How to apply for a Digital Nomad Visa in Spain: Do You Qualify?

The Digital Nomad is a Visa for NON-EU citizens who want to live in Spain while working remotely for a company located in another country. To qualify as a digital Nomad you need to be working “exclusively through the use of a computer and telecommunication media and systems”, which is the Government’s way of saying “online”. There are 2 different options for Digital Nomad Visas:

• Remote job: the employee must work for a company located outside the national territory a.k.a outside of Spain
• Professional activity (AKA Self-Employed): the worker is allowed to work for a company located in Spain as long as this activity does not exceed 20% of his total professional activity. This means that, if for for example you’re a freelancer, your professional activity in Spain must constitute less than 20%.

• You must have graduated from a prestigious university or business school, received professional training, or have work experience of at least 3 years
• Demonstrate you have sufficient financial means (minimum of €31,752 in annual salary)
• You need to have private health insurance with full coverage in Spain
• I’f you’re an employee, you must have been continuously employed for at least 3 months with the company for which you are working remotely. This company must also give you a certificate to authorize you to work remotely
• If you’re an employee, the company you work for must have been operating in the market for at least 1 year - i.e. It can’t be a brand new Startup
• If you qualify as “Professional activity”, you must prove that of your total income, the part coming from Spain does not represent more than 20%
• You must not have a criminal record

Obtaining a Digital Nomad Visa will give you more benefits than you think - Apart from being able to work from Spain, here’s all the things you get the right to with this visa:

• Freedom of movement as a European Union Citizen - You can travel to other countries in the Schengen Area with the same rights as EU citizens
• Pay a flat tax rate of 24% on your income via the Beckham’s Law, instead of a progressive rate up to 48%
• Be considered a non-resident for tax purposes for 5 years and avoid paying wealth tax
• No need to complete and submit the asset declaration model 720 - Less paperwork!
• Retain your Digital Nomad status for up to 3 years (with the option to extending to 5)
• The years under your Digital Nomad Visa count towards acquiring Permanent residence if you wish to in the future!

These benefits are applicable only to individuals who successfully obtain their Digital Nomad Visa and respective Tax Exemption via the Beckham’s Law. But don’t stress out, we can help you with both!

You can apply for a Digital Nomad Visa from inside the Spanish Territory, or from abroad. You will need to book an appointment at the embassy, and take the necessary documents and application forms filled in.

If you apply for a Visa at your home country’s consulate or embassy, it should take approximately 10 days for them to get back to you with a decision, and issuing your Visa. If you apply from within Spain, the timeline can vary based on the number of requests and time of the year, but it typically takes about 20 days for the residence to be granted.

Our relocation Advisors have created the perfect guide for applying for the Digital Nomad Visa. It includes a list of all the documents you will need to provide for your application, as well as step by step guidance for making the application.