Spanish Digital Nomad Visa frequently asked questions
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1. What is the minimum required income for the digital nomad residence permit in Spain? (gross income)
One applicant (main applicant): 2.800€ a month or 33.200€ a year.
Main applicant + one family member: 3.800€ a month or 45.600€ a year
Main applicant + 2 family members: 4.200€ a month or 49.800€ a year
Main applicant + 3 family members: 4.500€ a month or 53.900€ a year
Main applicant + 3 family members: 4.900€ a month or 58.100€ a year
2. Do I need to have a long-term rental in Spain to apply for the Digital Nomad Visa?
No, you don’t. A long-term rental contract is not required for the DNV application.
In cities like Barcelona or Madrid, you don’t even need to register at the city hall (empadronamiento) for your TIE (residency card) appointment.
In smaller cities or towns, you may be asked to present your padrón for the TIE appointment (which comes after your DNV is approved).
Important: I do not recommend signing a long-term rental contract before your visa is approved. By law, long-term rentals in Spain usually require you to commit to at least 6 months of rent, so it’s safer to wait until you have your approval.
3.What taxes do I have to pay as a digital nomad in Spain?
As a Digital Nomad Visa holder registered as self-employed (autónomo), you will be considered a tax resident in Spain and must pay local taxes:
Quarterly income tax: Around 20% of your invoiced income, paid every three months.
Annual income tax (RENTA): Filed the following year, where your total yearly income and deductions are reconciled.
Social Security contributions:
First year: €86 per month (reduced rate).
From the second year onwards: Around €300 per month (based on the minimum income requirement for the DNV).
Contributions are progressive and tied to your declared income.
This means you’ll have both ongoing payments throughout the year (quarterly tax + monthly Social Security) and a yearly filing to settle your final tax position.
Please note we are an immigration consultancy, not a tax or accounting firm. Our expertise is the Digital Nomad Visa (though we also assist with other types of residency permits).
If you have specific tax-related questions, we can connect you with trusted professionals from our network. Just reach out to us, and we’ll be happy to put you in contact.
4. Do I have to stay in Spain while waiting for my application to be approved?
No, it is not mandatory. You only need to show proof of entry into Spain at the time of submitting your application (for example, an entry stamp or entry declaration). After that, you are free to travel, return home, or stay in Spain while you wait.
Keep in mind your Schengen days: I recommend not overstaying them, so you maintain full freedom of movement whether your DNV is approved or still pending - this way you can come in and out of Spain once you get your approval.
5. Can I continue to travel within the EU after receiving my Digital Nomad Visa?
Yes. Once you receive your DNV, you will be legally a Spanish resident, which allows you to live in Spain without any time limit, BUT:
In Spain: You are a resident, so the 90/180-day Schengen rule no longer applies. You can stay in Spain indefinitely while your residence permit is valid.
In other Schengen countries: You are still considered a visitor/tourist. This means you can only spend up to 90 days within any rolling 180-day period in other Schengen states outside Spain.
Example: Even if you spend 90 full days traveling around France, Italy, or Germany, you can always return to Spain without restrictions because you are a resident here. However, those 90 days in other Schengen countries do not reset automatically when you come back to Spain. You must wait until enough days have passed (90 days out) before you can travel again outside Spain within the Schengen area.
To make sure you stay compliant, you can use a Schengen days calculator like this one: visa-calculator.com
6. Do I need private health insurance for the Digital Nomad Visa?
It depends.
You do not need private health insurance if you are going to pay Social Security contributions in Spain after approval, this is, you do not need it if you’re applying for the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa as a freelancer / self-employed person.
If you apply as a remote worker (i.e: employee) and you apply for the Digital Nomad Visa using a certificate of coverage which allows you to keep paying National Insurance / Social Security contributions in the country where you work instead of Spain, yes, you will need a private health insurance for you and the whole family.
Even if it’s not strictly required, I suggest having private health insurance. It gives you faster access to doctors and hospitals, and it’s usually much cheaper than in the US or UK. On average, it costs between €750 and €1,000 per year, covering everything: medical visits, emergencies, hospitalizations, and even surgeries (after a waiting period and subject to prior authorization for certain procedures - do not hire a private health insurance with the intention of getting a specific disease covered as that would not work).
7. Can I apply for the Digital Nomad Visa if I work with short-term contracts?
Yes. However, you must clearly explain the nature of your contracts in a letter. It’s also advisable to provide tax returns or proof of consistent earnings throughout your working years (or at least 6 months) to strengthen your application.
8. How can I prove my income for the Digital Nomad Visa application?
You should provide proof of income through:
Payslips if you are an employee
Invoices if you are a frelancer
Bank statements showing the payment of your invoices or payslips with the name of the payer in them.
9. What documents need to be apostilled for the visa application?
The following documents usually require an apostille or *legalization:
Criminal record certificates
Birth certificates
Marriage certificates
Company registration certificates
Employment history (only in some cases, depending on your specific situation)
Other documents — such as work contracts, bank statements, or reference letters — do not need to be apostilled.
*If your country is not a signatory of the Hague Apostille Convention, documents must be legalized instead.
10. How long are apostilles valid?
Apostilles are valid for 6 months.
11. What are the social security requirements for Digital Nomad Visa holders in Spain?
All DNV holders must register as self-employed (autónomo) in Spain and pay monthly social security contributions after approval. These payments are essential both to maintain your visa and for future renewals.
If you fail to register as self-employed, the UGE (Spanish immigration authority that processes the DNV) may detect this during their checks. In that case, the immigration consultant who submitted your application (for example, us) will be notified that your visa is at risk of being revoked — and at that point, it may or may not be possible to fix the situation - we cannot assure it, so just make sure to comply with this requirement.
12. What happens if my country does not have a social security agreement with Spain?
This situation mainly affects employees more than self-employed workers.
If you are self-employed (freelancer):
You will need to register as *autónomo* in Spain and contribute directly to the Spanish Social Security system. The main difference is simply that you pay in Spain instead of in your home country (and Spain is often more expensive).
If you are an employee:
Things get more complicated. Your employer would need to register their company in Spain in order to pay your Social Security contributions here. Although this should not have tax implications for the company, in practice most employers are unwilling to do this. Employees cannot pay their own Social Security contributions directly. By law, it must be done through their employer.
A common alternative is switching to a freelancer contract: You continue working with the same company but as self-employed, which allows you to pay contributions in Spain. Keep in mind that you must wait 3 months after changing your contract before applying for the DNV, as one of the requirements is that you’ve worked under the same setup for at least 3 months before applying. (For example, even if you worked 7 years as an employee, if you change to freelancer status, the 3-month rule applies and you’d have to wait.)
If you are an employee of your own company:
You can choose to register your company in Spain and pay your own Social Security contributions here as an employee.
13. What happens if my income is variable? Can I still apply for the Digital Nomad Visa?
Yes. If your income fluctuates, it’s recommended to demonstrate an average income over a period of 6–12 months. As long as the average meets the minimum yearly income requirement for your household size, you can apply.
Example (single applicant):
You must earn at least €2,800/month or €33,600/year.
If you receive irregular payments — e.g., €9,000 every quarter, or €15,000 one month and less in others — as long as your annual average is €33,600, you meet the requirement.
Example (family of three):
The minimum income required is €4,200/month or €49,800/year.
Again, it doesn’t matter if payments are uneven, as long as your income across the year reaches the required minimum.
Important: The Digital Nomad Visa is a work-based visa. While you may have personal savings, relying solely on them is not recommended, as there is no guarantee that the UGE (immigration authority) will accept savings in place of regular income. If you prefer to apply using only your savings there is a specific visa for that called the Non Lucrative Visa. We also handle this visa but for SEO reasons we do not show it in our web, so simply contact us if that’s the case!
14. Can I buy property or start a business in Spain while on a Digital Nomad Visa?
Yes, you can. Digital Nomad Visa holders are allowed to buy property or start a business in Spain.
However, keep in mind: with the DNV, only up to 20% of your total income can legally come from Spanish clients or sources. If your business generates more than this threshold from Spain, you may need to switch to a different residency permit that supports full business activities - if this is your case, contact us to make a residency permit change.
15. What happens if I lose my remote job after receiving the Digital Nomad Visa?
If you lose your job, you need to find new remote work that fulfills the visa requirements (foreign employment, minimum income, etc). Failure to do so may result in the inability to renew the visa. The time you have to do this is relative, just don’t spend 1 or 2 years without working because that’s almost giving up your residency.
