Digital Nomad Residence Permit
A route for remote work with a foreign company or foreign clients. What matters here is not the profession on your CV, but the provable link between you, the work and the income.
Read in orderA strong digital nomad dossier reads as one continuous story: the company genuinely operates, the relationship with it was not created just before filing, the qualification is confirmed, and the money arrives regularly and explainably.
When the routemakes sense
- You are employed by a company located outside Spain.
- You provide services to foreign clients as an independent specialist.
- The work can be performed entirely remotely by means of communication tools.
- You have relevant education or verifiable professional experience.
- Income and working relationships are visible in contracts, statements and tax documents.
Two ways to enter the route
Through a consulate you obtain a national visa, and only after entry do you handle local registration and the card. When you are lawfully present in Spain, the residence application under Ley 14/2013 is usually filed electronically with the UGE. These are not two names for the same document: the place of filing, the starting term and the sequence of actions differ.
Choosing the route by promised speed alone is dangerous. First you check the lawfulness of your current stay, the availability of an electronic representative, the readiness of certificates and where it is easier to confirm social insurance.
What is checked in the work
For an employee you usually show a real foreign employer, how long the company has existed, the duration of the relationship with the applicant and explicit permission to work from Spain. For a professional the logic is built around contracts, invoices, payments and the share of clients from Spain.
A diploma is not the only way to confirm qualification: the law allows professional experience. But a mere line in a CV does not replace evidence — you need documents that let the experience be reconstructed.
- contract and employer letter, or client contracts
- registration documents of the foreign company
- banking history, invoices and tax confirmations
- diploma or documents on professional experience
- social insurance scheme or a suitable policy
Family and taxes are calculated separately
A spouse, a registered or provable partner, children and in some cases dependent relatives may accompany the main applicant. Each requires proof of relationship, and the financial threshold increases.
The digital nomad residence does not automatically include a preferential tax regime. Tax residency, IRPF, social contributions and the possible application of the special regime are analysed separately — based on the applicant's actual income and ties.
A working set ofdocuments
Not a universal list but a framework. The exact set depends on your nationality, the place of filing, your family and the facts of your case.
- 01
a full copy of a valid passport
- 02
a criminal record certificate and documents for the countries of residence
- 03
contracts, letters and confirmation of the remote format
- 04
evidence of income and money movement
- 05
a diploma or evidence of professional experience
- 06
confirmation of social or medical coverage
- 07
proof of relationship for family members
- 08
sworn translations and apostilles where required
The order of work
Each next step begins only after the previous one has been verified.
- 01
Qualification
We check citizenship, work, clients, experience, income, family and current location.
- 02
Architecture
We choose the consulate or UGE, set the social insurance scheme and the financial calculation.
- 03
Evidence
We gather contracts, letters, statements, experience, certificates, translations and family documents.
- 04
Filing
We assemble the electronic dossier or the consular package and respond to additional requests.
- 05
After the decision
We plan entry, TIE, registration, taxes and renewal without a break in status.
Where a case breaks
There is income but no history
One large transfer before filing explains the situation worse than regular payments under clear contracts.
Letters contradict the contract
Position, dates, amount and the remote format must match across all confirmations.
A tax break is promised "automatically"
Immigration status and tax regime are different decisions with different conditions and timelines.
Short answers
If the answer changes with a single fact, that is not a detail — it is a reason to review the situation separately.
01Can I apply together with my family right away?
Yes, this route provides for family accompaniment. The composition of relatives, their dependency and the additional amount of funds are checked for each person.
02Do I need a diploma specifically?
Not always. In a number of cases the qualification is confirmed by professional experience, but it must be documented rather than simply stated in a CV.
03Can I have clients in Spain?
For professional activity the law allows a limited share of work with Spanish companies. The specific contract structure is checked before filing.
04Will the decision definitely come within 20 working days?
The law sets a term for the UGE, but the project calendar also includes preparation, obtaining documents, possible requests and actions after the decision.
Check before filing
The file was updated from official materials in July 2026. Specific amounts, forms and practice may change.