Spain Digital Nomad Visa - Requirements and Application

With the Visado para el Teletrabajo de Carácter Internacional - the digital nomad visa for short - Spain created a clear path in early 2023 for remote workers who live in Spain but work for foreign employers or clients. In Mallorca the visa is particularly popular with US, British, and Latin American tech professionals because it bundles residence rights, work authorisation, and an attractive tax regime into a single package. This guide explains who qualifies and how to apply in practice.

What the visa offers

The digital nomad visa is part of the Ley 28/2022 (Ley de Startups). It replaces the old need to either enter on a Visado no Lucrativo (no working allowed) or arrange a Spanish employment contract. The main features:

• Residence and right to work in Spain for 1 year initially, renewable in 3-year increments up to a total of 5 years.
• Right to work from Spain for foreign clients, including up to 20% of income from Spanish sources.
• Optional access to the Beckham scheme (Regimen especial para trabajadores desplazados).
• Family reunification possible from the outset within the same application.
• Freedom of movement throughout the Schengen Area.

Important: EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens do not need the visa. They register directly with the Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la UE (the green A4 document or green card). The Beckham scheme is available to them too, but only if there is a genuine employment relationship with a foreign company.

Requirements and income

For your application to succeed you must meet the following conditions:

1. Activity: Remote employment with a non-Spanish company, or self-employment with at least 80% of turnover from foreign sources.
2. Professional qualification: A university degree or at least 3 years of relevant professional experience in the same field.
3. Existing working relationship: The contract with your employer must have been in place for at least 3 months, and the company must have been active for at least 1 year.
4. Minimum income: 200% of the SMI, currently around 2,762 EUR gross per month. Add 75% or 25% of the SMI per family member.
5. Health insurance: A full policy from a provider licensed in Spain (e.g. Sanitas, Adeslas, Mapfre), or proof of public insurance in your home country.
6. Criminal record certificate: From every country where you have lived in the last 5 years, with Apostille and certified translation.
7. No illegal stays: Anyone who was in Spain without authorisation in the last 5 years will be refused.

Application process

There are two routes:

Option A - Applying from your home country

You apply for the visa at the Spanish consulate (e.g. Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt) in your country of residence. Processing time: 10 to 30 days. Once granted, you travel to Spain, and within 90 days you must register with the Empadronamiento (local register) and apply for the TIE card (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero).

Option B - Applying from within Spain

You enter Spain visa-free (possible for many non-EU countries) and apply directly from Spain for the residence permit through the UGE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas) in Madrid. Processing time is legally capped at 20 working days; in practice 4 to 8 weeks is normal. The advantage: you receive a 3-year permit straight away rather than a 1-year visa.

Step by step:

1. Assemble your dossier: passport, contract, proof of income, criminal record certificate, health insurance, company certificate, CV, proof of qualification.
2. Online application: via the Sede Electronica of the Ministerio de Inclusion, Seguridad Social y Migraciones. Identification via digital certificate or through an authorised lawyer.
3. Pay the fee: Modelo 790 Codigo 052 (around 80 EUR).
4. Processing by UGE: if everything is in order, you receive the Resolucion by email.
5. Empadronamiento in Mallorca: register at the Ayuntamiento of your town as soon as you are in Spain.
6. NIE and TIE card: book an appointment at the Comisaria in Palma. The card is issued within 4 to 6 weeks.
7. Register with Seguridad Social: if you work as an autónomo, registration happens in parallel.

Taxes under the Beckham scheme

Within 6 months of your Empadronamiento you can apply for the Regimen especial para trabajadores desplazados (commonly known as the Beckham scheme). Requirements:

• You were not tax resident in Spain in the last 5 tax years.
• You are being "posted" to Spain through your employment relationship, which is considered fulfilled under the digital nomad visa.
• The application is made with Modelo 149 via the Agencia Tributaria, ideally with the support of a Gestoria.

If approved, the following rules apply for the next 6 years:

• Employment income: flat tax of 24% up to 600,000 EUR, 47% above that. Foreign income is included.
• Other foreign income: tax-free, except for capital gains.
• Wealth tax: only applies to assets located in Spain.
• Inheritance and gift tax: Spanish rules continue to apply, though the Balearics offer generous exemptions for direct relatives.

Residence and renewal

The visa is valid for 1 year initially (consulate route) or 3 years (UGE route). Renewals are possible as long as the conditions continue to be met. The scheme:

Phase	Duration	Requirement
Initial visa	1 or 3 years	All original criteria
First renewal	3 years	Continuing minimum income, health insurance
Second renewal	2 years	Total residence under 5 years
Permanent residency	indefinite	5 years of legal residence in Spain
Citizenship	after 10 years	Requires giving up your current citizenship (except for Latin American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Portugal, and Israel)

A switch to other residence categories is also possible, for example if you set up a Spanish company or take up a local employment.

Alternatives for EU citizens

If you are German, Austrian, or Swiss, you do not need the digital nomad visa. The route for you is:

• Empadronamiento at the Ayuntamiento of your town.
• Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la UE at the Comisaria in Palma.
• Registration as an autónomo or local employment.
• Beckham scheme: available to EU citizens, provided there is a genuine change of employer or a posting.

This route is considerably faster (often 1 to 2 weeks) and cheaper. Anyone working purely remotely for a German GmbH should clarify with a tax adviser and Gestoria whether the Beckham scheme applies, as interpretation varies between authorities.

Spain's digital nomad visa is a practical way to bring highly qualified remote workers to the island on a long-term basis. If you prepare your application carefully and use the Beckham regime, you can build an attractive tax position and reliable residence status without losing your European footing.