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Digital Nomad residence in Spain

Evgeniia M.🇪🇸

Digital Nomad is a new type of residence permit that was approved in January 2023. If you work remotely and earn €2646 or more this residence permit is right for you! You can be either an employee of a foreign company or provide services as a freelancer or self-employed!

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Main requirements About visa Get residence with Migrun Documents checklist 👉 Step-by-step guide

Country-specific tips 🌏Experts and attoneys Reviews

Summary Snapshot

Requirements

Income €2646+ per month
Income is confirmed by work contract, letter from employer/client, invoices (for self-employed) and bank statement
Working remotely for more than 3 months for a foreign company
A company registered since more than 1 year ago
Relevant diploma or experience for 3+ years
Payment of Tasa 790-038 for each applicant

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FAQ about visa

Turnaround time:

2 - 2,5 months

Residence length:

up to 36 months

Citizenship:

after 10 years of residence

Expenses for preparing:

average €800

Possibility to work:

outside Spain

Family:

possible to apply with family

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How to apply?

Option #1: Apply at the Spanish consulate of a country of citizenship/residence

‍You will be issued a one-year visa, which can be modified to a three-year residence upon arrival to Spain. This visa can be either used only for entry and immediate modification or you can live in Spain the whole year and start the modification process two months in advance. However, if you go for the second option, you will not be able to get a residence card during the first year. Moreover, the first year will not be counted towards long-term residency in the future.

Option #2: Apply from Spain

Legally on any visa/document, including tourist Schengen: apply at once for a three-year residence permit. Then it can be renewed for 2 more years. Key requirements for digital nomad visa application from within Spain: legal presence and absence of criminal record in Spain or countries where you lived more than 6 months during the last 2 years.

Finances

➡️ per main applicant: 2646€ (200% of Spanish minimum wage (SMI) per month. For 2024 SMI per months equals 1323€)
➡️ per second family member: 993€ (75% of SMI)
➡️ for a child: 331€ (25% of SMI)

👉Total for a family of 3 for a family of 3 you need to prove that you have a minimum income of 3970€ per month (before taxes)

To apply for a digital nomad visa, you need to pay tasa 790-038 for each applicant, the cost of the digital nomad visa is (as of 2024) €73.26.

✍ General terms

Jurado — translation made by a specially designated sworn translator. Some documents from the list should be translated by a jurado translator (you will see a letter J near the name of such document). The list of certified jurado translators can be found here. Apart from that there are many intermediaries, who work with several translators at once. We prepare for you a special list of trusted intermediaries.
Tasa — state fee for different procedures. In order to apply for Digital Nomad, you pay €73,26 for tasa No 790-038. It can be generated here, however you will need a digital signature. You can text us and we will help! You can pay tasa almost in every bank before 11 am or in ATM.
Cita — this word in Spain is used for a meeting, both formal and informal, even for a romantic date 🧡. In relation to different visas and residence permits it is used for an appointment to any state agency or police office, for example: You need a cita to do fingerprints for your residence card.
Padrón / empadronamiento — registration in your apartment. In Spain you can register even in a rented apartment. You do not need such registration for a Digital Nomad Residence, however it's better to do it.
Autónomo — a Spanish term for self employment. Self employed nomads submit a promise to register Autónomo once their application is approved.
NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) — identification number of a foreigner. It is assigned once for a lifetime. You can request it separately in the police, or you will get it after application for a residence.
Pareja de hecho — common law marriage, that can be officially registered in Spain and is valid for all EU countries. The requirements vary from province to province, for example6 in Catalonia for two foreigners is enough to have a joint padrón for more than 3 months. This document is signed by a notary and then is certified by a local Register of Common Law marriages.
TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) — you Spanish residence card, with photo and indicated NIE number. Can be used as your ID card in Spain.

✍ Medical terms

Sin copago — insurance with full coverage without extra payments
Sin carencia — insurance without exclusion periods (for example, MRI can be done only after 6 months)

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👉 Documents check-list

Scans of all pages of the passport stamped when entering Spain
Certificate of no criminal record
Declaration of no criminal record within the last five years
Paid state fee
Form MI-T
Remote work documents (contract, letter, bank statements)
Certificate of insurance coverage in Spain
Spanish health insurance (only for employees)

Tips for apply from your country 🌏

👉 If you hold a Canadian passport, you do not need a visa for short-term entry into Spain. You can apply for a telework residence permit directly in Spain during your legal stay there, without the need for a prior telework visa. The residence permit can be valid for a maximum of three years. In contrast, the visa has a maximum validity of 1 year.

You can only apply for a visa strictly within your consular district. When applying, you will need to prove your affiliation with this district — study permit, work permit, permanent resident card or valid Canadian passport.

✅ The Consulate General of Spain in Montreal only accepts applications from residents of the province of Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island
✅ The Embassy of Spain in Ottawa covers only the region of the capital of Canada (Ottawa and Gatineau)

If you reside elsewhere, you must apply for your visa at the Consulate General of Spain in Toronto

List of documents and their translation and legalization requirements can be found on the website of the specific consulate: Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto

It is mandatory to schedule an appointment for document submission via email in advance:
📧 Montreal — [email protected]
📧 Toronto — [email protected]
📧 Ottawa — [email protected] (The average time to get an appointment is 3 1/2 months (105 days)
Instructions for filling out the letter to request CITA PREVIA in Ottawa can be found at the following link.

Foreigner Identification Number (NIE)

When applying for a digital nomad visa at the consulates in Toronto and Montreal, the NIE must be requested in advance (before applying for the visa), while at the Spanish embassy in Ottawa, the NIE must be applied for simultaneously with the visa application.

✅ The Hague Apostille Convention came into full effect in Canada on January 11, 2024.To learn more about apostilling a document, please visit the Global Affairs Canada webpage: Changes to authentication services in Canada.
✅ Criminal Record Certificate. In the case of Canada, only the negative criminal record certificate issued by the RCMP containing the visa applicant's fingerprints will be accepted. Criminal record certificates from local police stations will not be accepted. The certificate must be issued within 6 months preceding the submission of the visa application.
✅ There is a bilateral agreement on social security between Spain and Canada. The current legislative certificate does not apply to remote workers residing in the province of Quebec.

The main points

✅ Fast processing times (up to a month)
✅ No issues with scheduling appointments. Appointments are scheduled via email at [email protected]. Instructions on the email format can be found on the consulate's website.

When scheduling an appointment (via email), it is mandatory to attach proof of work experience (diploma, employment record, old contracts) for the main applicant. For family members, attach certified translations of birth/marriage certificates. Upon receiving this, they will send you a login and password to select an appointment date from the calendar.
Each family member is assigned a separate appointment time. The main applicant may be asked to submit both a diploma and an employment record/contracts. One diploma is not enough, but you can use either when applying.

✅ Foreigner Identification Number (NIE) for digital nomads can only be requested after choosing a document submission date.
✅ Payment of all fees in cash at the consulate without change.
✅ Allowed to bring translations with digital signatures instead of originals.

Message from the Spanish consulate in Moscow: "If your translator has an electronic signature right, you must send the translations with an electronic signature in PDF format to [email protected] for verification. However, you still need to provide a printed translation. When submitting documents, you must inform the receptionist that translations with an electronic signature in PDF format were sent to [email protected]. We recommend sending the translation by email on the day of submission or the day before, but not earlier."

Issues

⚠️ Often, there is unpredictability. Document formatting requirements and their list can change on the go and depend on the mood of the staff.
⚠️ There is a high probability of a request for the original certificate of company registration with an apostille, regardless of whether it's mainly extracts from electronic registers. This requirement significantly complicates submission with contracts concluded with companies outside of Russia.
⚠️ There is a possibility that they will additionally request a sworn translation of a letter from the client and a certificate of registration of the individual entrepreneur (if available)
⚠️ Applicants registered in Moscow or any region of Russia apply at the consulate in Moscow. Citizens registered in St. Petersburg — only there (the entire process in St. Petersburg is much longer and more complex).
⚠️ A response to a request happens only in the format of personal document submission, not via email.

👉 Conclusion: we recommend going to the Moscow consulate for those who work or provide services for Russian companies.

The main points

🇺🇸 If you hold an American passport, you do not need a visa for short-term entry into Spain. You can apply for a telework residence permit directly in Spain during your legal stay there, without the need for a prior telework visa. The residence permit can be valid for a maximum of three years. In contrast, the visa has a maximum validity of 1 year.

✅ You can only apply for a visa strictly within your consular district. When applying, you will need to prove your affiliation with this district — proof of residence or study in the consular jurisdiction: State ID, Driver´s License or Student ID.

The Consulate of Spain in Chicago will consider applications for residents in this jurisdiction: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin
Boston: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Houston: Nuevo México, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee
Los Angeles: California (counties of Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Bárbara y Ventura), Arizona, Colorado, Utah
Miami: Florida, South Carolina, Georgia
New York: New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey
San Francisco: Alaska, California (except southern part), Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, U.S. possessions in the Pacific
Washington: Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina

Non Americans must also submit proof of legal residence in the United States: valid U.S. long term Visa or Permanent Resident Card (Green card). B1/B2 visa holders do not qualify to apply for a visa at this Consular Office. They must apply for a visa in their country of residence or country of origin

List of documents and their translation and legalization requirements can be found on the website of the specific consulate: Boston, Chicago, ‍Houston, ‍Los Angeles, ‍Miami, ‍New York, ‍San Francisco, ‍Washington

✅ Applications are in person by appointment only. To make an appointment please check the website of the specific consulate.

Criminal background check certificate

Applicants of legal age (18 years and older) must submit the original and photocopy (not notarized) of their criminal background check certificate:
👉 The criminal background check must be issued by the U.S. Department of Justice – Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). State or Local Police Background Checks are not accepted
👉 The background check must be issued within the 6 months preceding the submission of the visa application
👉 The background check must be authenticated with The Hague Apostille
👉 The Apostille must certify the signature on the Criminal Background check, not any other signatures. Apostilles that certify the signature of a notary that stamps a seal on the criminal background check are not accepted.
👉 The criminal background check will not be accepted if it has been altered or damaged in any way, including damage caused by removing staples.
👉 The background check must be accompanied by an official translation into Spanish by a sworn/certified translator (the translation does not need an Apostille and the Apostille does not need a translation).

The visa fee is of an amount equivalent to $88. For citizens of the United States of America, the fee is $190. For nationals of Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, and the United Kingdom different rates are applied for reasons of reciprocity.

🤑 Please check the complete most recent visa fees 2024

✅ Decision period: The legal period for reaching a decision is 10 days as of the day after the submission date of the application, but this period may be extended when an interview or additional documents are requested.

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The process of obtaining a residency permit in Spain can be simple and interesting. I would be happy to help you navigate bureaucratic intricacies, answer questions, provide support, and reassure you 🤗

My main focus is the Spain Digital Nomad visa/residence. I'll guide you through every step—from decision-making to receiving your residence cards 🙂 I approach my work with care, so feel free to ask even the simplest questions!

Благодаря личному опыту получения студенческой визы и digital nomad, а так же сложным клиентским кейсам, Ирина поможет вам выбрать оптимальный вариант переезда в Испанию, подходящий именно вам. Нестандартные кейсы - ее big love.

Javier is an immigration and international mobility lawyer, registered with the Madrid Bar Association. He has experience assisting clients to relocate or invest in Spain, focused overall on Latin American and US clients.

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Migrun is the greatest service for relocation – I have received my residence permit in Spain as a digital nomad in less than 1.5 months – from initiation to approval. The best thing about Migrun – they have many affordable solutions combined with lots of free guides, so you get the best value for your money. Plus you never feel pressured to pay more than you really need. Which is truly the mission of the company – to make relocation affordable, transparent and easy. Special thanks to Irina Degtyareva for helping with my case and questions! Looking forward to work with the Migrun team further. Many thanks!

Date of experience: August 02, 2023

Alex Ovechkin

🇪🇸 ES

Immigration service with emphatic and fair approach

My immigration to Portugal wouldn't happen if not for Migrun. First, they have a LOT of free guides of how to collect documents for different visas and residency types + a great chat with a lot of immigrants sharing their experience. A year ago it was a very simple website and a chat of a couple thousands - now an extensive platform and a family of useful chats on Portugal the largest being 10K people. I have collected all documents for D7 visa with their help for free.Later I changed my mind and decided to apply for residency as highly-qualified professional from inside of Portugal and did so with a great help of Migrun. Today I have received my residency card.Business with emphatic approach - unlike many other immigration services who just try to rip you off using your lack of knowledge.All people in Migrun have always been friendly, honest and trying to do their best.

Date of experience: July 31, 2023

Daria Gakova

🇵🇹 PT