Residency for digital nomads: visa and permit

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Information of interest

What do you need to know?

Spanish law defines an international digital nomad or teleworker as a person who carries out a remote working or professional activity exclusively via telematic means for companies located outside Spain.

If this is your situation and you have a degree or appropriate professional experience, you could apply for a visa, if you are still in your country of origin, or a residence permit, if you are already living in Spain legally.

The visa or permit is valid for working and living anywhere in Spain, and includes family members if they meet the age requirement established in employment regulations.

VERY IMPORTANT

In cases where you are undertaking a working activity, you may only work for companies located outside Spain.

In cases where you are undertaking a professional activity (as a self-employed person), you may work for a company located in Spain, provided that the amount of that work does not exceed 20% of your total professional activity.

Who does it apply to?

This is aimed at non-EU citizens who wish to live in Spain in order to develop a working or professional activity using only IT, telematic and telecommunication media and systems.

What is your current status?

You should be aware that, depending on where you are at the time of application (outside Spain or in Spain legally), the permit you should request in order to telework from Spain may vary.

If you are outside Spain, you must apply for the international teleworking visa.

If you are in Spain legally, you must apply for a residence permit for international teleworkers.

What requirements must be met?

Both the visa and the residence permit must be requested directly by the digital nomad, i.e., the teleworker or professional who wishes to telework in Spain. However, certain requirements must be met, relating to the person and also the company for which that person works or undertakes services.

Requirements for the teleworker

  • Not being in an irregular situation in Spain.

  • Being over 18 years of age.

  • Having no criminal record in Spain or in the countries where you have resided during the five years prior to your application.

  • Not being prohibited from entering Spain or being listed as liable to be refused entry in the territorial area of countries with which Spain has signed an agreement to that effect.

  • Having a prior and continuous three-month employment or professional relationship with one or more of the companies in the group you telework for.

  • Having a public or private health insurance policy taken out with an authorised insurance company operating in Spain (this is not necessary where there is no bilateral agreement with your country of origin, in which case you must register with the Spanish Social Security system).

  • Paying the fee for processing the visa or permit.

  • Having financial resources for you and the members of your family, in accordance with the following amounts:

    • Visa and residence permit holders: a monthly amount equivalent to 200% of the Spanish minimum inter-professional salary (for 2023, the minimum inter-professional salary is €1,080 a month).
    • Family units that include, with the holder and the reunited person, at least 75% of the minimum inter-professional salary. Where necessary, 25% of the minimum inter-professional salary will be required for each family member in addition to the two persons mentioned above.

Company requirements

  • Provide proof of the real, continuous activity of the foreign company or group with which the worker maintains a working or professional relationship, during a period of at least one year.
  • Authorisation, from the company, concerning the possibility of undertaking remote work from Spain, accrediting for this purpose, the profile of the post, the terms and other conditions under which the remote professional activity will be carried out.
  • Documenting the social security cover, including the worker's health cover (where applicable), by means of a certificate of coverage (if there is a social security agreement between Spain and the issuing country) or proof of the company's registration with Spanish Social Security and the commitment to register the worker

How long is it valid for?

The visa is valid for a period of 1 year, during which the worker may work from Spain until the expiry date.

Within a period of (60) calendar days before the visa expires, if the teleworker is interested in continuing to reside in Spain, they can apply for a residence permit for international teleworkers, without any need to apply for a new visa or any requirement concerning a prior period of residence.

The permit is valid for a period of 3 years, unless a shorter time period is requested.

The permit is renewable for periods of 2 years, provided that the conditions that created that right are maintained.

Can I bring my family with me?

Yes.

Your family members may accompany you on your trip and, at any time, they may apply for a permit or visa jointly or at a later stage. This condition applies to:

  • Spouse or unmarried partner

  • Children of the permit holder, or of their legal partner who are below legal age, or who are of legal age and depend on the holder or their partner financially and have not yet formed a family unit

  • First-degree dependent relatives of the holder or their legal partner

What do you need to do?

What steps must you follow?

IN PERSON. APPLYING FOR A VISA

Step 1. Download, fill in and sign the national visa application form, specifying your reason for travel. If you are travelling with your family, remember to download, fill in and sign a national visa application form for each family member and then apply for the visa together.

Step 2. Request an appointment at the diplomatic mission or consular office in your country of residence. The visa must be applied for in person. Only exceptionally, and for justified reasons, may the consulate allow the application to be submitted by a duly accredited representative.

Step 3. Pay the corresponding fee for the international teleworker residence visa. You can find the fee rate below.

Step 4. Submit the required documentation to apply for the visa directly to the diplomatic mission or consular office in your country of residence.

Step 5. Receive or collect your visa. Once the documentation has been validated, the fee paid and all the above requirements met, a decision will be issued regarding your residence visa for international teleworkers (digital nomads).

The diplomatic mission or consular office will notify you of the decision regarding your visa application by email. Depending on which country you are in, you may receive it at home or you may have to travel to pick it up in person at the diplomatic mission or consular office of your country.

If the visa has been refused, you will receive a notification.

 

ONLINE. APPLYING FOR A PERMIT

Step 1. Fill in the application form

  • You must download and fill in the permit aplication form MI-T. You must attach the document after the application. The official form is only available in Spanish. In order to help fill in the form, it has been translated into different languages for informational purposes only:
  • If you are travelling in the company of family members, you must also download, fill in and sign the relevant application form for relatives MI-F for each one in order to apply for a permit jointly. The official form is only available in Spanish. In order to help fill in the form, it has been translated into different languages for informational purposes only:
  • Before the application period begins, consult and prepare the documentation that you will be asked for.

Step 2. Pay the fee

  • You must pay the established fee before submitting the application.
  • To be able to pay the relevant fee (fee 038 relating to standard form 790), fill in the fields of the form (indicating the method of payment) and download it.
  • The form 790 for fee 038 allows payment to be made in cash (by depositing the fee at a bank in a Public Treasury account) or by direct debit from a current account (whose number you will have to provide).
  • To do so, you must identify yourself by means of the digital certificate FNMT-RCM, or through the Cl@ve PIN (PIN code) or Cl@ve Permanente (Permanent code) system.

Step 3. Register the application, attach the documents and sign it.

  • Once you have filled in the form and paid the fee, you must access the procedure "Submission of applications for residence permits for international mobility regulated by Law 14/2013", from the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE-CE). 
  • Select the "Alta de solicitud" option to start the process and register your application.
  • To do so, you must identify yourself by means of a digital certificate, or through the Cl@ve PIN (PIN code) or Cl@ve Permanente (Permanent code) system. You must accept that the signature applet is executed in order to continue with the application.
  • When the identification is validated, you access the page where you must select the type of application you wish to make, in this case, the initial application. At the top of the page you will find the personal data you must fill in (country, address, postcode and telephone number).
  • At the bottom, you will see the mandatory documents that must be attached (detailed below). You can also attach any complementary documents that you consider appropriate.
  • When everything is correct, tick the consent box for the computer processing of the data and click on the "Sign" button.
  • Once the application has been made, you will be informed of its submission number and you will be able to download the file with the signed application and acknowledgement of receipt. Remember that it is important to keep the number in order to be able to consult the status of the application in the future.

Step 4. Receive notification of the decision

  • Within the established period, a decision will be made on your residence permit.

  • You will receive it at the email address you indicated when submitting the application

Who can make applications?

In the case of a visa, the applicant. Only exceptionally, and for justified reasons, may the diplomatic mission or consular office of your country allow the application to be submitted by a duly accredited representative.

A permit application may be submitted by the foreign national or a duly accredited representative.

What documentation is needed?

VERY IMPORTANT

The documents provided must be translated into Spanish by means of sworn translation and be correctly legalised. In the case of multilingual standard EU forms, neither translation nor legalisation is required.

The form of legalisation will depend on whether the issuing country has signed the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 or not:

If the country issuing the public document is a signatory, the document will be recognised if it bears the Hague Apostille stamp. The certificate will be processed in the country of origin.

If the country issuing the public document is not a signatory, then the legalisation process will be carried out through diplomatic channels.

Get more information about document legalisation and translation.

DOCUMENTATION FOR VISAS AND PERMITS:

  • A criminal record certificate from the country or countries where you have resided during the last 2 years, in regard to crimes provided for in the Spanish legal system. Moreover, you must submit a declaration of compliance that you have not had a criminal record in the last five years. (The above is not applicable if your are the holder of a permit authorising residence or a stay in Spain of over 6 months, as you will already have provided it in order to obtain that permit).
  • Public or private health insurance policy taken out with an authorised insurance company operating in Spain (this will not be necessary where there is no bilateral agreement with your country of origin, and you must therefore register with the Spanish Social Security system). Travel insurance policies are not accepted. (The above is not necessary if you are registered with Spanish Social Security system).
  • Having a graduate or postgraduate degree from a university, professional training or business school of recognised prestige. If you do not have that qualification, a letter of experience signed by your current or previous employer that certifies professional experience of at least 3 years for analogous functions to those you would perform in the post. In the event of performing regulated professions, you must show that the qualification has been recognised.
  • The last three payslips from the company with which the teleworker maintains a working relationship; if the person is a professional and not a salaried worker, an analogous document or certificate from the company proving that there has been a professional relationship of over 3 months.
  • Certification of the foreign company (e.g., by means of a document issued by the corresponding Commercial Registry) proving that the company or group of companies has had real and continued activity for at least one year.
  • In the event of an employment relationship, authorisation from the company, concerning the possibility of undertaking remote work from Spain, accrediting for this purpose, the profile of the post, the salary to be paid, the terms and other conditions under which the remote professional activity will be carried out.
  • In the event of a professional relationship, analogous documents accrediting the terms and conditions under which the remote professional activity will be performed (e.g., via a letter signed by a client, among other documents).
  • In the event of an employment relationship, you should provide the employment contract or a binding job offer; in the event of a professional activity, a commercial contract corresponding to the activity pertaining to the authorisation (notwithstanding the above, you may use other analogous documents, depending on the situation).
  • Where there is a Social Security agreement between Spain and the issuing country, certificate of Social Security Cover, as well as a Declaration of Compliance, prior to the commencement of the employment or professional activity, showing commitment to compliance with Social Security obligations.
  • If there is no Social Security agreement between Spain and the issuing country, or it is not possible to issue one, you must accredit the foreign company‘s registration with Spanish Social Security, and you must attach a document undertaking to register the worker, in addition to the Declaration of Compliance mentioned above.

SPECIFICALLY FOR THE VISA:

In general, you must provide the original and a copy of each document.

The documentation listed below is for information purposes only, by way of minimum requirements, as the documentation required may vary depending on your country of residence. Each diplomatic mission or consular office may also require any additional documentation it deems necessary for the purposes of the decision regarding the visa. However, the general and specific basic documentation that you will have to provide is the following:

  • National visa application form (long-stay).

  • Identity document or passport.

  • Receipt for fee payment.

SPECIFICALLY FOR THE PERMIT:

  • Signed permit application form.

  • Copy of complete passport or valid travel document (all pages).

  • Receipt for fee payment.

How long does it take?

he application for the visa will be processed within 10 days.

The application for the permit will be processed within 20 days.

What does it cost?

For the visa, the fee is €60 (general rate). The fee may vary depending on the country. The visa fee payment method may vary depending on the country.

For the permit, the fee is €73.26. In certain cases, a reduction or exemption from the fee is provided for. However, it is important to know that the fee shall not be refunded if the application is refused.

Want to know more?

Body responsible for the formality

Further information

You can find more information on the Spanish Government Immigration Portal (only available in Spanish) and the website of the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE-CE).

Important linked procedures

Below are some examples of procedures that you need to complete subsequently:

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The procedures tend to change frequently. Therefore, only what is provided by the regulations in force at the time of carrying out the procedure in question is applicable.