The Spain digital nomad visa for UK citizens follows the same law as for everyone else, but the paperwork is British: an ACRO Police Certificate rather than a DBS check, an FCDO Apostille on every public document, a Companies House certificate for your employer or your own company, and an A1 or S1 form from HMRC.
This guide is written for applicants who submit through the Spanish Consulate General in London and its BLS visa centre. It is based on the consulate’s requirement list and the BLS checklist. For eligibility, income and the two application routes, start with our main guide to the Spain digital nomad visa; for the full document-by-document rules, see the document checklist.
What is different in the Spain digital nomad visa for UK citizens
Since Brexit, UK nationals are third-country nationals in Spain, so the visa applies to them in full. The differences sit in which UK documents the consulate names and how UK documents are legalized.
- Criminal record: the consulate asks for an ACRO Police Certificate. A DBS check is not accepted.
- Legalisation: UK public documents are Apostilled by the FCDO Legalisation Office, not by a notary or the consulate.
- Company proof: a certificate from Companies House showing the date the company was created and its type of business.
- Social security: an A1 certificate from HMRC if you stay in the UK system, or registration with Spanish social security if you move over.
- Health cover: the S1 form registered with Spanish social security is accepted instead of private insurance, where you qualify for one.
- Residence permit holders: non-British nationals living in the UK apply in London too, with a copy of both sides of their UK residence card. Holders of a UK visitor visa cannot apply there.
Step by step, with a realistic timeline
Work backwards from your BLS appointment. The criminal record certificate must be under six months old on the day you submit, and every Apostille and translation has to be finished by then.
- Apply for a NIE through the consulate. Both the consulate and BLS list the NIE as a prerequisite, so start here.
- Request your ACRO Police Certificate. The certificate costs £70 including one copy and standard postage, and ACRO currently quotes up to 30 working days of processing because of exceptionally high demand, so this is the first thing to order.
- Order the Companies House certificate and gather your degree certificate or HMRC employment history.
- Apostille the public documents at the FCDO. The standard paper service costs £45 per document and takes up to 25 working days plus postage. The e-Apostille costs £35 and takes up to two working days, but it requires a PDF electronically signed by a UK notary or solicitor, which is what our UK Apostille service prepares. Current turnaround is tracked in UK Apostille turnaround 2026.
- Have the Apostilled documents translated by a sworn translator into Spanish. The London consulate refers to its list of translator-interpreters registered in Spain.
- Arrange insurance or the S1, obtain the A1 from HMRC, and have your employer sign the certificate and the responsible declaration.
- Book the BLS appointment in London and submit everything in person, with a photocopy of each document. The consulate decides within 10 days of receiving the file, and your passport stays with it in the meantime.
Allow ten to fourteen weeks from the ACRO request to the appointment: up to 30 working days at ACRO, up to 25 working days at the FCDO for the paper Apostille, plus the sworn translation.
UK document checklist: Apostille and translation
ACRO Police Certificate. Apostille yes, sworn translation yes. Issued within six months. If you lived outside the UK for more than six months in the past two years, add that country’s certificate too. Our step-by-step guide to getting an Apostille for a UK police certificate covers the FCDO route in detail.
Companies House certificate. Apostille yes, sworn translation yes. It must state the date of creation and the nature of business. See Companies House documents for which certificate to order and how it is legalized.
Degree certificate or proof of three years’ experience. Apostille yes, sworn translation yes. The consulate accepts the employment history issued by HMRC as proof of experience. Steps for degrees are in the degree certificate Apostille guide.
Employer certificate. No Apostille. It must state the length of the contract, your salary and explicit consent to work remotely from Spain, and be in Spanish or translated. Self-employed applicants provide the contract and remote-work terms instead.
A1 certificate (CA3822 for employees, CA3837 for the self-employed). No Apostille, no translation. Comes with a responsible declaration by the company or by you, committing to UK social security obligations.
S1 form and its Spanish registration receipt, or a private policy from an insurer authorised in Spain with full cover, no excess and no co-payments. No Apostille, no translation.
Proof of income. Contract, payslips or bank statements showing at least 200% of the Spanish minimum wage. Neither Apostille nor translation.
Passport valid for at least one year, issued within the last ten years, with two blank pages; a passport photo; the national visa application form; proof of address in the consular district.
Family members: marriage or birth certificates and partnership registrations, each with FCDO Apostille and sworn translation. UK-issued certificates are not EU documents, so the exemption does not apply.
ACRO Apostille: how the FCDO legalizes your police certificate
The ACRO Apostille is the step UK applicants most often get wrong. The ACRO Police Certificate is a UK public document signed by ACRO, so the FCDO Legalisation Office can Apostille it directly; it does not need to be certified by a Notary Public or solicitor first.
ACRO certificates for England and Wales cannot receive an e-Apostille, so they go through the FCDO paper service: £45 per document plus courier, currently up to 25 working days. Once the ACRO Apostille is attached, the certificate and the Apostille are translated by a sworn translator into Spanish.
Because the certificate must be under six months old on the day you submit, order it as soon as you have a realistic appointment window, and send it for the FCDO Apostille the day it arrives. Our FCDO paper Apostille service handles the submission and tracked return for you.
What it costs from the UK
The consular visa fee is paid in pounds at the BLS centre when you submit. The London consulate’s price list in force from 1 January 2026 sets the work and telework visa fee for British citizens at £719 under the reciprocity rules, against £516 for the non-lucrative visa. It is not refundable if the visa is refused.
Add the FCDO Apostille fees (£45 per document by post or £35 as e-Apostille), the ACRO certificate fee, sworn translation per document, health insurance for the year unless you use the S1, and the BLS service charge. Budget for two to four Apostilled documents for a single applicant and more if family members come with you.
| Item | Indicative cost | Charged by |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish national visa fee | £719 for British citizens (work and telework visa, reciprocity rate, consulate fee list from 1 January 2026); non-refundable | Spanish Consulate via BLS |
| BLS service charge | £14.85, plus optional courier and SMS | BLS International |
| ACRO Police Certificate | £70 including one copy; £7.75 per extra copy; up to 30 working days | ACRO |
| FCDO Apostille | £45 per document (paper) or £35 (e-Apostille), plus courier | FCDO |
| UK Notary Public certification (degree, copies, power of attorney) | Varies | Notary Public or NotaryPublic24 |
| Sworn Spanish translation | Per document or per page | Sworn translator |
| Health insurance for the year | Varies; not needed with a registered S1 | Insurer authorised in Spain |
After the visa is granted
The visa is valid for a maximum of one year. Register your address with the town hall (empadronamiento) once you arrive, since you will need it for later steps.
Before the year ends, apply to the UGE in Spain for the international teleworker residence permit, which can be issued for up to three years. If you stayed in the UK social security system on an A1, check its expiry date against your permit dates, because the A1 is time-limited.
Two practical points for UK nationals after arrival. First, digital nomad Spain taxes: once you become Spanish tax resident you can opt into the special expatriate regime known as the Beckham Law, which taxes Spanish employment income at a flat 24% up to €600,000, provided you apply within six months of registering with Spanish social security. Second, health insurance: if you used a private policy for the visa, keep it in force until you are covered by Spanish social security or a registered S1, because the UGE checks cover at renewal.
Where NotaryPublic24 fits in
We prepare UK documents for the FCDO e-Apostille: a notary certifies your Companies House certificate, degree or other public document as an electronically signed PDF, which is the format the FCDO requires for the two-day e-Apostille service. After you upload the document and verify your identity, you have a short video meeting with a UK Notary Public, who certifies the document electronically; this meeting applies to our UK notarization and FCDO Apostille services only. Details are on our UK Apostille page and the Apostille service overview.
After the Apostille, our translation service arranges the sworn Spanish translation. The ACRO certificate itself is applied for by you at ACRO; we can take it through the Apostille and translation steps once you have it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can UK citizens get the Spain digital nomad visa?
Yes. UK nationals are eligible as non-EU citizens and apply through the Spanish consulate for their region, in London through the BLS visa centre. The requirements are the same as for other nationalities, with UK-specific documents such as the ACRO certificate and the FCDO Apostille.
Is a DBS check accepted for the Spain digital nomad visa?
No. The Spanish Consulate in London specifically requires the ACRO Police Certificate, Apostilled by the FCDO and translated by a sworn translator into Spanish.
Do UK documents need an Apostille for Spain?
Yes. The UK left the EU, so UK public documents are not covered by the EU exemption and must carry an FCDO Apostille before the consulate accepts them. Private documents such as the employer letter and bank statements are not Apostilled.
Can I keep paying UK National Insurance while working from Spain?
For a temporary period, yes, with an A1 certificate from HMRC: form CA3822 for employees and CA3837 for the self-employed. The consulate asks for the A1 together with a responsible declaration to comply with UK social security obligations.
How long does the Spain digital nomad visa for UK citizens take?
The consulate must decide within 10 days of receiving a complete file. Preparing the file takes longer: the ACRO certificate, the FCDO Apostille (up to 25 working days by post, two working days as e-Apostille) and the sworn translation usually add up to two or three months.
How much does an ACRO Apostille cost and how long does it take?
The FCDO charges £45 for a paper Apostille on an ACRO Police Certificate, plus courier fees, and standard processing is currently up to 25 working days. ACRO certificates cannot receive the £35 e-Apostille. Add the ACRO fee of £70 and the sworn Spanish translation of the certificate and Apostille.