It is easy to see why Spain consistently makes it onto the top destination lists for digital nomads. Many fantastic destinations within Spain lend themselves well to the remote working lifestyle. Spain is a diverse country with many cities and towns and even fabulous island living options, making the Spain Digital Nomad Visa a popular choice.
The Digital Nomad Visa for Spain allows remote workers to live in Spain for a year and can be extended for up to six years. It is aimed at people who aren’t already citizens of the EEC or Switzerland.
It was established in 2023 to capitalise on the increasing number of location-independent workers searching for a base of operations.
One reason Spain is such an enduringly popular destination for digital nomads is its temperate climate all year round. Many digital nomads look for destinations that are warm for most of the year, and Spain definitely fits the bill on this front.
Most of mainland Spain doesn’t get very cold in the winter. Suppose you want to avoid the cold altogether. In that case, the Canary Islands, sometimes called the “Islands of eternal spring” would be ideal for you.
The temperature rarely drops below 70C for a sustained period at any point in the year.
There are a number of eligibility requirements for the Spanish digital nomad visa and these include not being an EEC or Swiss citizen. You should also be earning no less than twice the Spanish minimum wage. This amount breaks down to €2,520 per month and is subject to change annually.
In order to apply for the telework visa, you must be able to prove that you are either employed by a company from outside Spain or that you are self-employed.
This is necessary to ensure that you aren’t taking a job that could otherwise be done by another worker who originated in Spain.
It is a form of protectionism that prioritises keeping local jobs and prioritising them ahead of immigration interests.
In keeping with many visas which are aimed at remote workers, the Spanish telework visa makes it clear that you must have a comprehensive level of travel insurance.
This is because you will be spending a significant amount of time in Spain, and they need to be sure that the ex-pat community won't swamp their health services and make services worse for locals.
There are a number of documents that you must supply when applying for a remote work visa in Spain and these are detailed below.
You must be in possession of a valid passport and this must have at least six months left on it when the visa expires.
You must be able to provide proof of your employment or self-employment and these can be a contract of employment or documents that prove the existence of your own business.
Income verification can be done via bank statements or pay slips.
Your health insurance documents are also required, as is a certificate of good conduct from your home country or anywhere else you have lived during the previous five years.
Proof of accommodation will also be requested, and this can take the form of a lease or a booking via an accommodation provider.
The application form is relatively straightforward. Be sure to answer truthfully and in full. If you need assistance understanding any of the questions, you can ask a relative or friend who has experience or choose to pay an agency to do it for you.
Some people who apply for the digital nomad visa do so from within Spain when they are there under a tourist visa. If the tourist visa expires before the digital nomad visa has been obtained, this can involve a costly fine.
Spain in an excellent place to work remotely from, though many cafes are now actively discouraging remote working from their premises. There is now an active push back against remote workers in many popular destinations as locals are seeing prices rising and are being priced out of housing by this new influx.
The cost of living varies wildly throughout Spain depending on where you are. A coffee and croissant for breakfast in a predominantly residential urban area in a city will cost far less than the same meal beside a beach in the Canary Islands.
Because of the excellent weather, some remote workers struggle to give enough focus to their job and spend too much time sunbathing or enjoying themselves, risking a loss of employment. Others struggle to disengage enough from their work to properly enjoy their surroundings.
Internet connectivity tends to be good in most urban areas but it may be lacking in some more rural areas. If you require video calls on a regular basis, this should be a consideration when it comes to deciding where you are based.
Many areas in Spain offer immense opportunities for networking and community building, though this will often be predominantly through other digital nomad groups. It may be harder to integrate with more local communities.
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