Spain's digital nomad visa lets you live in Spain while working remotely for companies or clients outside Spain. In 2026 the income threshold is about €2,850 per month (≈ €34,188 a year) — set at 200% of Spain's minimum wage, the SMI, which is €1,221/month across 14 payments in 2026. Add roughly €1,060 for your first dependant and €357 for each additional one. No more than 20% of your income may come from Spanish sources. Approved applicants can elect the Beckham regime: a flat 24% on Spanish-source income up to €600,000 a year, instead of progressive rates that climb to 47%.
What is the visa for?
If you earn your living working remotely for an employer or clients based outside Spain, this permit lets you do that work from Spanish soil. It was created under the law widely known as the Startups Law, and it covers both international remote employees and freelancers (autónomos) serving overseas clients.
How much income do I need in 2026?
The threshold is a multiple of the SMI, so it moves every time the minimum wage does. For 2026:
| Applicant | Monthly income required |
|---|---|
| Main applicant (200% of SMI) | ≈ €2,850 (≈ €34,188 / year) |
| + first dependant (+75%) | ≈ +€1,060 |
| + each further dependant (+25%) | ≈ +€357 |
Income is proved with employment contracts, recent payslips, client agreements, invoices and bank statements. Authorities are testing whether the income is real, stable and ongoing — not whether a balance exists on the day you apply.
No more than 20% of your income may come from Spanish sources. If you are a freelancer quietly building a Spanish client base, you can drift over that line without noticing — and it is a condition of the permit, checked at renewal, not a formality.
Who is eligible?
- You work remotely, for a company or clients located outside Spain;
- The working relationship has existed for a minimum period before you apply and is expected to continue — and the company itself must have been operating for a minimum period;
- You can show relevant qualifications or experience — typically a degree, or several years of professional work in the field;
- Standard conditions: clean criminal-record certificate, private health insurance valid in Spain, proof of accommodation.
How long does it last, and can I renew?
It depends where you apply from. Applying at a Spanish consulate abroad typically gives an initial 1-year visa; applying from inside Spain (if you are already there lawfully) can give a 3-year residence authorisation. Either can be renewed while you still meet the conditions, up to a total of about 5 years — after which long-term residency may open up. The route you choose changes your first authorisation and your renewal rhythm, so decide it deliberately rather than by default.
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What is the Beckham regime, and is it worth it?
It is the reason many people choose this visa. Qualifying newcomers who become Spanish tax residents can elect to be taxed broadly as non-residents for a limited number of years: a flat 24% on Spanish-source employment income up to €600,000 a year, rather than Spain's progressive rates, which reach around 47%. Above that ceiling, a higher rate applies to the excess.
Three things decide whether it actually helps you:
- It must be elected. You have to apply for it within a set window after starting your activity or registering as a tax resident. Miss the deadline and the option is gone — this is the single most common way people lose it.
- You must be genuinely new. Eligibility depends on not having been a Spanish tax resident for a set number of years beforehand. Confirm the current period for your dates.
- Flat is not always cheaper. At lower incomes, Spain's progressive rates can beat 24%. The regime also changes how your worldwide income and foreign assets are treated, and how it meshes with your home country's system — which for some nationalities is the decisive question.
Figures last verified July 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this guide. The income threshold is pegged to the SMI and is reset when the minimum wage changes; tax rates and ceilings also move. Confirm the current numbers with a Spanish immigration lawyer or tax adviser before you apply or elect a regime.
What does the application look like?
- Prepare the file. Proof of remote work, income, qualifications, criminal record and health insurance. Foreign documents usually need sworn translation and legalisation (an apostille).
- Choose the route. Consulate in your country of residence, or in-country if you are lawfully in Spain.
- Submit and wait. Pay the fees and await a decision; processing times vary by office.
- Finish in Spain. Obtain your foreigner identity card (TIE) and register locally.
- Plan renewal — and the tax election. The Beckham window runs on its own clock, separate from your immigration timeline.
Refusals cluster around small things: a missing document, or a translation that does not meet the required format. Careful preparation is worth more here than a strong case presented untidily.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Spain's digital nomad visa designed for?
It is aimed at people who earn their living working remotely for an employer or clients based outside Spain, letting them live in the country legally while keeping their foreign job. That covers both international remote employees and freelancers serving overseas clients. If you are employed, only a limited share of your income may come from Spanish companies, and freelancers are generally allowed to work with Spanish clients only up to a capped portion of their activity.
How much income do I need to qualify?
The rules require you to show you can support yourself without relying on public funds, usually as a minimum income expressed as a multiple of Spain's national reference wage (the SMI). Because that reference wage is updated from time to time, the exact euro amount moves as well, and it typically rises for each family member you bring. Do not treat any figure you read online as fixed; check the current threshold against the rules at the time you apply.
Can I apply from inside Spain, or do I have to apply from my home country?
There are usually two routes. You can apply from your home country through a Spanish consulate, which typically grants an initial visa, or, if you are already in Spain legally, you can apply directly for a residence permit from within the country. The route you choose affects the length of the first authorisation and the renewal pattern, so it is worth understanding both before you start.
Does the digital nomad visa come with a tax break?
A favourable regime sometimes informally called the Beckham regime may be available to qualifying newcomers, potentially allowing eligible people to be taxed broadly as non-residents on certain income for a limited number of years. It is not automatic: you generally have to elect it within a set time window, and eligibility depends on factors like not having been a Spanish tax resident for a number of years beforehand. A tax adviser should review your situation before you assume you qualify or estimate what you would pay.
Official sources
Rules, fees and thresholds change. Confirm anything in this guide with the official source before you act.
- Agencia Tributariatax authority
- Abogacía Españolabar association — verify a lawyer
- Registradores de Españaland registry