The visa, aimed at people from countries outside the European Union including Britain, offers tax breaks and other incentives for people who can work remotely for a non-Spain based company. It offers a lower tax level, residence for up to five years with their families and visa-free travel across the European Union. The Spanish government hopes that it will be able to encourage more Britons to come to Spain especially as it eases the Brexit paper mountain.
Who can get a digital nomad visa for Spain?
The new Spanish visa for remote workers has been created for foreign employees from Non-European Economic Area (EEA) countries. People with EU passports or arriving from Schengen countries can already work remotely in the country for under 6 months of the year without needing to register officially.
For those arriving from non-EU countries the new digital nomad visa will allow applicants to apply who are either:
- Employed by non-Spanish companies
- Have an income with less than 20% earned from Spanish companies
The new visa will also ease the process of applying for residency on arrival. As it stands, it is necessary to register for a permit with local municipalities within 30 days of settling in Spain.
The digital nomad visa will be a perfect option for people working remotely as freelancers or entrepreneurs with multiple clients. It will also benefit people employed full time with foreign companies, with the ability to work from home or abroad.
How to apply for the Spanish digital nomad visa
It is not yet entirely clear how the visa for digital nomads will be acquired as the legislation is still under consideration by the Spanish parliament.
However, as the proposed authorization is a national visa for Spain, it is likely that applicants will have to attend a local consulate or Spanish embassy to register and obtain permission to work from the country.
How long does a digital nomad visa for Spain last?
The new Spanish digital nomad visa is expected to last for 1 year after approval. Additionally, under the current proposals, residents holding the visa will be able to renew it for a further 5 years if they continue to the meet the necessary requirements.
Can I use a Spanish tourist visa to work remotely?
Most countries, including Spain, don’t allow foreigners to work within their borders using a tourist visa. This is why the new visa for digital nomads is being introduced.
Before the digital nomad visa launches, it has been possible to get a non-lucrative visa to live in Spain. However, this limits the economic activity of workers and does not permit holders to find jobs in the country.
It is, of course, essential to only travel to Spain with the right visa for specific circumstances. Otherwise, the authorities could refuse to process any permits or authorizations to travel there in the future.
The proposed digital nomad visa for Spain creates an exciting new opportunity for remote workers and entrepreneurs to experience life in the country whilst earning a steady income. It also greatly simplifies many of the formalities needed to live and work in Spain for a few months, or up to a year.
23 comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
Go to any driving school and ask. The only thing they'll want is a NIE and residence card. There's plenty of international ones who will do everything in English. Because you waited, the 6 months may have expired, and you *might* get caught out by driving on your British licence, but that's nobody's fault but your own.
Morgan WilliamsRead the Embassy Website. We are into our 9th month of the driving ban. We arrived in Dec 2020, residency 3 months later. Too late to register with DGT. Did our Solicitor tell us, no. Tax resident, but still banned. Check your facts mate.
Martyn O'RourkeYes, we know how the tabloid headlines read. But to this day, nobody has been able to identify any such ban on Brits or anybody else. There is no such ban. Full stop. There are however, a small number of Brits who've been living full time in Spain for quite some time, who never bothered to get a Spanish licence. But they always could and still can. They just didn't bother. And that's what all the fury and outrage is about.
So as a resident, they will also be banned from driving after 6 months like thousands of us already here! Sounds like a reason to avoid Spain!
Ulla JacksonActually Madrid is more comfortable in summer than here as it’s a dry heat so much more bearable. And in winter it’s more comfortable too as you don’t get the humidity of Balearics (or Barcelona). Having lived for many years in all three places I speak from experience. I also think that both Madrid and Barcelona will be more appealing to most people of working age, especially younger people, than here. There’s far more going on and easier access to other parts of Spain.
...as predicted. Stick with me 😎
Morgan WilliamsWhat people are trying to point out to you is the fact that these nomads will get better deals than people who were born and live in Spain, jeez.
Stan The ManLegal residency is the whole point of it. You legally live and work here, pay taxes, etc.. Like normal people (which some will no doubt characterise as unfair) The 90 day tourist limit therefore doesn't apply. You're a resident, not a tourist.
Zoltan TeglasYes it's as Spanish Government initiative, but honest how do you know the majority will go to these places you mentioned, especially Madrid with sveltering heat in summer and cold in the winter. There are no restrictionists where they can settle, and as Mallorca is a popular place, I would not be surprise to see more of Nomads here. But you can always hope they won't come, as you normally object to foreign people who are not residents.
Morgan WilliamsYou have a way of writing a lot and saying nothing.