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How to apply for Spain's digital nomad visa
Spain's "international teleworking" permit has two doors: a consular visa if you're abroad, or a residence permit filed online if you're already in Spain legally. Here's each step, from the Ministry of Inclusion and the law itself.
- Income
- €2,849/month gross
- In-Spain fee
- €73.26
- Decision
- 10 working days (visa) · 20 days (in Spain)
- Stay
- Visa 1 yr · permit up to 3 yrs, +2-yr renewals
Pick your route
Route A: you're outside Spain (consular visa)
- Check you qualify: you work remotely for a company outside Spain, or as a freelancer mostly for foreign clients (Spanish clients can be up to 20% of your work), and you have a degree or 3 years' experience.
- Gather the documents below and get foreign documents translated and apostilled.
- Apply for the visa for international teleworking at the Spanish consulate responsible for where you live. Ley 14/2013 says the consulate decides within 10 working days.
- The visa is valid for up to 1 year and is enough on its own to live and work remotely in Spain while it lasts.
- To stay on, apply in Spain for the residence permit in the 60 days before the visa expires (Route B, step 3 onward).
Sources: Ley 14/2013, arts. 74 bis to 76 (BOE consolidated text) ↗, Ministry of Inclusion (UGE): digital nomad FAQs ↗ · read Nov 2, 2026
Route B: you're already in Spain legally (residence permit)
- Make sure you're in Spain legally (for example within your visa-free stay, or on the teleworking visa). If you're abroad, use Route A.
- Gather the documents below.
- Pay the €73.26 fee online (form 790, code 038) and file the application electronically with the UGE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos).
- The UGE has 20 days from electronic filing to decide. If it doesn't, the law treats the application as approved (silencio positivo). While the application is pending, your current legal stay is extended until the decision.
- If you're approved for more than 6 months, apply for your foreigner ID card (TIE).
Sources: Ley 14/2013, arts. 74 bis to 76 (BOE consolidated text) ↗, Ministry of Inclusion (UGE): information and documents for the main applicant ↗, Ministry of Inclusion (UGE): digital nomad FAQs ↗ · read Nov 2, 2026
What you'll need
Documents checklist (11 items)
- The signed application form (MIT form) and a legible copy of every page of your passport
- Proof you paid the fee (form 790 code 038): €73.26, paid online, for applications filed in Spain
- Your employment or professional contract, showing the relationship with the foreign company or client has lasted at least 3 months on the day you apply
- A letter from the foreign company authorising you to work from Spain, describing the role and duties, confirming it can be done remotely, and stating the salary in euros
- Proof the company or client has been active for at least 1 year (a registry certificate or equivalent)
- Payslips or invoices for the 3 months before you apply, plus a stamped bank certificate for the same months showing those payments arriving
- Your CV, plus a university degree or proof of at least 3 years of professional experience in the same kind of work
- A criminal record certificate from the countries you lived in during the last 2 years, plus a sworn declaration covering the last 5 years
- Social Security paperwork: a commitment to register in Spain after approval, or a certificate from your home system that covers remote work from Spain (see below)
- Health cover, unless you will join Spanish Social Security after approval (the official rule is quoted below)
- Sworn Spanish translations of foreign documents, legalised or apostilled where required
Consulates publish their own checklists for Route A and may ask for more, such as the national visa form and photos. Follow your consulate's list exactly.
Sources: Ministry of Inclusion (UGE): information and documents for the main applicant ↗, Ministry of Inclusion (UGE): digital nomad FAQs ↗ · read Nov 2, 2026
The income test, with family
€2,849 gross per month (€34,188/yr): 200% of Spain's 2026 minimum wage (SMI €17,094/yr). Some consulates calculate it on the 14-payment monthly SMI (€1,221), which gives €2,442/month, so plan for the higher figure.
The UGE sets the bar at 200% of Spain's minimum wage (SMI) for the holder, plus 75% of the SMI for the first family member and 25% for each additional one. All amounts are gross. If your pay is below the bar, the UGE accepts bank certificates showing savings that cover the gap for the whole permit. The 2026 SMI is €1,221 a month in 14 payments, or €17,094 a year (BOE).
Sources: Ministry of Inclusion (UGE): information and documents for the main applicant ↗, BOE: 2026 minimum wage (SMI) decree ↗ · read Nov 2, 2026
Health insurance: what the official rule says
The UGE's information sheet asks for public or private health insurance. You don't need it if you'll join Spanish Social Security after approval. If you stay in your home system under an agreement that covers healthcare, you give a certificate of entitlement from it; otherwise you need cover comparable to Spain's National Health System. The sheet says travel insurance, reimbursement-only policies, and policies with co-payments or waiting periods aren't accepted. We don't recommend or compare policies.
Source: Ministry of Inclusion (UGE): information and documents for the main applicant ↗ · read Nov 2, 2026
After approval
Social Security, ID card and renewals
Social Security: unless you hold a home-country certificate of applicable legislation, register after approval and before you start working in Spain: employees in the General Scheme, freelancers in RETA. The UGE warns that skipping it can be grounds for ending the authorisation, and once registered you pay contributions.
TIE card: needed if your permit is for more than 6 months.
Renewal: the residence permit lasts up to 3 years (less if your work period is shorter) and can be renewed for 2-year periods while you still meet the conditions. Renewals are filed electronically, and filing extends your current permit until the decision.
Sources: Ley 14/2013, arts. 74 bis to 76 (BOE consolidated text) ↗, Ministry of Inclusion (UGE): information and documents for the main applicant ↗ · read Nov 2, 2026
Not legal or tax advice. Spain's consulates and the UGE decide every application. Check the official pages before you rely on anything here.
Quick answers
How do I apply for the Spain digital nomad visa?
There are two routes. From outside Spain, you apply for the international teleworking visa at the Spanish consulate for where you live; it is valid for up to 1 year. If you are already in Spain legally (for example as a visitor), you apply online to the Ministry of Inclusion's Large Companies Unit (UGE) for a residence permit of up to 3 years (boe.es and inclusion.gob.es, read Nov 2, 2026).
How much income do I need?
€2,849 gross per month (€34,188/yr): 200% of Spain's 2026 minimum wage (SMI €17,094/yr). Some consulates calculate it on the 14-payment monthly SMI (€1,221), which gives €2,442/month, so plan for the higher figure. The holder needs 200% of the minimum wage, plus 75% for the first family member and 25% for each additional one; amounts are gross (inclusion.gob.es and boe.es, read Nov 2, 2026).
How long does a decision take?
Ley 14/2013 says consulates decide teleworking visa applications within 10 working days. For residence permits filed in Spain, the UGE has 20 days from electronic filing; if it doesn't answer in time, the application counts as approved (silencio positivo) (boe.es, read Nov 2, 2026).
How much does it cost?
€73.26 for initial residence-permit applications filed in Spain (paid online); consular visa fees vary by nationality. Translations, apostilles and certificates cost extra and vary (inclusion.gob.es, read Nov 2, 2026).
Can freelancers apply?
Yes. Freelancers need a professional contract of at least 3 months with their foreign client or clients, and can do up to 20% of their total work for Spanish companies (boe.es and inclusion.gob.es, read Nov 2, 2026).
Can I apply from inside Spain as a tourist?
For the residence permit, yes, if you are in Spain legally. Ley 14/2013 art. 74 quinquies lets foreigners who are in Spain regularly, or who came on the teleworking visa, apply for the residence permit from inside Spain (boe.es, read Nov 2, 2026).
How long does it last, and can I renew it?
The consular visa is valid for up to 1 year. From 60 days before it expires you can apply in Spain for the residence permit, which lasts up to 3 years and can be renewed for 2-year periods while you still meet the conditions (boe.es, read Nov 2, 2026).
Do I need to register with Spanish Social Security?
Yes. Unless you stay covered by your home country's system. Employees commit to join Spain's General Scheme, and freelancers the self-employed scheme (RETA), after approval and before starting work in Spain; the UGE warns that not doing so can be grounds for ending the authorisation. If a social security agreement with Spain applies, you can instead give a certificate of applicable legislation from your home system that expressly covers remote work from Spain (inclusion.gob.es, read Nov 2, 2026). We don't summarise tax rules.