The Spain digital nomad visa lets non-EU remote workers live in Spain while working for companies outside the country. It was created by Law 28/2022, the Startups Law, and the official name is the visa or residence permit for international teleworkers (teletrabajador de carácter internacional). It is also called the Spanish digital nomad visa or the Spain remote work visa.
This guide follows the requirements published by the Spanish consulates in Washington and London for 2026. It covers who qualifies, the income threshold, the two application routes, and the part most guides skim past: which documents need an Apostille and a sworn Spanish translation before the consulate will accept them.
What the Spain digital nomad visa is
The visa is a national (long-stay) visa for people who work remotely for employers or clients located outside Spain, using only computer and telecommunication systems. It is not available to EU citizens or to people covered by EU law, who can already live and work in Spain.
There are two legal titles. The visa is issued by a Spanish consulate abroad and is valid for a maximum of one year. The residence permit is issued in Spain by the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE) and can be valid for up to three years, with renewals available after that.
During the visa period you do not need to obtain the Foreigner Identity Card (TIE). The visa itself is sufficient to stay and work remotely, according to the consulate in Washington.
Who can apply
You must be a non-EU national and either an employee of a company located outside Spain, or self-employed with clients outside Spain. Self-employed applicants may also work for Spanish companies, as long as that work is no more than 20% of their total activity.
The company you work for must have had real and continuous activity for at least one year. Your relationship with it must be at least three months old at the time of application and expected to continue for at least one year while you work from Spain.
The visa is for people who work for companies. It does not cover work for private individuals, international organisations, government agencies, universities, foundations, NGOs or other non-profit entities.
You also need to show qualifications: a graduate or postgraduate degree from a recognised university or business school, or at least three years of professional experience in your field.
Family members can apply with you: a spouse or unmarried partner, dependent children, and dependent relatives in the ascending line who are in your care.
Income requirement for 2026
The financial requirement is set as a percentage of Spain’s minimum wage (SMI), which is €1,221 per month in 2026. According to the Spanish consulate in Washington, the minimum amounts for 2026 are:
| Applicant | Share of SMI | Monthly minimum (consulate figure) | Monthly minimum (annual ÷ 12, used by many advisers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | 200% | €2,442 (about $2,900) | €2,849 |
| First family member | +75% | €916 (about
Income requirement for 2026The financial requirement is set as a percentage of Spain’s minimum wage (SMI), which is €1,221 per month in 2026. According to the Spanish consulate in Washington, the minimum amounts for 2026 are: |
€1,068 |
| Each additional family member | +25% | €306 (about $360) | €356 |
One point of confusion is worth knowing before you gather bank statements. The SMI is paid in 14 instalments a year, and several immigration advisers calculate the requirement on the annual figure, which gives €2,849 per month. The consulates publish the monthly figure of €2,442. If your income sits between the two numbers, expect questions, so aim to document the higher one.
Any evidence is accepted: an employment contract, a certificate from the company, payslips or bank statements. If your income is irregular, our guide on proof of income without pay stubs explains what else authorities accept.
Two ways to apply: consulate or UGE
Most applicants living outside Spain apply at the Spanish consulate for their district. Applications are submitted in person, by appointment, through BLS visa application centres in cities such as Washington and London. The consulate has a legal decision period of 10 days from the day it receives the file, extended if it asks for an interview or more documents.
If you are already legally in Spain, for example as a US citizen within your 90 visa-free days, you can skip the visa and apply directly to the UGE for the three-year residence permit. The UGE is required to decide within 20 working days, and applications are made online with a Spanish digital certificate, or through a legal representative in Spain who holds one.
Consulate applications require a NIE (foreigner identity number) before you apply; on the UGE route a NIE is assigned during the procedure if you do not already have one. The consulates in Washington and London both list it as a prerequisite, and it is assigned by the consulate or in Spain. If your NIE application needs an Apostilled, notarized document, our NIE Apostille and notarization service covers that step online.
Documents you need, and which ones need an Apostille
The consulate lists are long, but the documents fall into three groups: documents that need an Apostille plus a sworn Spanish translation, documents that need only a translation, and documents that need neither. For validity periods and the order of steps, document by document, see our Spain digital nomad visa documents checklist.
Apostille and sworn translation required:
- Criminal record certificate from every country you lived in during the past two years, issued within the last six months. US applicants must use the FBI Identity History Summary (see our guide to the FBI background check Apostille for Spain), UK applicants the ACRO Police Certificate (see the Spain digital nomad visa for UK citizens). EU-issued certificates are exempt from legalization.
- Company registration certificate showing the date of incorporation and the type of business, such as a certificate from the state Division of Corporations or Companies House. Our pages on the certificate of good standing and the certificate of incorporation explain how these are Apostilled.
- University degree, or documents proving three years of experience. See the degree certificate Apostille guide.
- Birth or marriage certificates and partnership registrations for accompanying family members.
- Power of attorney if a representative submits the application for you. Our power of attorney Apostille guide covers the format.
Spanish translation required, no Apostille mentioned:
- Company certificate confirming at least three months of employment, your salary and explicit permission to work remotely from Spain, or the contract terms if you are self-employed.
- Responsible declaration on social security obligations, which must be in Spanish or translated. The declaration of no criminal record in the past five years follows the same practice.
Neither Apostille nor translation:
- Passport, valid for at least one year with two blank pages and issued within the last ten years.
- Passport photo, visa application form and proof of residence in the consular district.
- Bank statements, payslips, health insurance certificate, and the A1 or S1 forms for UK applicants.
The Apostille must be issued in the country where the document was issued, and only countries in the Hague Apostille Convention can issue one (the current list of parties is kept by the Hague Conference). Documents from other countries go through the ministry of foreign affairs and the Spanish consulate there instead, as explained in our legalization vs Apostille guide.
The translation must be done by a sworn translator (traductor jurado) recognised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The translation does not need its own Apostille, and the Apostille does not need to be translated. The difference between translation types is explained in sworn vs certified translation.
Health insurance and social security
You need public or private health insurance from an insurer authorised to operate in Spain. The policy must cover everything the Spanish public system covers, for the whole period, with no co-payments, excess, waiting period or coverage limit. Travel insurance is not accepted.
Insurance is not needed if you can show coverage by Spanish social security. UK applicants can also use the S1 form registered with Spanish social security, and employees who stay in their home social security system show an A1 certificate (CA3822 for employees, CA3837 for the self-employed, issued by HMRC).
If you register in Spain instead, you provide proof of registration of the company or of yourself as self-employed (RETA), together with the responsible declaration to comply with Spanish social security obligations.
How to apply for the Spain digital nomad visa: step by step
The Spain digital nomad visa requirements are the same on both routes; only the office and the validity differ. Work through the steps in this order so that no document expires while another is still being legalized.
- Confirm eligibility and choose your route. Check the employer, income and qualification tests above, then decide between the one-year consulate visa and the three-year UGE authorization.
- Request your NIE. Consulates ask for the foreigner identity number before the visa application. You can request it at the consulate or through a representative in Spain with a notarized and Apostilled power of attorney.
- Gather company and income documents. Request the company registration certificate, the employer letter with explicit remote-work consent and salary, plus payslips or invoices and bank statements.
- Apostille every foreign public document. Company registration, degree, power of attorney and family certificates need an Apostille from the issuing country, and these can be handled online.
- Order the criminal record certificate so that it is still within six months at your appointment, and have it Apostilled by the competent authority (US Department of State for FBI reports, FCDO for ACRO certificates).
- Arrange sworn Spanish translations of every Apostilled document.
- Take out compliant health insurance and obtain your A1, certificate of coverage or Spanish social security registration.
- Submit the file. Consulate applicants book an appointment at the BLS visa centre for their district and pay the fee in local currency; UGE applicants upload the file through the Spanish government platform with a digital certificate or via a representative.
- Wait for the decision. Ten days at the consulate, twenty working days at the UGE. Collect the visa within one month of approval.
Fees, timing and what happens after approval
The visa fee depends on your nationality. From 1 January 2026 the consulate in Washington charges US citizens $190, other nationalities $106, and applies reciprocity rates such as $963 for UK citizens and $1,566 for Canadians. In London the fee is paid in pounds at the BLS centre; the consulate’s price list in force from 1 January 2026 sets the work and telework visa fee for British citizens at £719.
The consulate decides within 10 days of receiving the file. The visa is collected in person within one month of the decision, and the passport stays with the consulate during processing.
The visa is valid for up to one year. Before it expires you apply to the UGE for the residence permit, which can be granted for up to three years and renewed after that, provided you still meet the conditions.
Renewal, permanent residency and family members
The consular visa lasts one year and is converted into the three-year residence authorization through the UGE before it expires. The authorization is then renewed for two-year periods, up to a maximum of five years in total, provided you still meet the income, insurance and employer conditions.
Under Ley 14/2013 the UGE must decide on the initial application and on renewals within twenty working days, and an application with no answer in that period is deemed approved. After five years of continuous legal residence you can apply for long-term residence, and the years count towards the ten-year residence requirement for Spanish citizenship.
Family members can apply with you or join you later: a spouse or unmarried partner, dependent children and dependent parents. They receive a residence permit linked to yours, and adult family members are allowed to work in Spain. Each family member needs Apostilled and translated civil status documents.
Taxes in brief
Law 28/2022 opened the special regime for inbound workers, often called the Beckham law, to international teleworkers. Under it, Spanish employment income is taxed at a flat rate of 24% up to €600,000 for up to six years, and most foreign income other than employment income stays outside Spanish tax.
The regime has conditions, including not having been a Spanish tax resident in the previous five years, and you must opt in within six months of registering with Spanish social security. Speak to a Spanish tax adviser before you arrive rather than after.
Digital nomad visa or non-lucrative visa?
Remote workers often compare the digital nomad visa with the non-lucrative visa (NLV). The difference is simple: the NLV does not allow you to work at all, while the digital nomad visa is built around remote work. Both require Apostilled and translated criminal record and civil status documents.
| Digital nomad visa | Non-lucrative visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Work allowed | Yes, remote work for non-Spanish companies (up to 20% Spanish clients if self-employed) | No work of any kind |
| Income test 2026 | 200% of SMI (€2,442 per month) from work | 400% of IPREM in passive income or savings |
| Initial validity | 1 year (consulate) or 3 years (UGE) | 1 year, renewable for 2 years |
| Apply from inside Spain | Yes, via the UGE | No, consulate only |
| Special tax regime | Beckham Law available | Not available |
How NotaryPublic24 helps with the paperwork
The application itself is made by you or your lawyer. The part that causes most delays is getting the supporting documents legalized, and that is what we do online.
We notarize and Apostille the documents in the first group above, such as company certificates, degree certificates, civil status certificates and powers of attorney, through our Apostille service. Our translation service handles the sworn Spanish translation once the Apostille is in place.
We do not Apostille FBI Identity History Summaries, because federal documents are Apostilled by the US Department of State. Our separate guide to the FBI background check Apostille explains that process. For all other documents, our overview of relocation documents that need an Apostille or notarization is a good starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Spain have a digital nomad visa?
Yes. Spain introduced the visa for international teleworkers in Law 28/2022, in force since the end of 2022. It is available to non-EU nationals who work remotely for companies outside Spain and meet the income, experience and document requirements.
How long does the Spain digital nomad visa take?
The consulate has a legal deadline of 10 days from receiving the file, while the UGE decides on residence permits within 20 working days. In practice the longest part is gathering documents: an Apostilled criminal record certificate alone can take several weeks.
How much does the Spain digital nomad visa cost?
The consular fee for US citizens is $190 from January 2026, and $106 for most other nationalities, with higher reciprocity rates for some countries. British citizens pay £719 at the London consulate. Add the cost of the criminal record certificate, Apostilles, sworn translations and health insurance.
Can I apply for the digital nomad visa while in Spain?
Yes. Anyone legally in Spain, including visitors within their visa-free 90 days, can apply directly to the UGE for the residence permit instead of the visa. The permit is issued for up to three years rather than the one year a consular visa gives.
What is the income requirement for the Spain digital nomad visa in 2026?
200% of the Spanish minimum wage, which the consulate in Washington puts at €2,442 per month for 2026. Add €916 for the first family member and €306 for each further family member.
Can the digital nomad visa lead to permanent residency in Spain?
Time spent on the teleworker permit counts as legal residence in Spain. After five years of continuous legal residence you can apply for long-term residence, and after ten years for citizenship in most cases, subject to the general rules for each.