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Spain digital nomad visa 2026: income and requirements

One search term covers two different paths: a consular visa from abroad and a UGE residence authorisation for someone regularly in Spain.

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Which Spain digital nomad route and evidence apply to me?

  1. Confirm that the work fits the route

    The route is for adult third-country nationals who are not covered by EU free-movement law and whose work can be carried out remotely through the exclusive use of digital and telecommunication systems. An employee may work only for companies outside Spain.

    A self-employed professional must keep the qualifying professional relationship with a foreign company and may also provide professional services — never employment — to a company in Spain only when the Spanish work is no more than 20% of total professional activity.

    You also need an accepted qualification or at least 3 years of relevant professional experience.

    https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2013-10074 →

  2. Choose the correct application route

    If you are abroad, apply for a telework visa at the Spanish consulate responsible for where you live; the visa is valid for up to 1 year. If you are regularly in Spain, apply electronically to the UGE for a residence authorisation valid for up to 3 years.

    A visa holder who wants to continue may request the residence authorisation during the final 60 calendar days before the visa expires — it is not an immediate conversion after arrival.

    https://www.inclusion.gob.es/documents/d/unidadgrandesempresas/nomadas-digitales-faqs-espanol →

  3. Prepare the documents required for your work route

    Show that the foreign company has operated for at least 1 year, that your employment or professional relationship has existed for at least the previous 3 months, and that the work can be performed remotely.

    The current UGE sheet asks for route-specific evidence such as the employment or professional contract with a foreign company, an employer remote-work letter, recent payslips or invoices, matching bank evidence, and qualification or experience records.

    https://www.inclusion.gob.es/documents/d/unidadgrandesempresas/informacion-documentacion-titulares →

  4. Calculate the current income evidence

    The official UGE formula is monthly: 200% of the current SMI for the main applicant, 75% of the SMI for the first accompanying family member, and 25% for each additional member. With the 2026 SMI at €1,221 per month, those references are €2,442, €915.75 and €305.25 gross per month.

    The official evidence sheet does not state one universal annual threshold, so do not rely on a simple annual conversion when income is irregular or paid in 12 or 14 instalments. Confirm how the office handling the application wants the evidence presented.

    https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2026-3815 →

  5. Separate Social Security from health insurance

    Private insurance is not universal. Employees normally need the foreign employer registered with Spanish Social Security and a commitment to enrol them, unless an applicable international agreement supports an accepted certificate from the country of origin. Self-employed professionals commit to Spanish RETA registration.

    Separate health cover is needed only when the applicable public system does not provide it; the UGE does not accept travel, reimbursement-only, copay or waiting-period policies.

    https://www.inclusion.gob.es/documents/d/unidadgrandesempresas/informacion-documentacion-titulares →

  6. Submit through the controlling office and keep proof

    An in-Spain residence application is filed electronically with the UGE. The statutory maximum is 20 working days from electronic submission and, if no decision is issued in that period, the law treats the authorisation as granted by administrative silence. Obtain the formal resolution or certificate before relying on that status.

    A consular visa follows the filing instructions, fee and document rules of the competent consulate.

    https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2013-10074 →

  7. After approval, distinguish the visa, TIE and renewal

    The consular visa itself authorises residence and remote work during its validity and does not require a TIE. A residence authorisation lasting more than 6 months does require a TIE, and the teleworker authorisation can be renewed for 2-year periods while its conditions remain met. Tax treatment is a separate question from immigration status.

    https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2013-10074 →

Use this as a route and evidence check

This page can help you identify the likely route and understand the official evidence categories. It cannot decide whether your particular job, company structure, income pattern, Social Security position or family situation will be accepted.

Consulates can publish office-specific filing instructions. Use your competent consulate when applying abroad and the current UGE material when applying for residence from Spain.

  • Decide first whether you are applying from abroad or while regularly in Spain.
  • Keep employee evidence separate from self-employed professional evidence.
  • Use the current SMI and the instructions of the office that will decide your application.

Questions people ask before applying

How much income is required for Spain's digital nomad visa in 2026?
The official UGE rule is monthly: 200% of the SMI for the main applicant. With the 2026 SMI at €1,221 per month, the reference is €2,442 gross per month. Add 75% of SMI for the first accompanying family member and 25% for each additional member. The official evidence sheet does not publish one universal annual threshold, so confirm the current SMI and evidence format with the office handling the application.
Is the consular visa the same as the UGE residence authorisation?
No. Someone abroad applies through the competent Spanish consulate for a visa valid for up to 1 year. Someone regularly in Spain may apply electronically to the UGE for a residence authorisation valid for up to 3 years. A visa holder may request that authorisation during the final 60 calendar days before the visa expires.
Can I work for a Spanish company with this visa?
An employee using this route may work only for the foreign company covered by the application. A self-employed professional must maintain the qualifying professional relationship with the foreign company and may also provide professional services — never employment — to a Spanish company only when that Spanish activity does not exceed 20% of total professional activity.
Does every applicant need private health insurance?
No. Applicants who will enter Spanish Social Security, or whose applicable international agreement provides accepted public cover, may not need a separate private policy. When separate insurance is required, the UGE says travel, reimbursement-only, copay and waiting-period policies are not accepted. Check the evidence for your actual Social Security route.
Can my family apply with me?
A spouse or partner with an equivalent relationship, minor children, adult children who are financially dependent and have not formed their own family unit, and dependent ascendants may apply jointly, at the same time or later. Additional financial evidence is required. A family member's residence authorisation under Law 14/2013 permits work, but the competent office must still accept the relationship and dependency evidence.
Does a digital nomad visa automatically qualify me for the Beckham tax regime?
No. AEAT expressly includes qualifying employee teleworkers within the possible scope, but the tax regime has separate residence, displacement, work and income conditions. Self-employed activity needs particular care. Modelo 149 is a separate individual tax election, and holding the visa or residence authorisation does not automatically qualify you.
Sources

Official sources

This is general information, not legal advice. Guiri is not a lawyer or gestor. Always check the official portal linked above, and consult a professional for your specific case.