The Digital Nomad Visa has been approved in Spain so you can take advantage of it in case you would like to live in Spain and work remotely.
To file the application, you would have two options:
- you can apply directly from Spain with a tourist visa, directly obtaining the 3-year card
- You could obtain a 1-year visa from the country of origin (at the Spanish Consulate) to be able to enter Spain and once you are here, you could modify it to the 3-year card.
The years with this 3-year card (and its subsequent renewals) count both for Spanish nationality and for permanent residence (which you can get after 5 years as a remote teleworker in Spain).
Also, this permit allows you to include your spouse and children in the same application; thus being able to move with your family to Spain.
In addition, because being framed within the Entrepreneurs Law, you will also benefit from an express resolution in 20 days, and the applicable administrative silence is positive (so if you do not have a response within this period, the resolution is considered approved).
You will be able to move freely throughout the EU with this residence card.
As we have mentioned, this visa is aimed for non-EU citizens, since Europeans can work remotely for up to 6 months in the country (and if they wish to extend their stay, they only have to obtain their NIE as a resident).
Residency requirements for digital nomads
There are two different profiles of professionals who can apply for this permit (with slightly different requirements):
- Employees whose company allows them to travel and work remotely from another country (in this case Spain). In this case, The company/s you work for must be located outside of Spain
- Self-employed workers with several clients throughout the world or sources of income derived from online activities but distributed but outside of Spain. In this case, the incomes received in Spain or by Spanish companies cannot represent more than 20% of the total
Documents:
General documents:
- Full copy of your passport
- Application form
- Tax fee, in this case mod. 790 038
- Criminal record certificate, with a minimum validity of 90 days, legalized or apostilled, from the countries you have lived in the last 5 years
- Certificate stating that you have a private health insurance in Spain, with full coverage
- Bank certificate proving possession of at least €25,000 (200% of the SMI) for the main applicant (and €9,441 for each additional family member, representing 75% of the SMI). If the money is in a foreign bank, it will be necessary to provide an official translation. This economic amount could be received through the contract, payroll, certificate of the company that is displacing, etc.
- Bear in mind that they might be some other documents in case you would like to include your family members in your application: for the spouse, you would need a marriage certificate with the Hague apostille or legalized. And for your children, you would need their birth certificate with the Hague apostille or legalized.
Specific Documents:
We found a difference depending on whether you work for a company or you are self-employed:
- If you have a contract with a foreign company (employee), you would have to provide:
- Evidence of a minimum employment relationship of three months from the date of the application with the foreign company with which the relationship is maintained.
- Accreditation of real and continuous activity for at least one year of the foreign company or group of companies with which the worker maintains a labor relationship.
- Letter from the foreign company, authorizing the development of remote work from Spain, accrediting the profile of the position, salary to be received, terms and other conditions in which the activity will be carried out remotely.
- Certificate of Social Security coverage (if there is an agreement with the country of origin) or registration in the Spanish social security accrediting at least the application for registration of the foreign company with Social Security and the commitment to register once the authorization has been obtained before from the start of work.
- If you are self-employed, you must be working for at least one company (which must be outside of Spain), and it will be through the conditions of your contract where the possibility of working remotely is specified. You have to probe that you had a relationship as a freelancer for your clients for at least 3 months prior to applying. In this case, you would have to provide :
- Evidence of a minimum professional relationship of three months from the date of the application with the foreign company/companies with which the relationship is maintained.
- Accreditation of real and continuous activity for at least one year of the foreign company or group of companies with which the worker maintains a professional relationship.
- Letter from the foreign company, authorizing the development of remote work from Spain, accrediting the terms and other conditions in which the professional activity will be carried out remotely.
In both cases, you would have to demonstrate that you have sufficient experience and training to be able to complete the application. Either demonstrate 3 years of experience related to your work prior to the application, or be a graduate or postgraduate from prestigious universities, professional training and business schools of recognized prestige, so you would have to provide a copy of your university Degree or a certificate from the Employment office or equivalent from your country with a minimum of three years working in your field.
All the documents have to be translated to Spanish.
Taxes of the Digital Nomad Visa
If you stay more than 183 days in Spain with your Digital Nomad Visa, you would have to pay your worldwide income taxes in Spain. However, the Digital Nomads could pay their taxes according to the Beckham Law, with a special Tax rate of 24% for your incomes up to 600.000.-euros and other Tax benefits. Also, with the Beckham Law you do not have to pay Wealth Tax in Spain for your properties abroad.
