The Spain Digital Nomad Visa: Explained
In January 2023, Spain introduced a Digital Nomad Visa to attract more foreign workers, and therefore, foreign income. It’s since become very popular and many people move to Spain to take advantage of this opportunity that Spain provides.
I’ve seen a lot of interest in this type of visa, and even though I am not eligible I’ve decided to find some more info for you all as this is really an attractive deal for digital nomads that are non-EU citizens.
In this blog post, I’ll explain what the Spain Digital Nomad Visa is exactly, what the requirements are and how to get it. Note that this information is valid at the time of writing and may be subject to change.
Quick links:
What is it?
So what is exactly the Digital Nomad Visa for Spain?
It’s a visa and residence permit for non-EU citizens, allowing them to live in Spain and work remotely from there for up to 5 years. The original validity of the visa is one year, but can be extended for up to 5 years.
What about taxes?
The tax advantages of this visa are really very attractive: It’s a flat 24% tax rate for up to €600,000 per year for the validity term of the visa.
However, after the 5 years have passed and you want to stay in Spain with a different visa, then these tax advantages will expire. There may be other tax advantages you can benefit of, but that’s best discussed with a tax advisor.
Who is eligible
Individuals that check the following requirements are eligible for the Spain Digital Nomad Visa:
Employed by a foreign company that allows them to travel and work remotely from a different place (you would need a letter from the company specifying that you’re allowed to work from Spain) OR,
Self-employed workers who get their income from outside of Spain
A yearly salary of at least €31,752
You have been working for the company for at least 3 months prior to your application (can also be on a freelance basis)
The company you work for should be in business for at least 1 year
You also need to show that you have enough experience and level of education either through your university diploma or showing that you’ve worked in your sector for 3 years.
You don’t have any past criminal records (you need to submit your past criminal record when you apply for this visa)
You have not lived in Spain for the past 5 years.
You need to get private health insurance that covers your stay in Spain (also check out my article on the Best Digital Nomad Insurances)
You will also need to pay an administrative fee of around €80 (depending also on which country you’re applying from)
There are some other conditions too:
You are allowed to get a part of your income from Spanish origin, however, that amount is limited to only 20% of your total income.
NIE & NIF Number
If you want to stay and work in Spain, you will need to get a Spanish identification number, which is called the “NIE” (Numero identification extranjero). You can apply for this at the Foreigner’s Office or at the police station and you need to bring your passport and visa, 3 passport photos, a completed application form (3 copies), Proof of address in Spain and the proof of payment of the administration fee (which is around 10-20 euros). You need to make an appointment to apply for the NIE.
On top of the NIE, you also need to get a NIF, which is your tax number in Spain. This one you can obtain via the Tax Agency in Spain, and you don’t need to have an appointment. You need to bring something called the “Form 030”, your passport, proof of Spanish residency, your tax identification number from your country of residency.
You need these numbers to be able to get a lot of important things in Spain, such as a bank account, a phone number, among others.
It can be quite a hassle to get the NIE and NIF sorted from what I gathered from different people. I would therefore advise you to use a (reliable!) third party service to help with this.
Can my family apply too?
Everything sounds great so far, but what about your family; can they come too?
Yes they can! With this visa, you can also bring your married or unmarried partner, as well as your kids. However, the minimum salary requirement does increase a little depending on how many family members you want to bring with you to Spain.
Family of 2 - €2,970 per month or €35,640 per year
Family of 3 - €3,240 per month or €38,880 per year
How long does it take?
This is where it gets a bit tricky - it seems that application can be completed pretty fast, but I’ve seen that some people have been waiting for quite a while.
Not much I can share here, but from what I found online is that once you’ve submitted all the documentation required, it will take up to 4-12 weeks to process and obtain your visa.
Once you’ve arrived in Spain you also need to take into account that you have to apply for your NIE and NIF (your Spanish tax ID) which can take anywhere from 1 - 6 months.
Where do I apply?
You can apply at the Spanish embassy in your country or enter Spain on a tourist visa and apply from there, before your 90 days tourist visa has expired.
Doing it from the Spanish embassy in your home country would probably be the most hassle free, as you don’t have the 90 days deadline if you do enter Spain first with a tourist visa.
Another option is using a representative to do the application for you, which may be even less hassle, although do make sure you have a reliable representative that has decent reviews, as there can be some dodgy ones out there.
One that I found online and seemed reliable is this one: Move To Spain Guide.
What if I want to stay in Spain after 5 years?
After your digital nomad visa has expired, and you can show that you lived in Spain for the 5 years consecutively, then you can apply for a permanent residency.
There are various visa available to help you stay longer in Spain, for example the Non-Lucrative Visa, which is however, more aimed towards retirees, who are non EU-citizens.
What's it like being a digital nomad in Spain?
I’ve been working remotely in Valencia, Spain for the past 5 years and it’s really an amazing lifestyle! Food is delicious and cheap, weather is good all year round and people are open and friendly.
There are many co-working spaces across Spain and because of it’s popularity for digital nomads and expats alike, there’s also a vibrant community of remote workers and internationals. Of course, mingling with the locals is a must, and it’s easy because the Spanish are so friendly! (especially in the South of Spain)
You can read more about the digital nomad life in Valencia in my Digital Nomad Guide for Valencia!
Need a private health insurance for Spain?
To be eligible for the Digital Nomad Visa in Spain you also need to have a private health insurance. My favourite is SafetyWing, which is a service specifically designed for Digital Nomads. I think the value for money is definitely very good.
Safety Wing has a specific health insurance that is a good fit for the Spain Digital Nomad Visa, which is called Nomad Health. It is a fully-equipped health insurance that includes access to routine and preventive healthcare, mental health and complementary therapies. It is specifically made for remote workers and freelancers that live in another country for extended periods of time.
➡️ You can check out the Nomad Health Policy by SafetyWing here.
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