Live and Work Remotely in Spain
The digital nomad visa in Spain is a type of residence permit hat is specifically designed for remote workers. Therefore it’s also known as the “remote working visa”. As of December 23, 2022, Spain has become one of the digital nomad visa countries with the related legislation going into effect.
Before the new legislation, people who are working remotely from Spain had to apply for other types of visas for residency. In that aspect, the non-lucrative visa was one of the most preferred options for a temporary residence permit. However, the other visa types, including the non-lucrative visa, were not really suitable for remote workers and had some disadvantages.
The Digital Nomad Visa program of Spain aims to remove these disadvantages and facilitate the lives of people remote working in Spain.
Key Benefits
The holders of the Spanish digital nomad visa will be eligible for traveling to all EU countries. In addition to working in Spain, it will give applicants an opportunity to get to know Spain and other European countries with a temporary residence permit in Spain.
What are the General Requirements and Documentation for Spanish Digital Nomad Visa?
The general requirements for applying for a Spanish digital nomad visa are more related to the working conditions of the applicant rather than their
financial situation. The digital nomad visa does not require the applicants to make a significant amount of investment. Here are the basic
requirements for applying for a Spanish digital nomad visa;
• The applicant should be able to work remotely, and the employer(s) should permit the applicant to work remotely from Spain.
• The employer(s) of the applicant should be outside of Spain.
• The applicant should have worked remotely for at least a year and with the same company/employer for at least 3 months.
• If the applicant is a freelancer/self-worker, he/she should have at least one employer outside of Spain.
• If the applicant plans to work in Spain as well, he/she should be earning at least 80% of his/her income from the jobs he/she has been working outside of Spain.
The basic documents needed for applying for this freelance visa are as follows;
• Proof of remote working relationship and authorization to work from abroad. The form of this documentation may change depending on the attributions of the work/sector. It’s best to learn directly from authorities which documents are accepted.
• Apostilled criminal record certificate.
• Bank documentation proving that the applicant has sufficient funds to live in Spain.
• Private Spanish health insurance certificate.
• Passport valid for at least one more year.
• Application form.
• Proof of accommodation in Spain.
• Photos
How Long is the Validity of Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa?
According to the new legislation, Spain’s digital nomad visa’s validity will be one year with a right to renew it. Remote workers will be able to transform this into a temporary residence permit with a validity of 3 years after they arrive in Spain. After 3 years of living in Spain with a digital nomad visa, remote workers are able to renew their visa for 2 more years. Just like all visa types, digital nomad visa also enables their holders to apply for a permanent residence permit after 5 years of living in Spain. Lastly, after 10 years of residency in Spain with a valid residence permit, remote workers also earn a right to apply for Spanish citizenship. The key point here is that the remote worker/applicant should continue to meet the requirements stated in the legislation during their stay in Spain.