Spanish digital nomad visa: Requirements and how to apply in 2023
Mar 13
5 minWho is this visa for? Digital nomads & remote workers that want to live and work in Spain.
Difficulty of applying from 1-5: 2
What kind of visa is this?
This new digital nomad visa is a residence permit that can be extended up to 5 years. It allows non-EU citizens to live and work remotely from Spain and travel within the Schengen area.
Requirements
In order to apply for the Spanish digital nomad visa you need to meet the following criteria:
If you are employed, your company needs to write an official letter specifying that they allow you to work remotely from another country, along with a description of your role and salary. Furthermore, your company should have been operating for at least 1 year prior to your application.
Self-employed workers must prove they are working for at least one foreign company, and that their contract/agreement specifies they’re allowed to work remotely. You’re not allowed to work for Spanish companies.
In both cases, you have to show that you have been working for the company or having a freelance relationship with your clients for at least 3 months prior to your application and that there is an intention to keep a working relationship for at least 1 year more.
You will also need to demonstrate that you have sufficient experience and education to be able to complete the application. You can prove 3 years of work-related experience prior to application, or be a graduate or post-graduate from a reputable university, vocational training or business school.
To apply, you will also need to:
Submit your criminal records certificate with a minimum validity of 90 days, which must be legalized and apostilled. You need to provide a criminal record certificate for every country you have lived in for more than 90 days over the last two years.
Submit a personal declaration of no criminal record for the last 5 years (you can find a template for this online.)
Have private health insurance, with full coverage throughout Spain.
Provide a certificate of funds with at least €25,000 for the main applicant and €9,441 for each additional family member. Alternatively, you can also use your salary or job contract to demonstrate the money you will have at your disposal. Spain’s minimum wage is around €1,050/month, so the government needs to see you have more than enough funds to live in the country.
You can also see the entire list of documents required here, in Spanish. Your documents also need to be translated into Spanish.
How to apply?
It’s important to note that the process can’t be fully done online. Once you have gathered all your documents, you can request the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa either from your country of origin (in the Spanish consulate) or directly from Spain if you entered the country already on a tourist visa. Approach this step strategically — if you apply from Spain, you will get a visa that is valid for 3 years. If you apply in your home country, you will only get a visa valid for 1 year that you can modify for the 3-year card once in Spain. It might be easier for some to apply from Spain. For non-Europeans without an EU tourist visa, applying from your home country is the only option.
This is the main application form you need to fill out in order to apply. You’ll have to print it out and take it to the Spanish consulate in your country or, if you’re already in Spain, submit it online through the website of the Ministry of Social Security, Inclusion and Migrations. To access the online application you will need an online certificate. The easiest way to access the online certificate is if you have a Spanish ID but, since that is not likely to be the case for most of us applying for this visa, you can either:
Request the certificate through the website of the Spanish Mint (the page is in Spanish only.)
Work with an immigration agency or a lawyer to help you through the process and obtain this certificate for you. There are several good options in Spain, like the Balcells Group.
You will receive a response to your application in a maximum of 20 days.
Fees
The application fee is the same whether you’re applying from your home country or Spain — around 20€.
What about taxes?
One of the main advantages of this new visa is the taxation system. The Spanish tax system is not considered the most entrepreneur-friendly due to its high taxation but, if you are under the Spanish Digital Nomad visa, you will be taxed through an improved Non-Resident Income Tax Regime. That means you will be allowed to pay a flat tax rate of just 24% on your income, instead of a progressive rate that can reach up to 48%.
In order to partake in this Non-Resident Income Tax Regime, you’ll have to submit an additional application during the first 6 months of your stay, after you have obtained your Digital Nomad visa. The tax regime will be extended for as long as you keep your visa.
What if I want to stay in Spain for more than 5 years?
The 5 years you spent under the Digital Nomad visa will count towards a Spanish permanent residence request (which you can get after 5 years of legal residence). However, you will be moved to a regular taxation system.
In conclusion, Spain’s Digital Nomad visa seems to be created to allow for the location independence that remote workers and digital nomads are striving for. While the Spanish bureaucracy presents unique challenges and you’re not able to handle the entirety of the application process online, it is still the best option for anyone looking to stay in the country for a year or longer.
If you’re traveling to Spain soon, check out our Madeira, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria & Valencia city guides for accommodation options, nomad communities to join, coworking spaces and more!
