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.

There are two applicant profiles, and the evidence differs:

Employees. You work under an employment relationship with a company located outside Spain. The employer must allow the work to be performed remotely from Spain, and the work must be carried out for that foreign company. An employee applicant is not expected to be working for Spanish employers under this route.

Self-employed professionals. You provide professional services to companies or clients, and at least the majority of your activity is with clients outside Spain. Work with clients established in Spain is only possible within the statutory limit that applies to this route, expressed as a maximum share of total activity.

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.

The main conditions assessed in this route usually include:

• Prior activity of the company. The foreign company or client relationship must show real and continuous activity for a minimum period before the application.
• Prior relationship. The employment or professional relationship with the company or client must have existed for a minimum period before the application, rather than being created for the purpose of the file.
• Qualifications or experience. Applicants are generally expected to show either a relevant degree or professional qualification, or documented professional experience of the required duration.
• Remote-work capability. The role must genuinely be performed by telematic means.
• Social Security position. The file must show how social security 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 exact 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.

• Valid passport with sufficient remaining validity.
• Employment contract or professional services contract, plus a letter from the employer or client confirming remote work is permitted and describing the role.
• Evidence of the company's registration and prior activity.
• Evidence of the length of the employment or professional relationship.
• Degree, professional qualification or documented professional experience.
• Social Security documentation: certificate of applicable legislation, or evidence of registration or commitment to register in Spain.
• 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.

• Assuming the consular visa and the residence authorization filed in Spain are the same product with the same duration.
• Signing a new contract with the foreign employer shortly before applying, which can undermine the prior-relationship condition.
• Overlooking the limit on activity with Spanish clients for self-employed professionals.
• Leaving the Social Security question unresolved and assuming a private policy alone answers it.
• Obtaining criminal-record or civil documents without the required apostille or sworn translation.
• Relying on euro thresholds copied from older articles instead of the current official figures.
• Assuming an NIE or padrón registration is a substitute for the authorisation itself.

• BOE — Law 14/2013 on support for entrepreneurs and internationalisation (consolidated text)
• Large Companies and Strategic Collectives Unit — international teleworkers

Requirements, thresholds and validity periods are set by the competent authority and can change. Individual outcomes depend on the applicant's documented circumstances.