Digital Nomad Visa in Spain: routes, conditions and documents

The route commonly called the "digital nomad visa" is the international teleworking framework introduced by Spain's law on support for entrepreneurs and internationalisation (Law 14/2013). It is aimed at non-EU nationals who carry out their work remotely, using exclusively telematic means, for companies or clients located outside Spain.

It is not a tourist status and it is not a general work permit for the Spanish labour market. The authorisation is tied to the specific remote working relationship you document in the application.

Your application changes depending on how you work. Choose the profile that best describes your current relationship.

The framework can be accessed in two distinct ways, and they are not interchangeable.

1. Consular visa. Applied for at the Spanish consulate with jurisdiction over your place of residence, before travelling. This route is used when you are outside Spain. The visa allows entry and an initial stay, and its validity is shorter than the residence authorization granted from within Spain.

2. Residence authorization applied for from Spain. Where the applicant is legally present in Spain — for example during a lawful stay — the application can be filed with the competent unit in Spain. When granted, the residence authorization is valid for a longer initial period than the consular visa and is renewable while the conditions continue to be met.

Because the two routes have different durations, different filing bodies and different follow-up steps after arrival, the choice should be made before any document legalisation begins. The precise validity periods applicable to your case should be confirmed against the current official guidance, as they depend on the route and on your circumstances.

Beyond the profile conditions above, the file is assessed on:

• Social Security position. The file must show how coverage is resolved — either registration in the Spanish system, or a certificate of applicable legislation issued under an international agreement where one applies, together with the employer's commitment where relevant.
• Sufficient means, health coverage and criminal-record evidence, in line with the general requirements applicable to this framework.

The financial thresholds are set by reference to official indicators and can change. Confirm the current figures against the official sources below rather than relying on numbers repeated in blogs.

What should you have clear before collecting documents? Which foreign company or clients the file is built around, whether any family member is included, and which documents will need apostille, legalisation or sworn translation. Files usually stall on one of those.

The document pack usually requested:

• Valid passport with sufficient remaining validity.
• Employment or professional-services contract, plus a letter from the employer or client confirming the remote-work arrangement described above.
• Evidence of the foreign company's registration, prior activity and the length of your relationship with it, and of your qualification or professional experience (see conditions above).
• Social Security documentation resolving the position described above.
• Criminal-record certificate covering the required period of prior residence, legalised or apostilled and officially translated where required.
• Private or public health insurance with full coverage in Spain, where required for your route.
• Evidence of financial means for the applicant and any family members.
• Proof of the applicable fee.

Legalisation, apostille and sworn-translation requirements depend on the issuing country and the receiving office. Start those steps early: they are the most common cause of delay.

The framework allows certain family members — typically a spouse or equivalent partner, dependent children and, in some cases, dependent ascendants — to apply jointly with the main applicant or to join later.

Family applications require additional evidence: proof of the family relationship, additional financial means for each accompanying person, health coverage and, where applicable, criminal-record certificates for adult family members. Whether a family member's own work rights arise depends on the authorisation granted, not on the family link alone.

If you entered with a consular visa, you will normally need to complete the follow-up steps in Spain: registering your address with the town hall (empadronamiento) where required, and applying for the physical residence card (TIE) within the period indicated in your resolution or visa.

If the residence authorization was granted from within Spain, the TIE application follows the notification of the favourable resolution.

The authorisation remains conditional on the situation you documented. If the employment relationship, the client structure or the remote-work arrangement changes substantially, the effect on the authorisation should be reviewed before the change takes place.

Applicants who intend to request the special regime for inbound workers must do so through the tax procedure, within its own time limits and subject to its own conditions. Getting individual tax advice before or shortly after arrival is strongly recommended, since eligibility depends on personal facts such as prior residence, income sources and family situation.

• Signing a new contract with the foreign employer shortly before applying, which can undermine the prior-relationship condition.
• Leaving the Social Security question unresolved and assuming a private policy alone answers it.
• Assuming an NIE or padrón registration is a substitute for the authorisation itself.

• Unidad de Grandes Empresas — Teletrabajadores de carácter internacional
• Unidad de Grandes Empresas — Autorizaciones y requisitos (Ley 14/2013)
• Unidad de Grandes Empresas — Solicitudes (electronic filing under Law 14/2013)

Thresholds and document lists are set by the competent authority and can change. Confirm the current position before preparing a file.