Spain Digital Nomad Visa in 2025

Spain has long been a magnet for nomads in search of the perfect lifestyle – from sun-drenched retirees to remote workers lured by the country’s climate, culture and cost of living.

But in 2025, it’s not just the tapas and the beaches drawing global attention.

A new kind of migrant is arriving – tax-savvy entrepreneurs and investors, mobile professionals and high-earning nomads who see Spain not just as a place to live but as a jurisdiction with strategic advantages.

At the centre of this interest is Spain’s digital nomad visa, which is rapidly becoming one of the most competitive in Europe.

While it offers the standard perks nomads have come to expect (think the right to live and work remotely from anywhere), the real attraction lies behind the facade – the visa offers access to a preferential tax regime and a potential pathway to long-term EU residency.

The main question is no longer whether you can work remotely from Barcelona, Valencia, or Málaga; rather, it is how the benefits stack up. 

Here, we dissect Spain’s 2025 digital nomad visa and discuss its merits for optimising your global footprint and tax burden.

What is the Spain Digital Nomad Visa in 2025?

Making its debut with Spain’s ‘Startups Act’, the Spanish digital nomad visa permits remote workers to live in Spain long-term. 

Under the rules, remote workers can live in Spain and must work for a foreign company that is not based in Spain. If you’re self-employed, you can work for a company located in Spain as long as the percentage of this work does not exceed 20% of your total activity. 

Spain’s offering for remote workers differs from other popular routes. It’s not like the non-lucrative visa, which prohibits professional activity and relies on passive income or savings. Nor is it the entrepreneur visa, which is geared towards those starting a new business within Spain. 

In essence, the Spanish digital nomad visa is made for remote work performed from Spain for entities outside of Spain. 

Benefits of the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa

The Spanish digital nomad visa is a unique permit with many benefits. Here are some of the main reasons why you should consider it.

Long-Term Residency and Citizenship 

Arguably, the most exciting benefit is that it lets you stay in Spain long-term at a far cheaper entry point than other Spanish residency programs. 

On top of that, you can get permanent residency and eventually even citizenship in Spain. 

If you initially secure the one-year visa from a Spanish consulate abroad, you can convert this into a three-year residency permit upon arrival and registration in Spain. 

Following this initial three-year period, the permit is renewable for a further two years, which results in a five-year block of legal residency. After completing these five years of continuous legal residency, you generally become eligible to apply for a Spanish permanent residence permit. 

After up to five years of permanent residency, you can even consider Spanish citizenship.

Special Tax Benefits

Another benefit of the Spanish digital nomad visa, particularly for higher earners, is the optional special tax regime. 

This is closely related to the updated framework known colloquially as ‘Beckham’s Law’, now specifically accessible to qualifying digital nomads. 

If you opt-in successfully, you’ll be taxed under ‘Beckham’s Law’ rules for the tax year you become a resident and the five years after that.

Under this program, you pay a headline flat income tax rate, which is currently 24%. This is lower than the standard progressive rates faced by a regular Spanish tax resident.

Remember, this isn’t automatic – you must apply within six months of registering with Spanish Social Security. Miss that deadline and you miss the boat.

Bring Your Family

With the Spanish digital nomad visa, you can include immediate family members in your application. This typically covers your spouse or registered partner, dependent children and dependent ascendants (like parents). 

Of course, this flexibility comes with the additional financial capacity to support each accompanying family member. 

Freedom to Live, Work and Travel 

Holding this visa grants you the right to reside anywhere across Spain’s diverse territories. 

On top of that, digital nomad visa holders have the freedom to move around the Schengen Area. You can travel without a visa for short stays (usually up to 90 days in any 180-day period) across member countries.

Spain Digital Nomad Visa Requirements

In terms of requirements for Spain’s digital nomad visa, eligibility hinges on being a national of countries outside the EEA and Switzerland. 

If you hold an EU/EEA or Swiss passport, you already possess residency rights and this particular visa isn’t applicable.

Next, proving your remote work status is paramount. You need to present a stable remote working arrangement that has existed for at least one year. 

This typically falls into two categories:

• Employed people will need proof of employment with a company based entirely outside Spain. The company itself must have been operational for at least a year. 
• Freelancers and self-employed people must show evidence of an ongoing professional relationship with one or more clients located outside Spain for at least one year. Documentation like contracts or service agreements will be needed.

You must also substantiate your professional standing. 

This usually requires evidence of a relevant university degree (or postgraduate qualification) or documented proof of at least three years of professional experience directly related to the remote work you will be performing.

You also need to prove you earn enough to support yourself (and any dependents) while living in Spain. 

The financial benchmark is tied to the Spanish minimum wage or Spain’s Minimum Interprofessional Salary (SMI). The primary applicant must earn income equivalent to at least 200% of this SMI, translating to roughly US$2,700 per month. 

For accompanying family members, you’ll need to show an additional 75% of the SMI for the first dependent and a further 25% for each subsequent dependent. 

While this figure can usually be met by the target audience for this visa, proof (like bank statements and contracts showing consistent income) is a must.

Furthermore, you’ll need health insurance. 

This must be a policy that covers all of Spain, like the national healthcare system, for the entire time you live there.

Finally, standard checks apply:

• You must supply a clean criminal record certificate from any country where you have resided for the past five years.
• You must also confirm that you have not been residing in Spain under irregular circumstances prior to your application.

Applying for the Spanish Remote Work Visa

To apply for the Spanish digital nomad visa, you must apply through a relevant Spanish consulate or embassy. This might be in your country of citizenship or legal residence.

The journey typically involves the following stages. 

Gather Your Documents

First comes the document-gathering step, referencing the requirements we’ve just discussed.

On top of that, official documents issued outside of Spain (like a valid passport, birth certificates, marriage certificates, criminal records and degrees) will require an apostille or appropriate legalisation, plus an official translation into Spanish by a sworn translator recognised in Spain. 

Submit Your Application

Next is the application submission. This usually involves lodging your complete file, along with the application form and payment of the visa fee.

Attend Interview

Following submission, be prepared for a potential interview. The consular officials may wish to discuss your application or clarify the details. 

Wait for Visa

Then comes the waiting game for approval and visa issuance. If successful, you’ll receive the one-year digital nomad visa affixed to your passport.

Enter Spain and Register

Finally, when you enter Spain, you must apply for your Foreigner Identity Card (TIE – Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero). This will show your Foreigner Identification Number (NIE – Nmero de Identidad de Extranjero). 

You should apply for this card within 30 days of arriving at the nearest immigration office or police station where you are staying. 

Digital Nomad Visa Spain: FAQs

Long-Term Perspectives: Renewals and Residency 

For some, just renewing the first permit to finish the five-year cycle is enough. Their goal is to enjoy the Spanish lifestyle and the friendly tax system while working remotely. 

For others, the digital nomad visa is a stepping stone. Their goal is to stay in European Union countries for a longer time, even after the first visa term or special tax status ends.

Then there are those who want to be Spanish citizens. They see the required residency as the way to a strong EU passport. 

Which route fits best? 

That hinges entirely on your longer-term vision.

If you’re ready to explore how the Spanish digital nomad visa or other residency and citizenship options fit into your bespoke international life, then seeking expert guidance is advised. 

Nomad Capitalist offers just that. We create holistic offshore plans for successful entrepreneurs and investors to go where they’re treated best. To find out more, set up a call with us here.