Spain · Visas and residence
Spain's digital nomad visa, in law the visa for international telework, lets non-EU citizens live in Spain while working remotely for companies based outside the country. For 2026 the main applicant must earn 200% of Spain's minimum wage, which consulates put at €2,442 a month, plus €916 for a first family member and €306 for each further one. The visa lasts up to a year; a permit applied for inside Spain lasts up to three years and renews for two at a time.
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See what fits →The visa was added to Ley 14/2013 by Ley 28/2022, in force since 23 December 2022 (arts 74 bis to 74 quinquies). It is for people from outside the EU, Britons and Americans included, who work remotely using only computers and telecommunications:
The Washington consulate adds that the work must be for a company: individuals, universities, foundations and other non-profits do not count. People who no longer work need the non-lucrative visa instead.
The test is set as a share of the salario mínimo interprofesional (SMI). Real Decreto 126/2026 fixed the 2026 SMI at €1,221 a month, or €40.70 a day, with effect from 1 January; its annual comparison figure of €17,094 equals fourteen monthly payments. The London and Washington consulates both apply the shares to the monthly figure.
| Who | Share of SMI | Per month | Over 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | 200% | €2,442 | €29,304 |
| First family member | +75% | €916 | €10,989 |
| Each further family member | +25% | €306 | €3,663 |
| Couple | 275% | €3,358 | €40,293 |
Monthly amounts are €1,221 times the share, rounded up as the Washington consulate does (exact: €915.75, €305.25, €3,357.75); the 12-month column uses exact figures. Applied to the annual €17,094 over 12 months, 200% would be €2,849 a month. We could not open the immigration unit's page to see which basis it uses in Spain, so ask if your income falls between.
The London consulate's checklist, dated May 2024, asks each applicant for:
Foreign documents need an apostille and, where requested, a Spanish translation. Applicants living in the US need an FBI record check with an apostille, and employees may use a US social security coverage certificate under the US–Spain agreement (Washington consulate).
You can apply at the Spanish consulate for the district where you live or, if you are already in Spain legally, including as a visa-free visitor, to the immigration unit for large companies and strategic groups (UGE-CE).
| Visa from a consulate | Permit applied for in Spain | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | In person at the consulate's visa centre (BLS in London) | Online to the UGE-CE |
| Decision deadline | 10 days, extendable for an interview or more documents | 20 days; no answer counts as approval |
| Length | Up to one year | Up to three years |
| Afterwards | Apply in Spain for a permit from 60 days before expiry | Renewals for two years at a time |
In London the 2026 visa fee for UK nationals is £719, plus £14.85 for the BLS service, and the visa must be collected within a month of approval; in Washington, US citizens pay $190.
Living in Spain on this visa normally makes you tax resident once you spend more than 183 days there in a calendar year (art. 9, Ley 35/2006), and residents are taxed on income wherever it arises (art. 2). A special regime for people who move to Spain to work, known as the Beckham law, is an alternative; what follows is official information, not a recommendation.
You may opt in if you were not tax resident in Spain in the five previous tax years, the move is for work, which the Agencia Tributaria says includes remote work on this visa, and you earn nothing through a permanent establishment in Spain. You opt on Modelo 149, online, within six months of the start date of your activity shown in your Social Security registration or coverage documents, and the regime covers the year you become resident and the next five.
Under the regime, non-resident rules broadly apply: employment income counts as Spanish wherever it is earned and is taxed at 24% up to €600,000 and 47% above, while dividends, interest and gains pay 19% to 28% (2025 rates). Your Spanish home carries imputed income even if you live in it, and wealth tax reaches only your Spanish assets.
Nothing here is advice: it describes the rules as of 2 November 2026. Checklists and fees change, so use your own consulate's current list and confirm your case with an independent immigration lawyer (abogado) and a tax adviser.
Buyers who no longer work should read about the end of the golden visa; the moving to Spain checklist covers the rest of the move, and Americans can turn to buying in Spain from the US.
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Talk to us about Spain →In 2026, 200% of Spain's minimum wage: consulates give €2,442 a month for the main applicant, plus €916 for a first family member and €306 for each further one. Spread over twelve months, the annual fourteen-payment total would give €2,849, so ask which basis applies if your income is close.
Yes. If you are in Spain legally, including as a visa-free visitor, you can apply online to the UGE-CE immigration unit for a telework residence permit instead of a visa. It lasts up to three years, the unit must decide within 20 days, and silence counts as approval. Renewals then run for two years at a time.
Yes. Employers and clients outside Spain, in the UK or elsewhere, are what the visa is for. Employees must work only for companies located outside Spain; the self-employed may also work for Spanish companies, provided that work is no more than 20% of their total professional activity. Private individuals and non-profits do not count as clients.
It can. The Agencia Tributaria says the special regime for people moving to Spain to work covers remote work on the international telework visa, if you were not tax resident in Spain in the previous five years. You opt on Modelo 149 within six months of starting work; employment income is then taxed at 24% up to €600,000, for six tax years.
A visa from a consulate lasts up to one year. From 60 days before it expires you can apply in Spain for a residence permit of up to three years, the same as a permit requested from inside Spain without a visa. Permits then renew for two years at a time.
Last checked 2026-11-02. Rules and rates change; this is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm your own position with an independent Spanish lawyer or tax adviser before you act.