Prepared by Alejandro Barreiro · Reviewed by Eoin McGirr, Spanish abogado · Last reviewed: November 2026
Many problems with a Digital Nomad Visa application begin before the application is submitted. Applicants can discover too late that their income has been calculated incorrectly, a document needs an apostille or sworn translation, or their health insurance or Social Security arrangements do not meet the requirements.
A request from the authorities for corrections or additional documents can cause unnecessary delay.
These are ten points worth checking before you apply.
Spain's Digital Nomad regime is formally the residence authorisation for international teleworkers (autorización de residencia para teletrabajo de carácter internacional).
It is intended for third-country nationals who work remotely from Spain for companies located outside Spain, using information technology, telecommunications and similar remote-working systems.
Employees must work for companies outside Spain. Self-employed professionals may also provide services to Spanish clients, provided that the Spanish activity does not exceed 20% of their total professional activity.
The principal applicant must demonstrate resources equivalent to 200% of Spain's monthly Minimum Interprofessional Salary (SMI).
For 2026, the SMI is €1,221 per month, making the minimum financial requirement for the principal applicant:
€2,442 per month.
Where family members apply together, additional resources are required:
Employment income and professional income can be used to demonstrate the required financial resources.
Because the SMI can change each year, the applicable figure should always be checked before submitting an application or renewal.
The documentation required depends significantly on how you work.
If you are an employee, your employment must be with a company located outside Spain and the company must expressly authorise you to work remotely from Spain.
If you are self-employed, you can work for foreign clients and may also work for clients in Spain, provided that Spanish activity remains within the permitted 20% limit.
Contracts, client relationships, invoices and the actual nature of the work should therefore be reviewed before the application is prepared.
Applicants must normally demonstrate either:
Where the profession is regulated in Spain, additional recognition or professional requirements may apply.
You must also demonstrate that:
Employees will normally need a company letter expressly authorising remote work from Spain. Self-employed applicants must provide appropriate evidence of their professional relationships and the terms under which their services are provided.
These documents are often worth preparing well in advance.
There are two main routes.
If you are resident outside Spain, you can apply for a Digital Nomad Visa through the Spanish Consulate with jurisdiction over your place of residence. The visa can be issued for up to one year.
Alternatively, if you are legally in Spain, you may apply directly to the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE) for a residence authorisation, which can be granted for up to three years.
For applicants who can lawfully enter Spain without first obtaining a long-stay visa, the in-Spain route can therefore be particularly attractive.
The appropriate route should be considered before travel arrangements are made.
The application requires a valid passport, the relevant application documentation and fee, together with evidence supporting the employment or professional relationship, financial resources and other legal requirements.
Applicants must generally provide criminal-record certificates from the country or countries in which they have lived during the two years preceding the application, together with a declaration confirming the absence of criminal records in the countries of residence during the preceding five years.
Foreign public documents normally need to be apostilled or legalised, unless an exemption applies, and translated into Spanish where necessary by an authorised sworn translator.
For family applications, this commonly applies to documents such as:
Obtaining official documents, apostilles and translations is often one of the most time-consuming parts of the process, so it is sensible to start early.
Applicants must have appropriate healthcare coverage in Spain.
This may arise through Spanish public healthcare coverage linked to Social Security, or through equivalent private health insurance with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain.
The authorities do not accept ordinary travel insurance or policies limited to reimbursement of medical costs. Policies with waiting periods or co-payments may also be unsuitable.
Health insurance should therefore be checked specifically against the immigration requirements rather than simply purchasing a general international or travel policy.
Social Security is one of the most technical parts of many Digital Nomad applications.
Depending on the applicant's country of origin and employment situation, it may be possible to remain covered by the Social Security system of another country under an applicable international agreement.
Where that is not possible, Spanish Social Security obligations may arise.
For employees, this can involve obligations for the foreign employer in Spain. Self-employed applicants may need to register appropriately in the Spanish system.
The correct position depends on the country involved, the applicable Social Security agreement and the nature of the employment or professional activity, so it should be analysed before the application is filed.
A Digital Nomad Visa does not, by itself, determine where you are tax resident.
Tax residence depends on separate tax rules and your individual circumstances, including the amount of time you spend in Spain and the location of your economic and personal interests.
Spain also has special tax regimes that may apply to certain people moving to Spain for work. However, the rules are not the same throughout Spain.
In particular, the Basque Country has its own tax system. A person becoming tax resident in Bizkaia may need to consider the specific Bizkaia regime for qualifying displaced workers rather than the state regime commonly referred to as the "Beckham Law".
Anyone planning to live and work from Spain should therefore obtain tax advice before or shortly after relocating, particularly where substantial foreign income, companies or investments are involved.
For an application submitted from within Spain, the initial residence authorisation can be granted for up to three years.
Renewals can normally be requested before the authorisation expires and are granted for periods of two years, provided that the relevant requirements continue to be met.
After approval, applicants who require a physical residence card must complete the TIE process, including an appointment with the police for fingerprints (toma de huellas) and later collection of the card.
It is also sensible to budget for costs beyond the government application fee, including:
Do not make irreversible travel, housing or employment decisions on the assumption that an application will necessarily be granted on a particular date.
In many cases, yes.
A lawyer can review eligibility, prepare a personalised document list, check foreign documentation, advise on apostilles and translations, review employment or professional evidence and prepare the application before the client travels to Spain.
Where an application is submitted directly to the UGE from Spain, the timing of the client's lawful entry and the submission can also be planned in advance.
Some later formalities, particularly fingerprinting for the TIE, must be completed personally in Spain.
At My Lawyer in Bilbao, I advise international employees, freelancers, business owners and families on Digital Nomad Visa applications, from the initial eligibility assessment and document preparation through to submission, requests for additional documentation and the final TIE stage.
Contact me to discuss which application route is appropriate for your circumstances.
This article is general information about Spanish law as at the date above. It is not legal advice for your specific situation.