad Visa

Since the digital nomads law has been in force for less than one year, the system for issuing a residence permit is not fully established and may depend on representatives of the local administration. It is necessary to carefully consider the preparation of the necessary documents and the deadline for their submission. Also, do not forget that for the entire period of waiting for a residence permit in Spain, the applicant must have a long-term lease of property for living for this period. Applicants with purchased property have advantages over other candidates.

The Tranio team provides professional advice on obtaining a Spanish residence permit through the purchase of property. We will consider your application as soon as possible.

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Author: Polina Fedotova