Spain’s digital nomad route lets non-EU remote workers live in Spain while they keep working for employers or clients abroad. It’s also widely misunderstood, partly because the income threshold moves every year with Spain’s minimum wage.
This 2026 update covers who qualifies, how much you need to earn now, bringing your family, and the two ways to apply.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Requirements and amounts change, so always check the official pages linked below, and your consulate’s own page, before you apply.
What is the Spanish digital nomad visa?
Officially, it’s the visa and residence permit for teletrabajo de carácter internacional (international remote work). It was created by Spain’s Startup Law, Ley 28/2022, published in the BOE on 22 December 2022 (Ley 28/2022, BOE), which added the remote-work rules to Ley 14/2013 on entrepreneurs (Ley 14/2013, BOE). It wasn’t launched in 2025, whatever you may have read.
It’s for non-EU nationals who work remotely for companies located outside Spain, using only computers and telecoms. Both employees and the self-employed can use it. If you’re self-employed, you may also work for Spanish clients, as long as that work doesn’t exceed 20% of your total activity (Plataforma ONE, Gobierno de España).
Who qualifies?
According to the government’s Plataforma ONE and the Secretaría de Estado de Migraciones, you need to show (Plataforma ONE; Ministerio de Inclusión):
- Qualifications or experience: a degree or postgraduate qualification from a recognised university, vocational training or business school, or at least three years’ experience in similar work.
- An established remote job: at least three months’ working relationship with your foreign employer or clients, and a company that has been operating for at least a year.
- Permission to work remotely: a letter from the company confirming you can do the job from Spain.
- A clean record: no criminal record in Spain or in the countries you’ve lived in during the last two years, plus a signed declaration covering the last five years.
- Health insurance: public cover, or private insurance with an insurer authorised in Spain. Travel insurance and policies with co-payments or waiting periods aren’t accepted. You don’t need it if you’ll be covered by Spanish Social Security.
- Social Security compliance: employees need their employer to register with Spanish Social Security, or a certificate from their home system if a bilateral agreement applies. Self-employed applicants register as autónomos (RETA).
- Be over 18 and not in Spain irregularly.
The 2026 income requirement
You must show monthly income of 200% of Spain’s minimum wage (salario mínimo interprofesional, SMI). The amounts are gross, before tax and Social Security (Ministerio de Inclusión).
For 2026, Real Decreto 126/2026 sets the SMI at EUR 1,221 a month (paid in 14 instalments, EUR 17,094 a year), backdated to 1 January 2026 (Real Decreto 126/2026, BOE). That gives:
| Who | Rule | 2026 amount (per month, gross) |
|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | 200% of the SMI | EUR 2,442 |
| First family member | + 75% of the SMI | + EUR 915.75 |
| Each additional family member | + 25% of the SMI | + EUR 305.25 |
So a couple would need EUR 3,357.75 a month, and a couple with one child EUR 3,663. Consulates apply the rule themselves and some present it differently (for example as an annual sum), so check your consulate’s page.
If your salary or invoices fall short, the Ministry accepts bank certificates showing savings that cover the gap for the whole period of the permit.
What to bring as proof: your last three months’ payslips or invoices, plus a stamped bank certificate showing those payments arriving.
Two ways to apply
Route 1: The visa from your home country
You apply at the Spanish consulate for the country where you legally live. The visa is valid for one year and lets you live and work in Spain without applying for a TIE during that time. Once your visa is granted, you have one month to collect it (Plataforma ONE). The fee depends on your nationality, so check your consulate’s fee list.
You also need an NIE, which you request at the same time as the visa (see our NIE guide for 2026).
To stay beyond the year, you apply for the residence permit from Spain within the 60 days before your visa expires (Ministerio de Inclusión).
Route 2: The residence permit from inside Spain
If you’re already in Spain legally (for example, during a regular short stay), you can apply directly for the residence permit online, through the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE), without going back for a visa. You pay the fee with Modelo 790 código 038 (Plataforma ONE: residence for digital nomads).
- Duration: up to three years, or less if your contract is shorter (Plataforma ONE; Criterio de gestión 2/2025, Ministerio de Inclusión).
- Decision time: Plataforma ONE gives 20 working days.
- Renewal: for further two-year periods, as long as you still meet the conditions (Ley 14/2013, art. 74 quinquies, BOE).
- TIE: once the permit is granted, you apply for your TIE card in person.
After five years of continuous legal residence, you can usually apply for long-term residence.
Bringing your family
Your spouse or registered partner, children under 18 (or older dependent children with a disability) and, in some cases, dependent parents can apply with you. Each one adds to the income requirement (see the table above). On the in-Spain route, each family member uses their own application form (MI-F) and you can submit them together. Family members’ permits also allow them to work in Spain (Plataforma ONE).
The steps, in order
- Gather your documents: the company letter, contracts, payslips or invoices, degree certificates and criminal records. Get foreign public documents apostilled and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator.
- Pay the fee and submit, either at your consulate or online to the UGE-CE.
- Wait for the decision: 20 working days for the in-Spain permit, according to Plataforma ONE. Consular timings vary.
- After approval: collect your visa within a month, or book your TIE appointment if you hold the permit.
Why applications get delayed
- Income below the threshold, or payments that don’t clearly match your payslips or invoices.
- The wrong insurance: travel cover or a policy with co-payments.
- Missing apostilles or sworn translations on foreign public documents.
The tax angle: the Beckham law
The digital nomad route links to Spain’s special tax regime for people moving here, often called the Beckham law. The Agencia Tributaria confirms that employees holding the telework visa can qualify, and under the regime work income is taxed at 24% up to EUR 600,000 (Agencia Tributaria). There are strict conditions and a six-month deadline to apply, and it works very differently for freelancers, so get advice before you arrive.
How Activities International can help
You can apply on your own. If you’d like support, our Digital Nomad Visa service starts with a free eligibility review, and our Digital Nomad Pack covers document preparation, translations, apostilles, the application, and TIE and padrón support after you arrive. If you’d rather prepare the file yourself and have it checked, our Spain VisaReady document check reviews everything before you submit.
FAQ
How much do I need to earn for the Spanish digital nomad visa in 2026?
EUR 2,442 a month gross for the main applicant (200% of the 2026 SMI of EUR 1,221), plus EUR 915.75 for the first family member and EUR 305.25 for each additional one.
Can I work for Spanish clients?
Only if you’re self-employed, and only up to 20% of your total work. Employees must work for companies outside Spain.
How long does the permit last?
The visa lasts one year. The residence permit lasts up to three years and can be renewed for two-year periods.
Can I apply from inside Spain?
Yes, if you’re in Spain legally. You apply online to the UGE-CE for the residence permit instead of the consular visa.
Last checked: October 2026. General information, not legal advice. Sources: BOE (Ley 28/2022; Ley 14/2013; Real Decreto 126/2026), Plataforma ONE (Gobierno de España), Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones (UGE-CE document guide; Criterio de gestión 2/2025), Agencia Tributaria.
