By Arturo García de la Cruz, Spanish Immigration Lawyer at MoveWise · Last updated: 27 October 2026

💡 The short answer: The Spain Digital Nomad Visa is the residence authorisation for international teleworkers under Ley 14/2013. It lets non-EU employees, freelancers and company owners live in Spain while working for foreign companies. In 2026 you need about €2,849 a month gross (200% of the minimum wage), 3 months with your employer or clients, a degree or 3 years' experience and a clean record. From Spain the decision is due within 20 working days; from a consulate you first get a 1-year visa.

Key facts for 2026

• Legal name: autorización de residencia para teletrabajadores de carácter internacional (Chapter V bis, Ley 14/2013, arts. 74 bis to 74 quinquies).
• Income: 200% of the Spanish minimum wage (SMI) for the main applicant, plus 75% for the first family member and 25% for each additional one. The 2026 SMI is €1,221 a month in 14 payments, €17,094 a year (Real Decreto 126/2026).
• What that means in euros: from Spain we prepare files to €2,849 a month gross; some consulates publish €2,442 (12-payment basis). Check the sheet of the office you apply to.
• Prior relationship: at least 3 months with your foreign employer or clients before you apply (art. 74 ter Ley 14/2013).
• The company: your employer or clients must have at least 1 year of real, continuous activity (UGE-CE information sheet).
• Qualification: a university degree or vocational/business-school qualification, or at least 3 years of experience in similar roles (art. 74 bis Ley 14/2013).
• Spanish clients: freelancers may earn up to 20% of their professional activity from Spanish companies; employees may work only for non-Spanish companies (art. 74 bis).
• Duration: consular visa up to 1 year (art. 74 quater); residence permit up to 3 years, or the length of your contract if shorter; renewals for 2 years at a time (art. 74 quinquies).
• Deadline from Spain: 20 working days from electronic filing; if there is no decision, positive administrative silence applies (art. 76 Ley 14/2013).
• Government fee: Modelo 790, code 038, per applicant, plus €16.08 for the first residence card (TIE) (Orden PJC/617/2025).

This guide is for non-EU remote workers, freelancers and company owners who want to know exactly what Spain asks for in 2026. After reading it you will be able to check your eligibility requirement by requirement, list every document, know which ones need an apostille and a sworn translation, and plan your timeline and budget for either route: from inside Spain or through a Spanish consulate.

It is written by MoveWise Legal Managers from the Spain Digital Nomad Visa files we prepare every week. Every legal figure is checked against the Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE), the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE) and consular pages, and linked where it appears. We do not publish invented statistics or approval rates.

The main pitfall it helps you avoid: an application where the figures do not match. In our experience, most delays come down to a missing bank stamp, an income figure that differs between the contract, the letter and the bank statements, or a translation that is not sworn.

In this guide:

• What changed in 2026
• Is this the right visa for you?
• The requirements at a glance
• Requirements 1 to 11, one by one
• How to apply, step by step
• Timeline: what to realistically expect
• How much it costs
• Apostille and translation cheat sheet
• After approval: TIE, Social Security, taxes and renewal
• Most common reasons for refusal (and how to avoid them)
• Frequently asked questions
• How MoveWise can help

What changed in 2026

The core law did not change in 2026: the Digital Nomad Visa is still regulated by Chapter V bis of Ley 14/2013. What changed are the numbers behind it and the way your entry into Spain is recorded.

• Higher income threshold. Real Decreto 126/2026 set the 2026 minimum wage (SMI) at €1,221 a month in 14 payments, with an annual floor of €17,094, effective from 1 January 2026. Because the Digital Nomad Visa thresholds are percentages of the SMI, every income figure rose with it.
• No more passport stamps for visitors. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) started on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. Short-stay travellers are now registered digitally instead of stamped. If you enter Spain as a visitor and apply from inside Spain, you will usually have no stamp, so your travel records become your proof of legal entry (see Requirement 8).
• D-visa holders are a different case. Holders of a national long-stay (D) visa and of residence permits are outside the EES. If you come in on a Spanish Digital Nomad visa issued by a consulate, your passport may still be stamped; if it is not, keep your boarding pass and tickets.
• Self-employed contributions. The 2026 Social Security rate for the self-employed is 31.50%, including the 0.90% intergenerational equity surcharge (MEI). The reduced flat rate for new self-employed workers is €80 a month plus MEI, about €88.64.
• Only one tax registration form. Since 3 February 2025 the simplified Modelo 037 no longer exists (Orden HAC/1526/2024). Self-employed Digital Nomad Visa holders register with the tax office using Modelo 036.
• Consular submission changes. Some consulates have moved submissions to external visa centres. For example, the Spanish Consulate General in Washington takes applications only in person, by appointment, at the BLS centre from 1 September 2026. Always check your consulate's own page before booking.

Is this the right visa for you?

The Digital Nomad Visa fits people whose work already exists outside Spain and can be done entirely online. It does not fit people who want to find a job in Spain or who have no work income.

✅ It is for you if you are:

• An employee of a company based outside Spain, working remotely with your employer's written authorisation.
• A freelancer or self-employed professional working for foreign clients (up to 20% of your activity can be with Spanish companies).
• A company owner working through your own foreign company, as long as you present a real professional role (see Requirement 10).
• A remote worker who wants to bring a spouse or partner, children or dependent parents, all with the right to work in Spain.

❌ It is not for you if:

• You live on pensions, savings or investments and will not work: look at the Spain Non-Lucrative Visa requirements instead, or compare both in our guide to the non-lucrative visa vs the digital nomad visa.
• You want to work for a Spanish employer: the Digital Nomad Visa only covers work for companies outside Spain.
• Your work needs you physically on site (clinical, construction, hospitality, in-person teaching).
• Your employment relationship or freelance activity is less than 3 months old: wait until you reach 3 months of documented work and payments.
• You prefer Italy or Portugal: compare the Italy Digital Nomad Visa requirements and the Portugal Digital Nomad Visa (D8) checklist.

What you get if you qualify:

• ✅ Residence and work rights in Spain, with a permit of up to 3 years when you apply from Spain, renewable for 2 years at a time.
• ✅ Family included: your family members' permits last as long as yours and allow them to work in Spain, as employees or self-employed.
• ✅ Schengen travel: visa-free short trips to the other Schengen countries (the usual 90-days-in-180 rule applies outside Spain).
• ✅ A path to long-term residence after 5 years of legal, continuous residence, and to Spanish nationality after 10 years (2 years for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and for people of Sephardic origin).
• ✅ Possible tax regime for inbound workers: employees on the Digital Nomad Visa may opt for the special regime known as the Beckham Law (see the tax section).

👉 Check your eligibility with a MoveWise Client Manager — answer a few questions and we will tell you honestly whether this route fits your income, your contract and your documents. You can also read about our Spain Digital Nomad Visa service.

The requirements at a glance

Before the detail, here is the full list. If you cannot tick one of these today, read that requirement first: it decides whether the rest is worth preparing.

• ✅ Income of at least 200% of the SMI for the main applicant: we prepare to €2,849 a month gross for applications filed in Spain.
• ✅ A remote working relationship with your employer or clients for at least 3 months before you apply.
• ✅ An employer or client companies with at least 1 year of real activity.
• ✅ A university degree or professional qualification, or at least 3 years of relevant experience.
• ✅ A clean criminal record in Spain and in the countries where you have lived.
• ✅ Social Security cover: a certificate of coverage from your employer's country (employees), or a commitment to register in Spain.
• ✅ Health cover: private insurance with no co-payments and no waiting periods, unless you will be covered by Spanish Social Security.
• ✅ A valid passport and, if you apply from Spain, legal presence in Spain on the day you file.
• ✅ The official application form (MI-T) and fee (Modelo 790, code 038).
• ✅ Extra corporate documents if you own 25% or more of the company you work for.
• ✅ Family documents for everyone applying with you.

Now let's go through each requirement in detail.

Requirement 1: Financial resources (the income threshold)

You must prove a gross monthly income of at least 200% of the Spanish minimum wage, plus 75% for the first family member and 25% for each additional one. The percentages are fixed by the UGE-CE information sheet; the euro amount depends on how the SMI is calculated.

Why you will see two different figures

The 2026 SMI is €1,221 a month, paid in 14 instalments, which equals €17,094 a year. Neither the UGE-CE nor the Ministry of Inclusion publishes a euro figure for the Digital Nomad Visa, so offices calculate it in two ways:

• Annualised basis (€17,094 ÷ 12 = €1,424.50 a month). This is the safe figure for applications filed from Spain with the UGE-CE, and the one MoveWise prepares to.
• 12-payment basis (€1,221 a month). Some consulates use it. For example, the Spanish Consulate General in Washington and the Consulate General in Houston publish €2,442 for the main applicant.

📍 From Spain (UGE-CE) we prepare to €2,849. Consulates may publish lower figures: check your consulate's own sheet, and if your income sits between the two, talk to us before you choose the route.

Minimum gross monthly income (UGE-CE basis, 2026)

• Main applicant (200% of the SMI): €2,849
• First family member, usually a spouse or partner (75%): + €1,068.38
• Each additional family member (25%): + €356.13

Totals by family size (UGE-CE basis, 2026)

• Single applicant: €2,849 a month
• Couple: €3,917.38 a month
• Family of three (couple + 1 child): €4,273.51 a month
• Family of four (couple + 2 children): €4,629.64 a month
• Family of five (couple + 3 children): €4,985.77 a month

Consular figures, where a consulate uses the 12-payment basis

• Main applicant: €2,442 a month
• First family member: + €916 a month
• Each additional family member: + €305 (Houston) or €306 (Washington) a month

Income must be consistent everywhere

Your income must tell the same story in every document: the contract or service agreement, the authorisation letter, the payslips or invoices and the bank statements. A contract that says €3,200 while the letter says €3,000 and the bank shows €2,900 net is exactly what triggers a request for more documents.

Not quite reaching the threshold? Savings can make up the difference

In our practice, savings can cover a shortfall. You show the monthly gap multiplied by the number of months of the permit:

• 👉 Missing €200 a month on a 3-year permit: €200 × 36 months = €7,200 in savings.
• 👉 Covering one child entirely through savings on a 3-year permit: €356.13 × 36 months = €12,820.68.

💡 Pro tip: Bank statements must be stamped by your bank or notarised. A simple PDF downloaded from online banking is not enough.

⚠️ Common mistake: Counting net income against the threshold. The figures are gross. Present gross amounts in the contract and letter, and let the payslips show how gross becomes the net deposit you see in the bank.

Requirement 2: Your remote work (contract, company and authorisation letter)

You must show a real working relationship of at least 3 months with a company outside Spain that has been active for at least 1 year, and written authorisation to do that work remotely from Spain.

Work contract or service agreement

• ✅ Active for at least 3 months before you apply (art. 74 ter Ley 14/2013).
• ✅ Ideally of 3 years or indefinite duration. If it is shorter, your permit is limited to the length of the contract.
• ✅ Clearly states your role, the services you perform, your income and your authorisation to work remotely.
• ✅ Sworn translation into Spanish.

Freelancers present their service agreements with each foreign client. Employees present the employment contract.

Company registration certificate

• ✅ Proves the company has been legally registered and active for at least 1 year. For freelancers, this applies to the client companies you work with.
• ✅ Apostilled and with a sworn translation into Spanish.
• ✅ In our practice, issued within the last 6 months.

Authorisation letter from the company

• ✅ On company letterhead, signed by someone with authority.
• ✅ Details your role, functions, income (in the local currency and in euros) and the contract dates.
• ✅ Explicitly authorises you to work remotely from Spain.
• ✅ A standard (non-sworn) translation is enough.
• ✅ It can fill any gaps left by the contract, for example a contract that does not mention remote work.

💡 Pro tip: For employees, the letter should not read like a simple permission slip. It works best when it states that it is the company's intention for you to carry out your work from Spain.

💡 Pro tip: Choose a job title that reads as hands-on, 100% remote work tied to your main expertise (developer, consultant, designer, analyst). Titles such as "Operations Manager" or "Director" make officers ask how you will manage people or sites from Spain. Do not write that the role requires regular business travel.

💡 Pro tip: Do not include invoices from Spanish clients unless you need them to reach the income threshold. Your file should show clearly that your activity is mainly outside Spain, and freelancers must stay within the 20% limit.

⚠️ Common mistake: A contract signed less than 3 months before filing, or 3 months of contract but fewer than 3 months of payments. Officers look at both.

Requirement 3: Qualifications or work experience

You must hold a university degree or a recognised professional qualification, or prove at least 3 years of experience in a role similar to the one you will do from Spain (art. 74 bis Ley 14/2013). Either way, it must be relevant to your current job.

👉 Option 1: University degree

Apostilled and with a sworn translation. The degree should be connected to your current role. If it is not directly related, your academic transcript can help by highlighting courses linked to the work you do today.

👉 Option 2: Reference letter + official employment record

For countries that issue an official record of your work history (for example the UK, the US, Turkey, Russia and Mexico): a reference letter describing your job (sworn translation) or your employment contract (standard translation), plus the company registration (apostilled, sworn translation), plus the official employment record (apostilled, standard translation).

👉 Option 3: Reference letter + personal tax returns

A reference letter (sworn translation) or the contract (standard translation), plus the company registration (apostilled, sworn translation), plus your personal tax returns covering the same period (standard translation).

👉 Option 4: Reference letter + bank statements

A reference letter (sworn translation) or the contract (standard translation), plus the company registration (apostilled, sworn translation), plus bank statements showing the income from that job.

👉 Option 5: Company owners

Your experience can be proven through your own company, for example if you have been running it in a specific professional role for several years.

💡 Pro tip: UK applicants can prove their work history with the HMRC PAYE employment history. It is usually accepted, although we have occasionally seen it questioned, so pair it with a reference letter where you can.

⚠️ Common mistake: If you work in a regulated profession (for example law, medicine or architecture), the UGE-CE asks either for the Spanish recognition (homologación) of your degree or for a notarised statement that you will not practise that profession in Spain. Plan for this early.

Requirement 4: Proof of income (bank statements, payslips and invoices)

You must show at least the last 3 months of income actually received from your employer or clients, matching your contract.

• ✅ Personal bank statements, stamped by the bank or notarised, showing at least the last 3 months of income consistent with your contract.
• ✅ Payslips for employees: the net amount must match the deposit in your bank statement.
• ✅ Invoices for freelancers: the amounts must match your service agreements and bank statements.
• ✅ A standard translation is enough.

MoveWise prepares a Payment Summary, written in Spanish, that matches every payment in your bank statements to its invoice or payslip, with the conversion to euros, so the officer can verify your income at a glance. The payments are highlighted in the bank statements.

💡 Pro tip: Only payments from your employer or clients count. Personal transfers, refunds or money moved between your own accounts should not be presented as work income.

⚠️ Common mistake: Being paid through a platform (for example a payment or payroll service) without showing the link between the platform payout and the client. Add the platform statement or a short explanatory note so the officer can follow the money.

Requirement 5: Clean criminal record

You must have no criminal record in Spain or in the countries where you have lived in the last 5 years. You prove it with official certificates and a signed declaration.

Criminal record certificate

• ✅ Required for every applicant aged 18 or over.
• ✅ From your country of residence and every country where you have lived in the last 2 years (in our practice, for more than 6 months), as the UGE-CE FAQ states. Some consulates ask for more: Houston, for example, asks for certificates from each country of residence in the past 5 years.
• ✅ Apostilled (or legalised through the consular chain, if your country is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention) and with a sworn translation.
• ✅ Validity in MoveWise practice: 6 months from issue for certificates from the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and EU countries; 3 months for other countries. If in doubt, ask the consulate or the UGE-CE.

Responsible declaration

• ✅ A signed declaration in Spanish stating that you have no criminal record in the countries where you have lived in the last 5 years. MoveWise provides the form.

💡 Pro tip: Spain is strict about apostilles. The apostille must certify the certificate issued by the competent authority itself, not a notary's copy of it. For US applicants this means an FBI check with a federal apostille from the US Department of State; state-level checks and apostilles are not accepted for this purpose.

💡 Pro tip: Request the criminal record certificate from your country of nationality as well, even if you have not lived there recently. It is often requested in a requerimiento, and the 10-working-day deadline to answer is shorter than the time many countries take to issue it.

💡 Pro tip: Have an old or minor record? Do not rule yourself out. Some cases can still be managed, so talk to us before you apply.

Requirement 6: Social Security

Employees must either keep paying into their home system with a certificate of coverage that covers remote work from Spain, or be registered in Spain by their employer. Self-employed applicants must register with the Spanish self-employed scheme (RETA) after approval.

If you are an employee

• ✅ Certificate of coverage (certificate of applicable legislation) issued in your employer's country, confirming that you remain covered while you work remotely from Spain.
• ✅ Apostilled and with a sworn translation, unless it is an EU or UK form that is already standardised (ask us).
• ✅ Available only when there is a Social Security agreement with Spain. Under the UGE-CE FAQ, this route works only for employees.
• ✅ No agreement? Your employer can register with Spanish Social Security as a non-resident company without a Spanish establishment, or you can move to a service agreement and apply as self-employed.

Which countries have an agreement with Spain

Spain has bilateral Social Security agreements in force with Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China (limited cover), Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Japan, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Senegal, South Korea, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uruguay, the USA and Venezuela (Seguridad Social compilation of agreements, updated with later agreements). EU and EEA countries and Switzerland are covered by the EU regulations, and the UK by the Social Security Protocol of the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The Ibero-American Multilateral Social Security Convention can also apply to some Latin American countries without a bilateral agreement (for example El Salvador).

• 👉 In practice: an agreement on paper is not the same as a certificate the UGE-CE accepts. In our files the route is confirmed for employees of companies in EU and Schengen countries, the UK, the USA, Canada, China (limited cover), Russia and Mexico. For the other agreement countries (for example Brazil, Argentina, Japan, South Korea and Australia) the agreement exists, but which certificate model Spain accepts is still to be confirmed in practice, so those files carry more risk.
• 👉 USA: a new agreement was signed on 8 April 2024, but its entry into force is not confirmed, so the 1986 agreement still governs.
• 👉 China: the agreement covers only pensions and unemployment for posted workers.
• 👉 No usable route: Israel and Turkey have no bilateral agreement with Spain, and Saudi Arabia has none either. Employees of companies in these countries usually apply through the self-employed route, with a service agreement. Our guide to the three ways employees can qualify for the Spain Digital Nomad Visa explains each option.

💡 Pro tip: If the certificate is issued in an EU or Schengen country or in the UK, make sure the word "telework" (teletrabajo) appears in the request form. And remember: an agreement existing does not mean the certificate is quick to obtain. Request it first, because it is often the slowest document in the whole application.

If you are self-employed

• ✅ Proof of self-employed registration in your home country, at least 3 months old: a registration certificate (apostilled, sworn translation) or, if your country does not issue one, your tax return. In the UK, your Self Assessment showing your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) is valid.
• ✅ A signed declaration committing to register with Spanish Social Security (RETA) after approval and before you start working from Spain. MoveWise provides the form.
• ✅ Register promptly after approval. In 2026 new self-employed workers usually pay the reduced flat rate (tarifa plana) of €80 a month plus MEI, about €88.64, for the first 12 months. After that, contributions depend on your actual net income (see "After approval").

⚠️ Common mistake: Thinking that because your country has an agreement with Spain, a freelancer can keep paying at home. The certificate-of-coverage route is only for employees; self-employed Digital Nomad Visa holders must join RETA.

👉 Want our Legal Manager to check this part of your file? — Social Security is where most employee applications get stuck. Tell us your employer's country and we will tell you which of the three routes fits you.

Requirement 7: Health insurance

You need health cover equivalent to the Spanish public system for you and every family member, unless you will be covered by Spanish Social Security. In most files this means a private policy from an insurer authorised in Spain.

• ✅ Full cover with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain, comparable to the Spanish National Health System.
• ✅ No co-payments (sin copago) and no waiting periods (sin carencias).
• ✅ Valid for at least 1 year and renewable. Some consulates ask for cover for the whole visa period.
• ✅ Must cover all family members included in the application.
• ❌ Travel insurance and reimbursement-only policies are not accepted (UGE-CE FAQ).
• ✅ Alternative: if you are covered under an EU agreement and your country of residence issues the S1 certificate, it can replace private insurance.

When you do not need private insurance

The UGE-CE information sheet says private insurance is not needed if you will be registered with Spanish Social Security. That is why, in our practice, self-employed applicants filing from Spain usually do not need private insurance: you commit to joining RETA after approval, and RETA registration gives you access to the public health system.

Two cautions:

• Employees on a certificate of coverage keep paying into their home system, so they are not registered in Spain and need private insurance.
• Consulates usually ask for private insurance for the visa, whatever your status. Houston, for example, requires a policy with no deductible, co-payment or coverage limit for the whole visa period.

We work with GIDEA, an insurance broker that compares fully compliant policies from Spain's main providers and offers English-speaking support. You can request a compliant health insurance quote through our broker.

⚠️ Common mistake: Buying an "international expat" policy with a deductible or a reimbursement model. It is often refused even if the cover limit is high.

Requirement 8: Passport and legal presence in Spain

Every applicant needs a valid passport. If you apply from Spain, you must also be physically and legally in Spain on the day the application is filed, and be able to prove how and when you entered.

Passport

• ✅ A scan of all pages, including the covers, for every applicant.
• ✅ Valid for the period you plan to request. If it expires soon, renew it before you apply: every document should carry the new number.

Legal entry (when applying from Spain)

You must not be in Spain irregularly when the application is filed. In practice you prove legal entry with:

• ✅ Proof of travel: boarding passes, e-tickets, train or bus tickets, fuel receipts and similar records showing your entry date.
• ✅ Declaration of entry (declaración de entrada), optional: if you entered Spain from another Schengen country, it can be obtained within 72 hours of arrival at the airport police station or, if you travel by land, at the police station nearest the border.

The EES and the missing stamp

Since 10 April 2026 the Entry/Exit System has replaced passport stamping for short-stay travellers: your entry as a visitor is recorded digitally, not stamped. So if you enter Spain as a visitor and then apply from inside Spain, your passport will usually have no entry stamp.

• 👉 Keep every boarding pass and travel document from the day you leave home.
• 👉 When there is no stamp, MoveWise prepares an explanatory note supported by your travel evidence, so the officer can see your lawful entry date.
• 👉 If you come in on a Spanish long-stay (D) visa issued by a consulate, you are outside the EES: your passport may still be stamped. If it is not, keep your travel records in the same way.

💡 Pro tip: Count your Schengen days before you file. If you file close to the end of your visa-free stay, any delay in preparing the file can leave you without legal presence on filing day. Build in a margin.

Requirement 9: Application forms and fees

The file is completed by the official application form, the government fee and two supporting documents written in Spanish.

• ✅ MI-T form (Solicitud de autorización de residencia temporal, Ley 14/2013): the official application form, completed by MoveWise and signed by you (handwritten or digital signature).
• ✅ Modelo 790, code 038: the fee for the teleworker authorisation, paid per applicant, including each family member. Pay the current fee shown on the official form.
• ✅ Curriculum vitae in Spanish, consistent with your contract and authorisation letter. MoveWise provides a template.
• ✅ Presentation letter summarising your application, prepared by MoveWise.

💡 Pro tip: Keep your 790-038 receipt. It contains the NRC code (the payment reference number), which is mandatory to file the application. If you pay at a bank: many branches only take fees at the counter in the morning, and if you pay cash at an ATM, bring an amount close to the fee, because some ATMs reject large banknotes.

Requirement 10: Extra documents for company owners

If you own 25% or more of the company that pays you, or you are its director, you must prove both your professional role and that the company is real, active and able to pay you. We call this the "double profile".

The double profile

• Profile 1, the professional: a service agreement in which your company is your client and you deliver a concrete, 100% remote professional service (consultant, developer, designer), with the income you will receive.
• Profile 2, the company: the corporate documents below, showing shareholding, activity and the capacity to pay you.

Corporate documents

• ✅ Latest company tax return and proof of shareholding. If the tax return shows a loss, company bank statements must show the company can afford your pay.
• ✅ Examples of client contracts, service agreements or purchase orders.
• ✅ Company bank statements for the last 3 months.
• ✅ 2–3 recent invoices issued to clients, consistent with your declared income.
• ✅ Evidence of company expenses and, if you have staff, payroll or social security contributions.
• ✅ Company presentation letter (in English) covering your sector and market, products and services, client base, financials and shareholding, operating expenses or investments and, optionally, your management structure.

💡 Pro tip: Spanish officers find a pure director role hard to reconcile with fully remote work. Your contract with your company and your presentation letter should focus on the professional services you actually deliver rather than on your directorship.

💡 Pro tip: In our experience, company-owner files are best filed from Spain, where UGE-CE officers are used to this profile. Consular staff see fewer of them and tend to ask for more.

Requirement 11: Bringing your family

Your spouse or partner, children and dependent parents can apply with you. Each needs their own application and fee, and your income must cover the whole family (see Requirement 1). For worked examples by household, read our full guide to bringing your family on the Spain Digital Nomad Visa.

Who can join you

• ✅ Spouse or registered partner (official certificate required).
• ✅ Unregistered partner: one continuous year of cohabitation immediately before the application, proved with at least two pieces of evidence; with a child in common the birth certificate is enough, but you must live together when you apply.
• ✅ Minor children.
• ✅ Adult children aged 18 to 25, who must prove that they have no income of their own (negative certificates from the social security and tax authorities), that they study at an official educational centre or are registered as jobseekers, and that they do not form their own family unit (certificate of single status; in the UK, a "letter of no trace" from the General Register Office). From 26, adult children qualify only with a disability that prevents them from being financially independent (UGE-CE family document).
• ✅ Dependent parents: presumed dependent from age 80; under 80 you must document the financial or medical dependency. See our family guide for the details.

Documents for each family member

• ✅ Passport (all pages) and, from Spain, proof of legal entry.
• ✅ Marriage or partnership certificate (apostilled, sworn translation).
• ✅ Birth certificates for children (apostilled, sworn translation).
• ✅ Criminal record certificate for everyone aged 18 or over (apostilled, sworn translation).
• ✅ Proof of cohabitation for unregistered partners (shared lease, bills, joint documents).
• ✅ Proof of financial or medical dependency for adult children or parents.
• ✅ Parental consent or a custody decision if a child is moving without the other parent.
• ✅ Health insurance covering each family member (see below).

Healthcare for your family

• 👉 Self-employed main applicant: once you register with Spanish Social Security, your spouse and children can be added as beneficiaries.
• 👉 Employed main applicant: private health insurance is required for all family members, unless an agreement covering healthcare lets you file a certificate of entitlement listing them as beneficiaries (for example an S1).
• 👉 Unregistered partners: private health insurance is always required.

Together or later?

Family members can apply together with you or later, while your permit is valid (UGE-CE FAQ). We strongly recommend applying together:

• When you apply from Spain, every family member must be physically and legally in Spain on the filing day.
• Family members can apply later, while your permit is valid, with their own application. It is more demanding than applying together: you show three recent months of income with matching bank certificates for the whole household and must be up to date with your tax and Social Security obligations, and when filing from Spain the family member must already be physically and legally in Spain.

Family members receive a permit with the same duration as the main applicant, can work in Spain as employees or self-employed, and can travel across the Schengen Area.

💡 Pro tip: Every personal detail in each family application, including the country of birth, must match the passport exactly. A mismatch can block the fingerprint appointment for the residence card and require a formal correction.

💡 Pro tip: Family applications are resolved separately, so your approval may arrive before your family's. Plan flights and leases with that in mind.

How to apply, step by step

There are two routes. From Spain, you enter as a visitor and file the residence application online with the UGE-CE. From abroad, you apply for a 1-year visa at the Spanish consulate for your place of residence and then convert it into a residence permit in Spain. The documents are almost the same; the timing, the authority and the result differ.

Route A: from inside Spain, through the UGE-CE

1. Prepare and legalise your documents before you travel. Apostilles and sworn translations are much easier to arrange from home. Request the Social Security certificate of coverage and the criminal record certificates first.
2. Enter Spain legally and keep every travel record (see Requirement 8). Check that your remaining Schengen days leave a comfortable margin.
3. Appoint a representative. Applications are filed electronically; most applicants file through a representative with a digital certificate, such as a lawyer or a gestor. MoveWise files through its partner professionals.
4. Pay the fee: Modelo 790, code 038, for each applicant. Keep the receipt with the NRC code.
5. Sign the MI-T form and the declarations (criminal record, RETA commitment if you are self-employed).
6. File online with the UGE-CE, the unit of the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration that handles international teleworkers. Each family member has a separate application filed at the same time.
7. Wait for the decision. Under art. 76 Ley 14/2013, the UGE-CE must decide within 20 working days of electronic filing. If it does not, the application is treated as approved by positive administrative silence.
8. Answer any request for documents (requerimiento) within 10 working days. In practice the 20-day clock stops while the UGE-CE waits for your answer.
9. Receive the resolution and book your fingerprint appointment for the residence card (TIE). See "After approval".

You can stay in Spain while the application is pending. The permit, once granted, is for up to 3 years, or the length of your contract if shorter.

Route B: from abroad, through a Spanish consulate

1. Check your consulate's own page. Each consulate publishes its checklist, income figure, fee and submission method. Many work through an external visa centre (for example BLS) by appointment.
2. Prepare the same core documents (Requirements 1 to 11), plus the national visa application form and the photos the consulate asks for.
3. Pay the consular visa fee, which depends on your nationality and is set in local currency. The Washington consulate, for example, lists $190 for US citizens from 1 January 2026, and revises fees every quarter.
4. Submit in person at the consulate or visa centre. Many consulates keep your passport while the visa is processed, so plan any travel around it.
5. Wait for the decision. The Washington consulate states a legal period of 10 days, counted from when the consular section forwards the file, which can be extended if an interview or more documents are requested.
6. Collect the visa, valid for up to 1 year (art. 74 quater Ley 14/2013). Washington, for example, asks you to collect it within 1 month of the favourable decision.
7. Travel to Spain and apply for your TIE.
8. Before the visa expires, apply for the residence permit with the UGE-CE. The application can be filed within the 60 days before the visa expires, which leads to a permit of up to 3 years.

Which route should you choose?

• From Spain is usually faster and gives a longer first permit (up to 3 years). It suits applicants who can enter Spain visa-free, company owners and self-employed applicants who would otherwise need private insurance.
• From a consulate suits applicants who need a visa to enter Spain, who cannot travel before approval, or whose consulate publishes a lower income figure that they meet but the UGE-CE basis they do not.
• Whichever you choose, file all family members from the same place as the main applicant.

Timeline: what to realistically expect

These are typical ranges from our files, not guarantees. Every authority sets its own pace and can ask for more documents.

• Gathering documents: typically several weeks. The slowest items are usually the Social Security certificate of coverage, the criminal record certificates and the apostilles.
• Sworn translations: done after the apostilles, because the apostille must be translated too.
• From Spain, UGE-CE decision: legally within 20 working days of filing. A requerimiento adds time: you have up to 10 working days to answer, and the clock stops while you do.
• Positive silence: after 20 working days without a decision the application is approved by law, but the formal resolution can arrive later. If you need a document proving the approval, a certificate of silence can be requested.
• From a consulate: the visa decision depends on the consulate; booking an appointment at the visa centre can take longer than the decision itself.
• After approval: the fingerprint appointment for the TIE and the card itself typically take several weeks, depending on the police station.

💡 Pro tip: The 10-working-day deadline for a requerimiento is shorter than the time many countries need to issue a new certificate. That is why we ask for the criminal record from your country of nationality and keep spare stamped bank statements ready before filing.

How much it costs

These are the official fees. Your other costs depend on your country, your number of documents and your family size, so we do not publish fixed amounts for them.

Official fees in Spain

• Modelo 790, code 038 (teleworker authorisation): per applicant, including each family member. Pay the current fee shown on the official form: the UGE-CE FAQ and the government portal one.gob.es show different amounts.
• Modelo 790, code 012 (TIE residence card): €16.08 for the first card and €19.30 for a renewal (Orden PJC/617/2025).
• Consular visa fee (Route B only): set by each consulate according to your nationality.

Other cost items to budget for

• Apostilles (or consular legalisation) for each official document.
• Sworn translations into Spanish (translator registered with the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
• Standard translations for bank statements, payslips, invoices and the authorisation letter.
• Notarisation or bank stamps for bank statements.
• Private health insurance for everyone who needs it (see Requirement 7).
• Official certificates (criminal records, company registration, employment history).
• Representation for the online filing, and professional fees if you use a consultancy.
• Self-employed contributions after approval, if you join RETA.

Apostille and translation cheat sheet

Spain only accepts foreign public documents that are legalised and in Spanish. Use this list to know what each document needs. For the full process, read our guide to the apostille for Spain.

Apostille + sworn translation:

• Criminal record certificate (6 months' validity for the UK, US, Canada, Australia and EU countries; 3 months for others, in our practice)
• Company registration certificate (issued within the last 6 months, in our practice)
• Social Security certificate of coverage (employees)
• Self-employed registration certificate
• University degree
• Marriage and birth certificates

Sworn translation only:

• Work contract or service agreement
• Reference letter

Standard translation only:

• Authorisation letter
• Bank statements (stamped by the bank or notarised)
• Payslips and invoices
• Official employment record (apostilled where the country issues it)
• Company owner documents (tax return, client contracts, company bank statements, invoices)

Written directly in Spanish:

• Curriculum vitae
• Presentation (motivation) letter
• Payment Summary
• All explanatory notes and declarations

Documents from countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention need consular legalisation (double legalisation) instead of an apostille.

💡 Pro tip: Ask your sworn translator for one digitally signed PDF containing the original, the apostille and the translation. Before filing, check the signature with the Spanish government's VALIDe signature-validation service. A broken or missing digital signature is an easy reason for a requerimiento.

⚠️ Common mistake: Compressing or editing a digitally signed sworn translation to reduce file size. It breaks the electronic signature. Compress other files instead.

After approval: TIE, Social Security, taxes and renewal

Approval is the start, not the end. What you do in the first weeks decides how smooth your stay and your renewal will be. Our checklist on how to keep your Digital Nomad Visa in Spain covers every step in detail.

Residence card (TIE) and local registration

• ✅ Book the fingerprint appointment (toma de huellas) at the police and pay Modelo 790, code 012 (€16.08).
• ✅ Register at your address with the town hall: our guide to the padrón in Spain explains how.

Social Security and the tax office (self-employed)

• ✅ Register with the tax office (Agencia Tributaria) using Modelo 036, and with Social Security (RETA) through Import@ss, ideally in the same month your permit is approved. Our guide to registering as autónomo in Spain covers the forms.
• ✅ Flat rate (tarifa plana) in 2026: €80 a month plus MEI, about €88.64, for 12 months, extendable for 12 more only if your net income stays below the SMI and you apply before month 12 ends.
• ✅ After the flat rate: you pay according to your actual net income, roughly €206 to €607 a month at the minimum base of each 2026 bracket.

Taxes

• If you spend more than 183 days a year in Spain, you will normally become tax resident and be taxed on your worldwide income.
• Beckham Law (special regime for inbound workers, art. 93 LIRPF): a flat 24% on employment income up to €600,000 (47% above), for the year you become resident plus the next 5 years. You must not have been tax resident in Spain in the previous 5 years, and you opt in with Modelo 149 within 6 months of registering with Spanish Social Security. Digital Nomad Visa employees can apply. Ordinary self-employed people generally cannot, unless their activity is certified as entrepreneurial (favourable report from ENISA) or they are highly qualified professionals working for start-ups. Read more about the Beckham Law in Spain.
• Modelo 720: an informative return, not a tax, due when your accounts, securities or real estate abroad exceed €50,000 in any one block.

Get advice from a tax adviser before you arrive: some choices, such as the Beckham opt-in deadline, cannot be fixed later.

Renewal

• The permit is renewable for 2-year periods if you still meet the original conditions (art. 74 quinquies Ley 14/2013), with contributions and taxes up to date. See our Spain Digital Nomad Visa renewal and extension guide.
• After 5 years of legal residence you can apply for long-term residence in Spain.

Most common reasons for refusal (and how to avoid them)

Most refusals and requerimientos we see come from a small set of avoidable problems. If you receive a refusal, read our guide to appealing a Spain visa refusal.

1. Income below the threshold, or calculated on the wrong basis. Fix: from Spain, prepare to €2,849 plus the family increments, and cover any gap with savings for the full permit period.
2. Figures that do not match across documents. Fix: contract, letter, payslips or invoices, bank statements and CV must show the same role and income.
3. Less than 3 months of relationship or payments. Fix: wait until you have 3 full months of both contract and income in your bank statements.
4. No usable Social Security route for an employee. Fix: without an agreement, the employer registers in Spain or you move to a service agreement and the self-employed route.
5. A role that does not read as remote work. Fix: present a hands-on professional role tied to your expertise, not a managerial title, and do not mention business travel.
6. Unsworn translations, notary-copy apostilles or expired certificates. Fix: follow the cheat sheet and check validity dates on filing day.
7. Health insurance with co-payments, waiting periods or a reimbursement model. Fix: buy a Spanish policy sin copago and sin carencias, or show that you will be covered by Spanish Social Security.
8. No proof of legal entry when applying from Spain. Fix: keep boarding passes and tickets, and add an explanatory note when your passport has no stamp.
9. A company owner file without the corporate block. Fix: present the double profile, with the shareholding, company tax return, bank statements and expenses.
10. Too much work for Spanish clients. Fix: freelancers must keep Spanish clients at or below 20% of their activity; employees may only work for non-Spanish companies.

Frequently asked questions

What are the requirements for the Spain Digital Nomad Visa in 2026?

You need income of 200% of the Spanish minimum wage (we prepare to €2,849 a month gross from Spain), at least 3 months with a foreign employer or clients active for 1 year or more, a degree or 3 years' experience, a clean criminal record, Social Security cover, health cover and a valid passport. Family members add 75% and 25% to the income.

How much income do I need for the Spain Digital Nomad Visa?

€2,849 a month gross is the figure we use for applications filed from Spain: 200% of the 2026 SMI on an annualised basis. Add €1,068.38 for the first family member and €356.13 for each additional one. Some consulates, such as Washington and Houston, publish €2,442 for the main applicant, so check your consulate's sheet.

Can I apply for the Spain Digital Nomad Visa from inside Spain?

Yes. You can enter Spain legally as a visitor and file the residence application online with the UGE-CE, usually through a representative. You must be in Spain legally on the filing day and able to prove your entry. All family members must also be in Spain. The first permit can last up to 3 years.

How long does the Spain Digital Nomad Visa take?

20 working days is the legal deadline for the UGE-CE to decide on an application filed from Spain. If it does not decide, positive administrative silence applies. A request for more documents adds time, and the formal resolution can arrive later. Consular timelines vary; gathering and legalising documents typically takes several weeks.

Can I work for Spanish clients on the Digital Nomad Visa?

Yes, if you are self-employed, as long as work for Spanish companies is no more than 20% of your total professional activity (art. 74 bis Ley 14/2013). No, if you are an employee: employees may only work for companies based outside Spain. Keep your invoices and bank statements showing that most of your income comes from abroad.

Do I need a university degree for the Spain Digital Nomad Visa?

No. A degree or a recognised professional qualification is one option. The alternative is at least 3 years of experience in a role similar to your current one, proven with reference letters plus official employment records, tax returns or bank statements. If your profession is regulated in Spain, extra rules apply to the degree.

Can my employer stay outside Spain and keep paying Social Security at home?

Yes, if your employer is in a country with a Social Security agreement with Spain (or in the EU or the UK) and issues a certificate of coverage for remote work from Spain. If there is no agreement, as with Israel or Turkey, your employer must register in Spain or you must apply through the self-employed route.

Can I bring my family on the Spain Digital Nomad Visa?

Yes. Your spouse or partner, minor children, dependent adult children and dependent parents can apply. Each needs their own application and fee, and your income must cover them: +75% of the SMI for the first member and +25% for each additional one. Family members can work in Spain. We recommend applying together.

Do I need private health insurance?

Yes, in most cases: a Spanish policy with no co-payments and no waiting periods, covering every family member. No, if you will be registered with Spanish Social Security, which is why self-employed applicants filing from Spain usually do not need private insurance. Employees on a certificate of coverage and consular applicants usually do.

How long is the Spain Digital Nomad Visa valid?

3 years at most for the residence permit granted in Spain, or the length of your contract if shorter. A consular visa lasts up to 1 year and is then converted into a residence permit. Renewals are for 2-year periods. After 5 years of legal residence you can apply for long-term residence.

Do I need an apostille and a sworn translation for every document?

No. Official public documents (criminal records, company registration, degrees, Social Security certificates, civil status certificates) need an apostille and a sworn translation. Contracts and reference letters need a sworn translation only. Bank statements, payslips, invoices and the authorisation letter need a standard translation.

Can I get the Beckham Law with the Digital Nomad Visa?

Yes, if you are an employee: the tax office explicitly includes remote workers with the international telework visa. You must not have been tax resident in Spain in the previous 5 years and must file Modelo 149 within 6 months of registering with Social Security. Ordinary self-employed workers generally cannot, except under the entrepreneur or start-up routes.

How MoveWise can help

MoveWise prepares Spain Digital Nomad Visa files every week, for employees, freelancers, company owners and families, from Spain and through consulates. Your file is handled by a Spain Legal Manager from the first check to the resolution.

• Personalized Service: We tailor our services to your specific needs, ensuring a smooth and effortless process.
• Seamless Online Process: Benefit from our fully digital services, ensuring all documentation is managed online for a streamlined and hassle-free experience.
• Efficient Scheduling: We optimize your application timeline to ensure a smooth and timely process.
• Full Ownership of Your Application Process: We provide comprehensive support, handling every aspect of your application from start to finish.
• Tax Implications Assistance: Our experts help you understand the tax implications of your DNV and various application options.
• Meticulous Documentation: We prepare and submit all required documents, ensuring they meet the stringent requirements.
• 100% Money-Back Guarantee: If your application is unsuccessful, we offer a full refund, reflecting our commitment to your success.

Modular service:

• Module 1, eligibility assessment: your Legal Manager reviews your income, contract, qualifications and Social Security situation, tells you which route fits (from Spain or a consulate, employee or self-employed) and what to fix before you spend money on apostilles and translations.
• Module 2, full preparation and submission: we draft the authorisation letter model, the CV in Spanish, the presentation letter, the Payment Summary and every explanatory note (including the EES entry note), check every apostille and sworn translation, complete the MI-T form, file through our partner professionals and answer any requerimiento.
• Company owners: we build the double profile so your professional role and your company are both clear to the officer.
• After approval: we can guide you through the TIE, the autónomo registration and the renewal.

Our modular service comes with a full refund of our fee if your application is refused, under the conditions of our service agreement. Our clients have left more than 500 client reviews on Trustpilot. We also run regular free webinars on the Spain Digital Nomad Visa, where you can ask your questions live.

👉 Book a free consultation with a Spain Legal Manager — tell us about your work and your family, and we will tell you honestly whether the Digital Nomad Visa fits, which route to take and what your file needs.

Sources and legal references

• Real Decreto 126/2026, minimum wage (SMI) for 2026 — BOE
• UGE-CE, information and documents for international teleworkers — Ministry of Inclusion
• UGE-CE, digital nomads FAQ — Ministry of Inclusion
• Residency application for international teleworkers — one.gob.es
• Ley 14/2013, Chapter V bis, international teleworkers (arts. 74 bis to 74 quinquies), consolidated text
• Defensor del Pueblo on art. 76 Ley 14/2013, 20-day deadline and positive silence
• Orden PJC/617/2025, immigration fees including the TIE — BOE
• Orden HAC/1526/2024, abolition of Modelo 037 — BOE
• Spanish Consulate General in Washington, telework visa
• Spanish Consulate General in Houston, telework visa
• Seguridad Social, international Social Security agreements
• Agencia Tributaria, special regime for inbound workers (art. 93 LIRPF)
• European Commission, Entry/Exit System (EES)

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules and consular practice change frequently; the information was verified on 27 October 2026. For advice on your situation, speak to a qualified professional.

Contact Us

While the requirements for obtaining a Digital Nomad Visa for Spain are straightforward, preparing the necessary documents and navigating the application process can be challenging. Mistakes or incomplete paperwork could put your application at risk. If you have any doubts or questions about the Digital Nomad Visa process, BOOK TODAY a 100% Free Consultation. We’re here to help you every step of the way.