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Spain’s digital nomad visa, officially the visa for international telework, lets you live in Spain while working remotely for foreign companies; the 2026 income bar is €2,442 a month, twice the Spanish minimum wage. You get the visa at a Spanish consulate for up to a year, then apply inside Spain for a residence permit of up to three years. Employees can also opt into the Beckham tax regime, a flat 24% on work income up to €600,000.
What decides most applications is who you work for, how you’re covered for Social Security, and whether you register for the tax regime in time. This guide covers each, with the figures for 2026.
Who qualifies for the digital nomad visa
The visa is for remote work done for companies located outside Spain, using only computers and telecoms (Ley 14/2013, article 74 bis). There are two kinds of applicant.
| Employee | Freelancer | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you work for | A company outside Spain, only | Clients outside Spain, plus Spanish clients up to 20% of your work |
| Relationship needed | At least 3 months with the employer before applying | Contracts with one or more foreign clients for at least 3 months |
| Company requirement | The company or group operating for at least 1 year | Same rule for the companies you work for |
| Qualifications | A university degree, vocational training or a recognised business school qualification, or 3 years’ experience | Same |
The employer must also confirm that you can work remotely. Time spent on Spain’s non-lucrative visa doesn’t count as proof of remote work, because that visa doesn’t allow work.
Spain digital nomad visa income requirement in 2026
The test is monthly income from your work of at least 200% of the minimum wage, which is €2,442 in 2026 (Washington consulate). The minimum wage is €1,221 a month this year, set by Real Decreto 126/2026, and family members add 75% of it for the first and 25% for each one after that.
| Household (2026) | Per month | About, in USD | About, in GBP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicant alone | €2,442 | $2,733 | £2,045 |
| Applicant and one family member | €3,357.75 | $3,758 | £2,811 |
| Couple and one child | €3,663 | $4,100 | £3,067 |
Dollar and pound figures are at the ECB rate for October 23, 2026, so recheck them against the current rate.
The income has to come from work, according to the immigration unit’s guidance; whether savings can top up a shortfall isn’t addressed, so don’t rely on them. For a household budget at that income, see the cost of living in Spain. Figures elsewhere such as €2,762 or €2,140 are earlier years’ amounts, and €2,849 spreads the wage over 14 payments rather than the consulate’s monthly figure.
Social Security: the requirement people miss
You must be covered by Spanish Social Security; employees can instead keep their home country’s cover under a Social Security agreement (UGE guidance). For an employee, that means either the foreign employer registers in Spain to enrol you, or you bring a certificate of coverage from home.
Both consulates accept home-country cover for qualifying workers, and our guide to moving to Spain from the UK covers the British side in more detail. The Washington consulate accepts a US certificate of coverage for employees, and the London consulate lists HMRC certificates for UK-registered workers. The immigration unit’s own guidance says self-employed applicants must register in Spain’s scheme for the self-employed, so British freelancers should confirm which applies to them before filing.
A worked example: a British employee of a UK company
Take a marketing manager employed by a London agency on £3,500 a month who wants to work from Valencia. Their pay is about €4,180 a month at the October rate, well above €2,442. The agency confirms in writing that the job can be done remotely, they’ve worked there for more than three months, and the company has traded for years. The open question is Social Security: they ask HMRC for a certificate covering work in Spain, rather than asking the agency to register as an employer in Spain.
Documents for US and UK applicants
The consulates ask for broadly the same set. The London consulate and Washington both list:
- A passport valid for at least a year, with two blank pages and issued in the last 10 years.
- A criminal record certificate: an FBI check for Americans, under six months old, apostilled and translated, or an ACRO certificate for Britons, usually under six months old.
- A declaration of no criminal record for the last five years.
- Proof of a degree or three years’ experience.
- Your contract or client contracts, the employer’s authorisation to work remotely, and proof the company has operated for a year.
- Proof of income and of Social Security cover.
- Health insurance with an insurer authorised in Spain, without copayments or waiting periods.
- Proof that you live in the consulate’s district.
Fees and processing times
The consulate decides on the visa within 10 working days, extendable if it asks for more; the in-country permit is decided within 20 days, and no answer counts as approval (articles 75 and 76).
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Visa, US citizens (Washington) | $190 | From January 1, 2026; revised quarterly |
| Visa, UK citizens applying in Washington | $963 | Britons applying in London pay the London fee in pounds |
| Residence permit (form 790, code 038) | €73.26 | Paid online before filing |
How to apply, step by step
- Compare your income and work relationship with the requirements, with a margin for exchange rates.
- Arrange Social Security cover: a certificate from home, or your employer’s registration in Spain.
- Gather and legalise documents, including apostilles and sworn translations.
- Apply for the visa at the consulate for where you live; people already legally resident in Spain can apply for the permit online instead.
- Move to Spain and work on the visa for up to a year.
- Apply for the residence permit online in the 60 days before the visa expires.
- Register for the Beckham regime within six months of your Social Security start date, if you want it.
The Beckham regime for digital nomads
Remote employees on this visa can choose to be taxed under Spain’s special regime for incoming workers: 24% on income up to €600,000 and 47% above, for the year you move and the next five (Ley 35/2006, article 93). You mustn’t have been a Spanish tax resident in the previous five years, and you opt in on form 149 within six months of the start date on your Social Security registration (Agencia Tributaria).
The law names employees with the telework visa explicitly. Whether freelancers on this visa can use it is less clear, so self-employed applicants should get advice before counting on it. Under the regime you’re taxed much like a non-resident, without the usual personal allowances, so compare it with ordinary rates for your salary. Americans also keep their US filing obligations; our guide to moving to Spain from the USA covers that side.
Renewal, family and long-term residence
The residence permit lasts up to three years, and renewals add two years at a time while you still meet the conditions (article 74 quinquies). Renewals are filed online; filing up to 90 days late still keeps the permit valid, though it can lead to a fine.
Your spouse or partner, children and dependent parents can apply with you or later, and they’re allowed to work in Spain without restriction, which the main applicant isn’t. Long-term residence normally needs five years of legal residence under the immigration regulation, and citizenship ten under article 22 of the Civil Code; how telework years count toward these hasn’t been confirmed in official guidance.
Spain vs Portugal for remote workers
Spain’s income bar is lower than Portugal’s: €2,442 a month against €3,680 for Portugal’s digital nomad visa. Spain also offers the Beckham regime to remote employees, while Portugal’s residence permit lasts two years before renewal against Spain’s three. Compare both with the other routes in our overview of Spain visas.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to common questions from remote workers.
How much income do I need for Spain’s digital nomad visa?
At least €2,442 a month in 2026, 200% of the minimum wage, plus €915.75 for the first family member and €305.25 for each extra one.
Can freelancers get the Spanish digital nomad visa?
Yes, with clients mainly outside Spain. Work for Spanish clients can’t exceed 20% of your professional activity.
Can I apply from inside Spain?
People legally resident in Spain can apply for the residence permit online without a visa. Whether a visa-free visitor can do the same isn’t confirmed, so check before relying on it.
How long does the Spanish digital nomad visa last?
The visa lasts up to a year; the residence permit up to three years, renewable for two years at a time.
Do digital nomads get the Beckham law?
Remote employees can opt in: a flat 24% on work income up to €600,000 for six tax years, if they apply within six months. Freelancers should take advice first.
Can my family work in Spain?
Yes. Family members on the visa can work without restriction.
Spain’s digital nomad visa works best for employees of established foreign companies and freelancers with mostly foreign clients: clear €2,442 a month, sort out Social Security cover before you apply, and register for the Beckham regime within six months if it suits your salary.
Sources
- Ley 14/2013 (support for entrepreneurs), consolidated text
- Digital nomads: frequently asked questions
- Real Decreto 126/2026 (minimum wage for 2026)
- Telework visa (Washington)
- Digital nomad visa (London)
- Ley 35/2006 (Personal Income Tax Act), article 93
- Special regime for displaced workers: deadline to opt in
- Real Decreto 1155/2024 (Immigration Regulation)
- Civil Code, article 22
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Immigration and tax rules change often and depend on your circumstances. Check the official sources above and speak to a licensed professional before you apply or move. Read how we research and review in our editorial guidelines.
Related guides
Cost of living in Spain: household spending, prices and bills in 2026
Spain non-lucrative visa: the income test, the no-work rule and how to apply
Moving to Spain from the USA: visas, taxes in two countries, healthcare and driving
Moving to Spain from the UK: visas, healthcare, pensions and tax after Brexit