Spain Digital Nomad Visa for Employees: 3 Ways (2026)

Spain Digital Nomad Visa for Employees: 3 Ways to Solve Social Security and Qualify (2026 Guide)

By Arturo García de la Cruz · Immigration Lawyer at MoveWise · Last updated: 28 October 2026

💡 The short answer: Yes, you can get Spain's Digital Nomad Visa as an employee of a company outside Spain. The company must have been active for at least a year, you must have worked for it for at least 3 months, and you need at least 200% of the Spanish minimum wage (about €2,849 a month gross for applications filed in Spain). The deciding point is Social Security: a certificate of coverage, your employer's registration in Spain, or a switch to contractor. Decisions from Spain are due within 20 working days.

Key facts for 2026

Legal name: residence authorisation for international teleworkers (teletrabajo de carácter internacional), articles 74 bis to 74 quinquies of Ley 14/2013.
Employees may work only for companies outside Spain. The 20% allowance for Spanish clients applies to self-employed professionals only (art. 74 bis Ley 14/2013).
Minimum relationship: at least 3 months with the foreign employer when you apply; the company must prove at least 1 year of real, continuous activity (UGE-CE document list).
Income: 200% of the SMI, which is €1,221 a month in 14 payments in 2026 (Real Decreto 126/2026). From Spain we prepare to €2,849 a month gross; some consulates publish €2,442.
Social Security, employees: a certificate from a country with an agreement with Spain that expressly covers remote work from Spain, or enrolment in the Spanish General Regime through your employer (UGE-CE FAQ).
Social Security, self-employed: registration in the Spanish self-employed regime (RETA); a bilateral-agreement certificate cannot replace it (UGE-CE FAQ).
Permit length: up to 3 years when you apply from Spain, or the length of your contract if shorter; renewals for 2 years (art. 74 quinquies Ley 14/2013). A consular visa lasts up to 1 year.
Deadline: the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE) must decide within 20 working days, after which positive administrative silence applies (art. 76 Ley 14/2013).
Beckham Law: open to remote workers with the international telework visa who hold an employment contract (Agencia Tributaria); not to ordinary self-employed people.

Most employees we speak to have already agreed remote work with their manager and earn well above the threshold. Then they meet the question that decides their file: which Social Security system covers them while they live in Spain, and how they prove it.

This guide is for you if you are on the payroll of a company outside Spain (a W-2 employee in the US, a PAYE employee in the UK, or anywhere else) and want to move on the Spain Digital Nomad Visa. You will learn which of the three routes fits you, what your employer must do, and how each route affects your renewal, your taxes and your timing.

It is written by MoveWise's Spain Legal Managers from the employee files we prepare every week for the UGE-CE and Spanish consulates. Where something is our practice rather than the law, we say so. The main pitfall it helps you avoid: filing before your Social Security route is fully in place.

For the general rules (qualifications, criminal record, insurance, apostilles), start with our Spain Digital Nomad Visa requirements checklist and come back here for the employee-specific part.

In this guide:

What changed in 2026
Is this the right visa for you?
What every employee must prove
The 3 options at a glance
Option 1: a certificate of coverage
Option 2: your employer registers in Spain (NPE)
Option 3: switch to contractor
The Beckham Law: which options keep it open
Which option is right for you? A decision guide
What to send your HR team
Bringing your family
How to apply, step by step
Timeline: what to realistically expect
How much it costs
Most common reasons for refusal (and how to avoid them)
Frequently asked questions
How MoveWise can help
Sources and legal references

What changed in 2026

Three changes matter to employees. The three Social Security routes themselves have not changed.

Higher income threshold. Real Decreto 126/2026 raised the SMI to €1,221 a month in 14 payments from 1 January 2026. The 200% threshold rose with it: about €2,849 a month gross on the annualised basis we use for UGE-CE filings. The Spanish Consulate in Washington publishes €2,442 (monthly SMI × 2), so figures differ by route.
Permit length tied to your contract. A July 2025 criterion of the Dirección General de Gestión Migratoria confirmed the permit lasts up to 3 years or the length of your contract, if shorter. A fixed-term contract shortens your permit.
No more entry stamps for visitors. Since 10 April 2026 the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) records short-stay travellers digitally. If you enter as a visitor and apply from Spain, keep your boarding passes and travel records. If you enter on a Spanish national (D) visa, you are outside the EES and your passport may still be stamped.

Not changed yet: Spain and the US signed a new Social Security agreement on 8 April 2024, allowing postings of up to 5 years (plus 2 in exceptional cases). We could not confirm its entry into force, so the 1986 agreement still governs US certificates.

Is this the right visa for you?

The employee route fits people whose job is genuinely remote and whose employer is outside Spain.

✅ It is for you if:

your employer is registered outside Spain and has been active for at least 1 year;
you have worked for it for at least 3 months, under a contract that allows remote work;
you have a degree or at least 3 years of experience in similar functions;
you earn at least the 200% SMI threshold gross, or can cover the gap with savings for the whole permit period.

❌ It is not for you if:

your employer has a branch or subsidiary in Spain: the UGE-CE treats you as an intra-corporate transfer, not a teleworker;
you want to work for a Spanish employer: employees may work only for non-Spanish companies;
you will not work in Spain: look at the Spain Non-Lucrative Visa requirements or our Non-Lucrative vs Digital Nomad Visa comparison;
Spain is not decided: compare the Portugal Digital Nomad Visa and the Italy Digital Nomad Visa, which treat employees differently.

👉 Check your eligibility as an employee with a MoveWise Client Manager — we will tell you honestly which of the three routes fits your employer and your country.

What every employee must prove

Whatever your Social Security route, the employer evidence is the same. These are the items the UGE-CE lists for employees, plus the points we see questioned most.

✅ Company registry certificate (or equivalent official document) proving at least 1 year of real, continuous activity.
✅ Employment contract showing at least 3 months of relationship on the filing date.
✅ Employer letter authorising you to work from Spain, stating your role, main duties, that the work can be done remotely, your salary in euros and the remote-work conditions.
✅ Last 3 payslips with the matching bank statements.
✅ CV, qualification or experience proof. For regulated professions: recognition of the qualification, or a notarised statement that you will not practise it in Spain.
✅ Criminal record certificate, apostilled and translated. In our practice it is valid for 6 months for the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and EU countries, and 3 months for other countries.
✅ Health insurance if you are not in the Spanish public system. Travel insurance and reimbursement-only policies are not accepted.

💡 Pro tip: Job titles that sound managerial or location-bound ("Operations Manager", "Country Director") invite questions about whether the role is really remote. Ask your employer to describe a 100% remote role tied to your main expertise, and not to mention required business travel.

💡 Pro tip: UK employees can prove work history with the HMRC PAYE employment history. It is occasionally questioned, so keep reference letters as backup.

⚠️ Common mistake: An employer letter without the salary in euros. The UGE-CE asks for it expressly, and its absence is a typical trigger for a request for documents (requerimiento).

Spain is strict on legalisation: the apostille must certify the document issued by the competent authority, not a notary's copy, especially for criminal records. See our guide to apostilles for Spain.

The 3 options at a glance

Spain wants proof of which Social Security system covers you while you work from Spanish soil. Every employee file we prepare uses one of these three set-ups.

Certificate of coverage (Option 1). If your employer's country has a Social Security agreement with Spain, its office certifies that you stay in the home system while working remotely from Spain: the A1 certificate in the EU and the UK, the certificate of coverage in countries such as the US and Canada.
Employer registration in Spain (Option 2). The company registers with Spanish Social Security as a foreign entity without a workplace in Spain, which we call a Non-Permanent Establishment (NPE), and enrols you in the General Regime. You stay an employee.
Switch to contractor (Option 3). Your employer becomes your client, you invoice them and you pay your own contributions in RETA.

How they compare:

Option 1: little employer effort; renewal depends on how long the certificate lasts; Beckham Law open in principle.
Option 2: real employer effort at the start, then a Spanish payroll; easy renewal; Beckham Law open in principle.
Option 3: no employer effort beyond a service agreement; easy renewal; Beckham Law closed for ordinary self-employed people.

Option 1: a certificate of coverage

Option 1 keeps everything as it is: same contract, same payroll, same Social Security at home. It works only if your employer's country has an agreement with Spain and issues a certificate Spain accepts.

What the certificate must say

The UGE-CE asks for a certificate of applicable legislation that expressly states it covers your posting to work remotely from Spain.

✅ The A1 certificate in the EU, the Schengen Area and the United Kingdom.
✅ The certificate of coverage in countries such as the United States and Canada.
❌ Proof that you have applied for it. The UGE-CE says mere applications are not accepted.

Because you stay outside the Spanish public system, you also need private health insurance. The Spanish Consulate in Washington says the same for US employees.

Countries where this route works

Spain has bilateral agreements with many countries, plus the Ibero-American Multilateral Convention and, for the UK, the Social Security Protocol of the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. An agreement on paper is not the same as a certificate the UGE-CE accepts, so we split the list by track record.

✅ Confirmed in our files: EU and Schengen countries, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, China, Russia and Mexico. For China, the agreement covers only pensions and unemployment for posted workers.

🔎 Agreement in force, but "to be confirmed" in practice: Brazil, Argentina and the other Latin American agreement countries (Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Venezuela), Japan, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, Morocco, Tunisia, Ukraine, Moldova, Senegal, Cape Verde and Andorra. We have no track record yet of which certificate models Spain accepts, so these files carry more risk. We will update this guide when we have confirmed results.

❌ No agreement usable for this route: Israel, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Countries such as the UAE, India and South Africa are not among Spain's agreements in force either. Employees there use Option 2 or, most often, Option 3.

💡 Pro tip: Request the certificate early, through your employer. Foreign Social Security offices vary a lot in processing time, and you cannot file under this route without it. In the UK, the employer, the employee or an agent can apply, up to 12 months in advance (GOV.UK guidance on form CA3822).

⚠️ Common mistake: Assuming the certificate follows your passport. It follows the system you contribute to, usually your employer's country. A Canadian employed and paid by a UK company needs a UK A1.

Renewals: the 2-year vs 5-year problem

From Spain the permit can last up to 3 years, but your renewal depends on how long your certificate lasts.

United States (W-2 employees): in our files, US certificates have covered up to 5 years, spanning the first permit and the renewal.
United Kingdom: the UK A1 is currently limited to 2 years. At expiry, UK employees who want to renew must move to the NPE (Option 2), change employer and obtain a new A1, or become self-employed (Option 3).

Some UK employees have obtained a new A1 with the same employer after a period back in the UK. The cases are too few to call it reliable, so we assess it case by case.

💡 Pro tip: On a UK A1, plan the second route from day one. Raise the NPE with your employer in your first year, not in month 22: the registration needs apostilled corporate documents that take weeks to collect.

Advantages and constraints

✅ Contract, salary and benefits unchanged; nothing registered in Spain; Beckham Law open in principle.
❌ Only works with a certificate Spain accepts; may not cover your renewal (UK); you depend on your employer and a foreign office to issue it on time.

Option 2: your employer registers in Spain (NPE)

The NPE is the most solid long-term route when a certificate is not available or cannot be renewed and you want to stay an employee. It also keeps the Beckham Law open.

What the NPE is (and is not)

"NPE" is our practical name for a foreign company's registration with Spanish Social Security as a non-resident entity without a workplace in Spain. The company can then enrol employees who work remotely from Spain in the General Regime. The UGE-CE asks for proof of this registration and a commitment to enrol you after approval and before you start working from Spain.

✅ It is a Social Security registration, not a company, branch or office in Spain.
✅ The company does not relocate anything.
✅ It is managed through a representative in Spain.

On tax, be precise with your employer. The registration does not by itself create a corporate tax presence. Whether an employee working from Spain could create a permanent establishment depends on the role (for example, someone who habitually signs contracts for the company), so the employer's tax adviser should confirm it.

How it works

Corporate documents. Proof of the company's existence and a shareholders' or board resolution authorising a non-resident entity in Spain to pay Social Security contributions for its remote workers, notarised, apostilled (Hague Convention) and translated by a sworn translator.
Representative. The company appoints a representative in Spain, holding a NIE, to manage its Social Security obligations.
Registration as a non-resident entity without a workplace in Spain.
Your application, with the proof of registration and the enrolment commitment.
Payroll. After approval, the employer enrols you and pays Spanish contributions through a local payroll. Whether it must also withhold Spanish income tax depends on its tax position.

What your employer provides:

✅ Certified company documents (incorporation or good standing), notarised and apostilled.
✅ The passport of an administrator named in those documents.
✅ The resolution approving the registration, notarised and apostilled. MoveWise can provide a template.

Notary, apostille and translation costs are borne by the company and depend on the country and the number of documents.

💡 Pro tip: Registration typically takes at least three weeks from the moment all documents are received. The slow part is usually abroad: getting a board resolution notarised and apostilled. Start there.

💡 Pro tip: Employers often hesitate because they assume an NPE means "opening a company in Spain". Forward them the "What to send your HR team" section below: in our experience the conversation gets much easier once they see what it involves.

Renewals, advantages and constraints

This is where the NPE shines: your coverage is already in Spain, so there is no foreign certificate to chase at renewal. You show that you still meet the requirements and that contributions are up to date.

✅ Employee status kept; works for any country; easy renewals; Beckham Law open in principle; access to Spanish public healthcare once enrolled.
❌ Your employer must agree and cooperate; the company pays legalisation costs and Spanish employer contributions; there is a Spanish payroll to run.

👉 Want a MoveWise Legal Manager to check whether your employer can use a certificate or an NPE? — tell us where your employer is registered and we will tell you which route is realistic before anyone signs anything.

Option 3: switch to contractor

Option 3 is the simplest administratively and the only route that does not depend on your employer's country or cooperation. Your employer becomes your client, you invoice them and you apply as a self-employed professional.

Once approved, you register as autónomo with the Agencia Tributaria (form 036) and with RETA through the Import@ss portal. A home-country certificate cannot replace this: for self-employed teleworkers, the UGE-CE excludes the bilateral-agreement route.

When it is the right choice:

✅ your employer's country has no usable agreement (Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, India and others) and your employer will not register in Spain;
✅ you are a UK employee whose A1 will not cover the renewal and the NPE is not an option;
✅ you want to add other clients, including Spanish ones up to 20% of your activity.

How long do I need to be a contractor before applying?

The question we hear most. Self-employed applicants need at least 3 months of professional relationship with the foreign company when they apply; the UGE-CE FAQ refers to a commercial contract of at least 3 months.

✅ What has worked in our files: 3+ months of continuity with the same company, part as employee and part as contractor, shown as two months of payslips plus at least one month of invoices inside the 3-month income window.
👉 What we recommend: the UGE-CE has become stricter about the self-employed relationship existing 3 months before filing. To be safe, wait 3 months from your switch.

💡 Pro tip: Make the switch clean. Sign a new contractor agreement dated and signed on the first day of a month, issue one invoice a month with the same amount and description, and make sure each payment lands in your bank account. Mismatches between agreement, invoices and statements are the most common trigger for a requerimiento we see in contractor files.

⚠️ Common mistake: Registering as autónomo late. The UGE-CE warns that late registration detected afterwards can extinguish the permit, for you and your family. Register in the month your approval arrives.

What it costs you: in 2026 the flat rate (tarifa plana) is €80 a month plus the MEI surcharge, about €88.64, for 12 months. It can be extended 12 more months only if your net income stays below the SMI (€17,094 a year), and you must apply before month 12 ends. After that you pay roughly €206 to €607 a month at the minimum base of your bracket. Details in our guide to registering as autónomo in Spain.

Advantages and what to weigh

✅ No employer cooperation needed; works for any country; room for other clients; easy renewals; fast paperwork.
❌ Benefits: paid holidays, sick leave, pension, health plans, stock options or bonuses may change or disappear.
❌ Contributions: you pay Spanish Social Security yourself.
❌ Tax: a different position from an employee's; check it with a tax adviser before switching.
❌ Beckham Law: not available to ordinary self-employed people.
❌ Your employer's side: turning an employee into a contractor can have consequences under the employer's own law; it should check with its adviser.

The Beckham Law: which options keep it open

The Beckham Law (art. 93 of the Spanish income tax law) taxes employment income at a flat 24% up to €600,000 a year and 47% above, for the year you become resident plus the 5 following years. Savings income has its own scale of 19% to 30%.

The Agencia Tributaria expressly includes remote workers with the international telework visa among employees who can opt in. So:

✅ Options 1 and 2: compatible in principle; you are an employee.
❌ Option 3: ordinary self-employed people do not qualify. The exceptions (an ENISA-certified entrepreneurial activity, or highly qualified professionals for startups or R&D) rarely fit a former employee invoicing one client.

Key conditions: no Spanish tax residence in the 5 previous tax years; opt in with form 149 within 6 months of your Spanish Social Security registration, then file form 151 each year. Your spouse, children under 25 and the other parent of those children can also opt in under conditions.

💡 Pro tip: Missing the 6-month window closes the regime for good, so coordinate the employer's enrolment date with your form 149 from the start. More in our Beckham Law guide; always confirm eligibility with a tax adviser before choosing your route.

Which option is right for you? A decision guide

Answer in order and stop at the first "yes".

Does your employer have a branch or subsidiary in Spain? This is not the Digital Nomad route: ask us about an intra-corporate transfer.
Is your employer's country on our confirmed list, and will your employer request a certificate that expressly covers remote work from Spain? Start with Option 1. In the UK, plan your renewal route from day one.
No usable certificate (or it will not cover the renewal), but your employer wants to keep you on payroll? Option 2, the NPE.
Is your employer's country "to be confirmed"? Assess Option 1 with us case by case and keep Option 2 or 3 ready.
No certificate and no NPE? Option 3. Allow 3 months between the switch and the application.
Does the Beckham Law matter a lot to you? Prefer Option 1 or 2 and take tax advice first.

What to send your HR team

Copy and forward this summary. It covers what Spain asks of the employer under each route.

Subject: What Spain needs from us for my Digital Nomad (international teleworker) permit

Always: an official company registry certificate showing at least 1 year of activity; my contract (at least 3 months on the filing date); a letter authorising me to work remotely from Spain with my role, main duties, remote feasibility and salary in euros; my last 3 payslips.
Route A, certificate: please request from our Social Security authority a certificate (A1 or certificate of coverage) that expressly covers my remote work from Spain. A pending application is not accepted.
Route B, registration in Spain: the company registers with Spanish Social Security as a non-resident entity without a workplace in Spain. It is not an office or branch. It needs notarised and apostilled corporate documents, a board resolution (template available) and a Spanish representative, then a Spanish payroll for me. Our tax adviser should confirm any tax exposure.
Route C, contractor: I leave payroll and invoice the company under a service agreement. Nothing to register in Spain on the company's side.

Bringing your family

Your spouse or partner, children and, in some cases, dependent parents can be included, whatever your Social Security route. Each member raises the income threshold. On the basis we use for UGE-CE filings:

Main applicant: €2,849 a month gross
Couple: €3,917.38 (plus €1,068.38)
Couple and 1 child: €4,273.51 (plus €356.13)
Couple and 2 children: €4,629.64
Each further member: plus €356.13

Consulates using the 12-payment basis, such as Washington, publish €2,442 for you, €916 for the first family member and about €305 to €306 for each additional one, so a couple needs about €3,358.

With Option 1, everyone needs private insurance. Applying together is strongly recommended. 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. Full rules: how to bring your family on the Spain Digital Nomad Visa.

How to apply, step by step

You can apply from Spain to the UGE-CE, or through the Spanish consulate for your place of residence. Either way, your Social Security route must be complete before you file.

From Spain (UGE-CE)

Complete your route: certificate issued, employer registered, or 3 months as contractor.
Prepare documents: apostilles and sworn translations. Ask your translator for one digitally signed PDF per document (original, apostille, translation) and check the signature on the government's VALIDe service.
Be in Spain legally when you file, within your authorised stay. Keep your boarding passes.
Pay Tasa 790-038 for you and each family member: the current fee shown on the official form.
File online, usually through a representative with a digital certificate. Filing extends your legal stay while the procedure is pending.
Answer any requerimiento, typically within 10 working days. Get your criminal record from your country of nationality too, even if you live elsewhere: it is often requested and takes longer than 10 days to issue.
Decision within 20 working days, or approval by positive silence (art. 76 Ley 14/2013); the formal resolution can arrive later.
After approval: book the TIE fingerprint appointment (form 790-012, €16.08). Your employer enrols you (Option 2) or you register as autónomo the same month (Option 3). For the Beckham Law, file form 149 within 6 months of your Social Security registration.

Through a consulate

Complete your route. Washington, for example, accepts a US certificate of coverage, proof that the company is registered with Spanish Social Security, or RETA registration (or a request to register) for the self-employed.
Book and submit the national visa application with the consulate's checklist.
Receive the visa, valid up to 1 year (less if your contract is shorter), and apply for the TIE in Spain.
Apply for the residence permit (up to 3 years) to the UGE-CE while the visa is valid, within the 60 days before it expires.

👉 For most employees we prefer filing from Spain: one procedure, a statutory deadline and up to 3 years straight away. The consulate suits you better if you cannot stay in Spain during the procedure.

Timeline: what to realistically expect

Typical ranges from our files, not guarantees. The slowest step is usually the Social Security route, not the UGE-CE.

Certificate of coverage: a few weeks to several months, depending on the issuing office.
NPE: at least 3 weeks after all corporate documents are in; collecting them abroad often takes longer.
Contractor switch: days of paperwork, then the 3-month wait we recommend.
Apostilles and sworn translations: typically 2 to 6 weeks.
UGE-CE decision: 20 working days, with positive silence after that; a requerimiento adds your 10 working days plus review time.
Consulate route: depends on appointments and workload, then a second application in Spain.
TIE: depends on appointment availability in your province.

How much it costs

Official fees, checked on 27 October 2026:

Tasa 790-038: per applicant, family included; the current fee shown on the official form, as official sources show different amounts.
Tasa 790-012, TIE: €16.08 first card; €19.30 renewal.
Consular visa fee: set by each consulate, and by reciprocity for some nationalities.

Other costs depend on your route and country, so we do not quote averages:

Option 1: any certificate fee charged by the issuing office, plus private health insurance.
Option 2: corporate document legalisation (paid by the company), the Spanish representative's fees, and employer and employee contributions through the Spanish payroll.
Option 3: tarifa plana of about €88.64 a month for 12 months, then roughly €206 to €607 a month; an accountant (gestor) for quarterly filings is strongly advised.
Everyone: apostilles, sworn translations and criminal record certificates.

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

A certificate "in progress". File only once it is issued.
A certificate that does not mention Spain or remote work. Check the wording before filing.
An employer with a Spanish branch. Check the group structure first; look at the intra-corporate transfer route instead.
Less than 3 months of relationship. Count from the contract date to the filing date; contractors wait 3 months from the switch.
No proof of 1 year of company activity. Obtain an official registry certificate.
An incomplete employer letter. Include role, duties, remote feasibility, salary in euros and conditions.
Income evidence that does not match. Contract or invoices, payslips and bank statements must show the same amounts; highlight the payments in your statements.
A role that does not read as remote. Avoid managerial or location-bound titles and required business travel.
Wrong apostille or expired criminal record. Apostille the authority's document, not a notary's copy, and file within its validity.
Late autónomo registration (Option 3). Register in the month of approval, or risk losing the permit.

Already refused? Read our guide on challenging a Spanish visa refusal.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get the Spain Digital Nomad Visa as an employee of a foreign company?

Yes. You need a company outside Spain with at least 1 year of activity, at least 3 months of employment, income of at least 200% of the SMI (about €2,849 a month gross for UGE-CE filings) and a Social Security solution: a certificate of coverage, your employer's registration in Spain, or a switch to contractor.

Does my employer need to open a company or office in Spain?

No. With the NPE route the employer only registers with Spanish Social Security as a non-resident entity without a workplace in Spain. It is not a branch or subsidiary. Whether your role could create a tax presence for the company, for example if you sign contracts on its behalf, is for the employer's tax adviser to confirm.

What is an A1 certificate and do I need one?

The A1 is the EU and UK certificate confirming you stay covered by your home Social Security while working in another country. You need it, or a certificate of coverage, only for Option 1. It must expressly cover remote work from Spain, and proof that you have applied for it is not accepted.

I am a US W-2 employee. Which route should I use?

Usually Option 1. The US has a Social Security agreement with Spain and US certificates of coverage are on our confirmed list. Your employer requests the certificate and you add private health insurance. In our files US certificates have covered up to 5 years, typically spanning the first permit and the renewal.

I am a UK employee and my A1 lasts 2 years. Can I still renew?

Yes, through a different route. When the A1 expires you can move to the NPE with your employer, get a new A1 with a new employer, or switch to self-employed. A new A1 with the same employer has worked in a few cases, too few to rely on, so plan the second route in your first year.

My employer is in Israel, the UAE or India. Can I apply as an employee?

Only if your employer registers in Spain (Option 2). These countries have no Social Security agreement with Spain usable for a certificate. In practice, most employees of companies there, and of Saudi companies, switch to contractor (Option 3) and pay into the Spanish self-employed regime.

How long do I need to be self-employed before applying?

Three months is the safe answer. The UGE-CE asks for at least 3 months of relationship and has become stricter about the self-employed part. Combinations of employee and contractor months with the same company have worked in our files, but we recommend waiting 3 full months after the switch.

Can I keep the Beckham Law if I apply as an employee?

Yes, in principle. The Agencia Tributaria includes remote workers with the international telework visa who have an employment contract. You must not have been Spanish tax resident in the previous 5 tax years and must file form 149 within 6 months of your Social Security registration. Contractors on Option 3 generally cannot use it.

Can I work for Spanish clients as an employee on this visa?

No. Employees may work only for companies located outside Spain. The 20% allowance for Spanish clients applies only to self-employed professionals. If you want Spanish clients, Option 3 is the route that allows it, within that 20% limit of your total activity.

Do I need private health insurance as an employee?

It depends on the route. With Option 1 you stay in your home system, so you need private health insurance; travel insurance and reimbursement-only policies are not accepted. With Option 2 you are enrolled in the Spanish General Regime, and with Option 3 in RETA, which normally gives access to Spanish public healthcare.

How MoveWise can help

Our Spain Legal Managers prepare employee files every week, from Spain and through consulates. For employees the work starts before the visa file: choosing and building the Social Security route.

Module 1, eligibility assessment: we review your contract, payslips, employer and country, and tell you which route is realistic, what your employer must do and when you can file.
Module 2, full preparation and submission: wording of the employer letter, review of the certificate or coordination of the NPE registration with our Spanish partners (resolution template included), apostilles and sworn translations, filing as your representative, answers to any requerimiento and guidance to the TIE.
Tax coordination: for the Beckham Law and the contractor route we work with partner tax advisers, so the visa and tax decisions are made together.
After approval: RETA and form 036 registration for contractors, the steps to keep your Digital Nomad Visa and your renewal.

We stand behind our work with a full refund of our fee if your application is refused, under the conditions of our service agreement. You can read what our clients say in more than 500 client reviews on Trustpilot.

👉 Book a free consultation with a MoveWise Client Manager — tell us your employer's country and contract type, and we will map your route, timeline and renewal before you change anything at work.

Sources and legal references

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.

Contáctenos

Si bien los requisitos para obtener una visa de nómada digital para España son sencillos, preparar los documentos necesarios y navegar por el proceso de solicitud puede ser un desafío. Los errores o la documentación incompleta podrían poner en riesgo su solicitud. Si tiene alguna duda o pregunta sobre el proceso de visa de nómada digital, BOOK TODAY a 100% Free ConsultationEstamos aquí para ayudarle en cada paso del camino.