Spain Digital Nomad Visa for Americans & Canadians
Live in Spain while working remotely for a foreign employer, overseas clients, or your own international business. We coordinate the North American paperwork, apostilles and translations, then connect turnkey clients with licensed Spanish immigration counsel for the filing stage.
Who Qualifies for Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa?
Spain calls this status teletrabajo de carácter internacional. It is designed for non-EU nationals who can perform their work remotely using digital and telecommunications systems for businesses located outside Spain.
U.S. or Canadian Employees
Remote employees can qualify when their foreign employer authorizes the work from Spain and the employment arrangement satisfies Spain’s immigration and Social Security requirements.
- At least 3 months with the employer before applying
- Express written permission to work remotely from Spain
- The employing company must show real and continuous activity for at least 1 year
- For employees, the permitted work must be for companies located outside Spain
Freelancers & Independent Contractors
Professionals with foreign clients can qualify when the contractual relationships, income and remote nature of the work are properly documented.
- At least 3 months of existing professional relationship
- Evidence of the terms and conditions of remote work
- Foreign-client income must remain the core of the application
- Professional activity for Spanish companies may be permitted up to 20% of total professional activity
Business Owners & Founders
Founders can potentially qualify, but ownership alone is not enough. The file must show a genuine professional or employment relationship, a real operating business and an arrangement that fits the telework rules.
- Company formation and operating history matter
- Compensation and role should be clearly documented
- Corporate records may require apostille and Spanish translation
- Social Security treatment should be reviewed before filing
Spain Digital Nomad Visa Income Requirements for 2026
The financial threshold is tied to Spain’s Minimum Interprofessional Salary (SMI), so it changes when the SMI changes. For 2026, the SMI used by Spanish consulates is €1,221 per month.
| Applicant | Rule | 2026 Monthly Amount | Approx. Annual Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | 200% of SMI | €2,442 | €29,304 |
| First accompanying family member | Additional 75% of SMI | + €916 | + €10,992 |
| Each additional family member | Additional 25% of SMI | + €306 | + €3,672 |
Two Ways to Apply: Consulate Abroad or UGE From Spain
One of the DNV’s biggest advantages is that qualifying applicants have two different filing routes. The route changes the initial status you receive and the way the file is submitted.
Not sure which route fits your case best? Read our full comparison of the consular route vs. applying from inside Spain through UGE.
Apply Through a Spanish Consulate
- For applicants outside Spain
- Apply through the Spanish consular office with jurisdiction over your legal residence
- The telework visa can be valid for up to 1 year unless the work period is shorter
- Useful for applicants who want approval before relocating
- Local consulates may publish different documentary details, appointment procedures and validity windows
Apply From Spain Through UGE
- Available to applicants who are legally in Spain
- Filed electronically with the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE)
- The initial residence authorization can be valid for up to 3 years
- Renewals may be granted in 2-year periods if the qualifying conditions continue
- Spanish law provides a maximum 20-day decision period for these residence authorizations; if no express decision is issued in that period, the law provides for positive administrative silence
Document Requirements: Where U.S. and Canadian Applicants Get Stuck
The immigration law is only half the project. A successful North American file usually requires careful coordination of corporate records, criminal checks, apostilles, translations, financial evidence and Social Security documentation.
🇺🇸 United States Applicants
- FBI background check: U.S. consulates generally require an FBI Identity History Summary rather than a state/local police report.
- Federal apostille: The FBI record requires a Hague apostille from the U.S. Department of State.
- Corporate documents: Employer/company registry evidence may need the correct state apostille and Spanish translation depending on the document and filing route.
- Employment evidence: Company authorization, seniority, income and remote-work terms must be documented clearly.
- Social Security: U.S. coverage is not automatic for every remote employee; the U.S.-Spain agreement and the facts of the assignment determine whether a U.S. Certificate of Coverage can be used instead of Spanish registration.
Current example: The Spanish Consulate in Washington currently states that FBI checks for its DNV filings must have been issued within the preceding 6 months. Other consular jurisdictions should always be checked before timing the file.
🇨🇦 Canadian Applicants
- RCMP criminal record check: Spanish consulates can require the fingerprint-based federal RCMP record rather than local police checks.
- Apostille authority: Federal RCMP records are handled through Global Affairs Canada for apostille; other Canadian documents may fall under federal or provincial apostille competence depending on the document and province.
- Employment evidence: Employer letters and business records must establish the qualifying remote relationship and company activity.
- Social Security: Canada and Spain have a bilateral Social Security agreement, and qualifying temporary assignments may use a Canadian Certificate of Coverage. Eligibility depends on the facts of the work arrangement and, in some cases, province-specific treatment.
- Quebec applicants: Social Security treatment can differ from other provinces, so the applicable Spanish consular guidance should be reviewed before filing.
Current example: The Spanish Consulate in Toronto currently publishes a 5-month age limit for the Canadian criminal record certificate used in its telework visa process.
Social Security: The Part Remote Employees Should Review Early
For many U.S. and Canadian employees, Social Security is more complex than the income requirement. Spain expects the applicant to demonstrate compliant coverage before the work begins.
U.S. Employees
Under the U.S.-Spain Social Security Agreement, a worker sent by a U.S. employer to Spain for an expected period of five years or less may remain subject to U.S. coverage if the agreement’s conditions are met. The U.S. Social Security Administration issues the applicable Certificate of Coverage.
If the employee does not fit the agreement’s coverage rules, Spanish Social Security registration may be required instead.
Canadian Employees
Canada also has a Social Security agreement with Spain. A Canadian employer or eligible self-employed worker can request a Certificate of Coverage when the facts fit the agreement’s temporary-assignment rules.
Canada uses the CPT125 process for coverage under the Canada-Spain agreement. Applicants should confirm that the arrangement actually qualifies before assuming Canadian coverage can be maintained.
Health Insurance, Criminal Records, Apostilles & Translations
These requirements are often described too broadly online. The safest approach is to follow the exact checklist of the authority handling the application and prepare foreign public documents for use in Spain correctly.
- Health coverage: Spanish consulates require qualifying public or private coverage that meets Spanish requirements. If the applicant proves coverage through Spanish Social Security or an applicable international Social Security arrangement, separate private insurance may not be required.
- Criminal records: Applicants of legal age should expect to provide criminal record evidence from the relevant countries of residence, together with any required declaration covering the wider five-year period.
- Apostilles: Apostille authority depends on the document. An FBI record is federal; a U.S. birth or marriage certificate is usually state-level. Canadian competent authority depends on the issuing authority and province.
- Translations: Foreign documents must be submitted in Spanish when required. Spanish consulates may describe accepted translation routes differently. We commonly use Spain-authorized sworn translators because their work is officially recognized in Spain and avoids relying on a more limited local interpretation.
- Do not alter apostilled originals: Some Spanish consulates specifically warn applicants not to remove staples or otherwise damage the FBI/apostille package.
Can Your Family Come With You?
Yes. Spain allows qualifying family members to accompany the international teleworker, provided the family relationship and additional financial means are documented.
Spouse or Partner
A spouse, registered partner or qualifying unmarried partner may apply as an accompanying family member, subject to documentary proof of the relationship.
Children
Minor children may accompany the applicant. Adult children can also qualify when they are financially dependent and have not formed their own family unit.
Dependent Ascendants
Dependent parents or other qualifying ascendants under the teleworker’s care can also be included when dependency is properly documented.
Taxes and the Beckham Law
The Digital Nomad Visa is an immigration status. Tax treatment is a separate analysis.
Some people who move to Spain as international teleworkers may qualify to elect Spain’s special impatriate tax regime, commonly called the Beckham Law. The regime is not automatic simply because a DNV is granted. Eligibility depends on the applicant’s tax history, reason for moving, employment/professional structure and other statutory conditions.
For qualifying taxpayers, Spain’s Tax Agency currently applies a 24% rate to the relevant general taxable base up to €600,000, with a higher rate above that threshold. The regime can apply for the year of the move and the following five tax periods when the statutory requirements are met.
Read the Spanish Tax Agency’s current guidance on the special impatriate regime.
How Our Spain Digital Nomad Visa Process Works
We focus on the part most traditional immigration providers leave to the client: getting the North American file into the right form, at the right time, before legal filing.
Eligibility Review
We review your work structure, income, company history and intended filing route.
Document Plan
We map FBI/RCMP, corporate records, civil documents and jurisdiction-specific timing.
Apostille & Translation
We coordinate the correct federal/state/provincial processing and Spanish translations.
Legal Hand-Off
Turnkey clients are connected with licensed Spanish immigration counsel for legal review and filing.
Relocation Network
Where needed, we introduce vetted housing, insurance and other settlement professionals.
Planning to Work Remotely From Spain?
Before ordering background checks or apostilles, make sure your employment or contractor structure actually fits the Digital Nomad Visa. We can help you build the North American document plan and, on turnkey packages, coordinate the hand-off to licensed Spanish counsel.
Spain Digital Nomad Visa FAQs
Practical answers for U.S. and Canadian remote workers considering Spain in 2026.
How much do I need to earn for Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa in 2026?
The main applicant must currently demonstrate at least 200% of Spain’s monthly SMI. With the 2026 SMI at €1,221, that is €2,442 per month. Add €916 per month for the first accompanying family member and €306 per month for each additional family member.
Can a U.S. W-2 employee qualify for the Spain Digital Nomad Visa?
Yes, a U.S. employee can qualify when the employer authorizes remote work from Spain and the application satisfies Spain’s employment, company-history, financial and Social Security requirements. A U.S. Certificate of Coverage is not automatically available to every W-2 employee; eligibility depends on the U.S.-Spain Social Security Agreement and the facts of the assignment.
Can a freelancer have Spanish clients on the Digital Nomad Visa?
A self-employed professional may perform professional activity for a company located in Spain as long as that Spanish activity does not exceed 20% of the person’s total professional activity. Employees, by contrast, may only work for companies located outside Spain under this authorization.
Can I apply for Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa while I am already in Spain?
If you are legally in Spain and meet the requirements, you can apply directly for the international telework residence authorization through UGE without first obtaining the one-year telework visa abroad. The initial residence authorization can be granted for up to three years.
How old can my FBI background check be?
There is not one universal 90-day rule for every Spanish DNV case. For example, the Spanish Consulate in Washington currently requires the FBI background check to have been issued within the preceding six months. Always follow the validity rule published by the authority handling your actual application.
Does the FBI background check need a federal apostille?
Yes for U.S. Spanish-visa filings that require the FBI Identity History Summary. Because the FBI is a federal agency, the Hague apostille is issued through the U.S. Department of State. A state Secretary of State apostille is not the correct apostille for the FBI record.
Do I need private health insurance for the Digital Nomad Visa?
Often yes, but not always. Spanish consulates state that separate private health insurance is not necessary when qualifying coverage through Spanish Social Security is proven. Where an applicable international Social Security agreement provides qualifying coverage, the relevant certificate may also affect the insurance evidence required.
Does getting the Digital Nomad Visa automatically qualify me for the Beckham Law?
No. The visa and the special impatriate tax regime are separate legal regimes. International teleworkers can fall within the categories eligible to elect the special tax regime, but the applicant must independently satisfy the tax-law requirements and make the required election.
Can my spouse and children come with me?
Yes. Spain allows accompanying applications for a spouse or partner, dependent children and dependent ascendants, subject to proof of the family relationship, dependency where applicable, and the additional financial requirements.
Is DigitalNomadInSpain.org a law firm?
No. DigitalNomadInSpain.org provides document coordination and relocation support. Legal advice and immigration filing services included in applicable turnkey packages are provided by independent licensed Spanish immigration attorneys.
Official Sources We Use to Keep This Page Current
Immigration and Social Security requirements can change. We prioritize official government sources and the checklist of the authority handling the actual application.