Who the Digital Nomad Visa is for
The Digital Nomad Visa was written into Spain's Ley de Fomento del Ecosistema de las Empresas Emergentes (the "Startups Act") in late 2022. It targets a very specific population: professionals whose income comes from work performed for companies located outside Spain. In practice, the two clean profiles are the remote employee of a foreign company and the freelancer with a book of foreign clients.
What it is not is a general "come and work in Spain" permit. Any attempt to use it to invoice Spanish clients above the 20% cap will be caught at renewal, and the reversal of status is expensive to unwind. This is where most self-filed applications go wrong.
Digital Nomad Visa requirements
- An existing employment or client relationship of at least three months.
- A company that has been operating for at least one year.
- Proof of remote-work capability signed by the employer.
- Income at 200% of SMI, plus 75% for the first dependent and 25% for each additional.
- University degree or three years of demonstrable professional experience.
- Certificate of coverage from your home country's Social Security system.
- Private health insurance with full coverage in Spain, no co-payments, no waiting periods.
- Clean criminal record from every country you've lived in for the last two years.
Applying from Spain or from a consulate
You can apply from your consulate of origin (a one-year visa that converts to a three-year TIE on arrival) or from within Spain on a tourist entry (a three-year TIE directly). The in-Spain route through the UGE is faster, cheaper and produces a stronger card — but it requires you to be physically in Spain when you sign the application. We normally recommend the UGE path unless there is a specific consular reason to file abroad.
How the Beckham Law layers in
Historically, Beckham Law was reserved for salaried employees hired by Spanish companies. The Startups Act extended it to Digital Nomad Visa holders, which is the single most valuable tax move available to relocating professionals. For up to six years, Spanish-source employment income is taxed at a flat 24% (47% above €600,000) and non-Spanish investment income is exempt from Spanish tax entirely.
The election must be filed within six months of Social Security registration — missing that window forfeits the regime permanently. We coordinate it as part of your onboarding.