How much does the International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa) cost and how long does it take?

The fee is about $106 (Visa fee US$106 for most nationalities at the Washington consulate (US$190 for US citizens under reciprocity); the UGE-CE authorisation fee and residence-card fee are extra); The consular visa fee is set by nationality and charged in local currency; the Washington consulate lists US$190 for US citizens and US$106 for everyone else. The residence authorisation handled by UGE-CE carries the Ministry of Inclusion's tasa 038 and the foreigner identity card (TIE) another small fee; the ministry's pages refused the connection on 2026-10-04 so those amounts could not be confirmed. Visa centres such as BLS add a service charge. Processing time: 10 days to 3 weeks. By law the consulate must decide the visa within 10 working days of receiving the file (Ley 14/2013 art. 75.5) and UGE-CE must decide the residence authorisation within 20 days, after which silence counts as approval (art. 76). In practice booking a consular or visa-centre appointment adds weeks.

Can I apply for the Spain digital nomad visa while I am in Spain as a tourist?

Yes. Ley 14/2013 lets anyone legally in Spain, including visa-free visitors within their 90 days, apply online to UGE-CE for the three-year residence authorisation without a prior visa. Filing extends your legal stay until the decision, which is due within 20 days.

Can a freelancer on the Spain teleworking visa have Spanish clients?

Only partly. Self-employed holders may work for companies in Spain as long as that work is no more than 20% of their total professional activity; employees must work exclusively for employers outside Spain.

Digital nomad visa · Europe

Spain digital nomad visa 2026: requirements and cost

Spain's international teleworking visa is for non-EU remote employees and freelancers who have worked for companies outside Spain for at least three months and earn at least 200% of the minimum wage, €2,442 a month in 2026. The consular visa lasts one year; the residence authorisation issued by UGE-CE in Spain lasts three years, renews for two years at a time and counts toward long-term residence.

Official name: Visado y autorización de residencia para teletrabajo de carácter internacional (Ley 14/2013, arts. 74 bis a 74 quinquies). Facts updated 2026-10-04 · Not yet reviewed by a person · Dataset 2026.10.7.

Who can apply: Non-EU/EEA citizens; Any non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizen with a university or business-school degree or three years of professional experience, working remotely for an employer outside Spain (employees) or for clients mostly outside Spain (freelancers may earn up to 20% from Spanish companies). EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need it and register as EU residents instead.
Minimum income: $2,741/month; €2,442/month (200% of the 2026 minimum wage, SMI, of €1,221), plus €916 for the first family member and €306 for each further one
Fee: about $106; Visa fee US$106 for most nationalities at the Washington consulate (US$190 for US citizens under reciprocity); the UGE-CE authorisation fee and residence-card fee are extra
Processing time: 10 days to 3 weeks
Initial stay: 1 year, renewable
Where to apply: Consulate, then in the country; From abroad: the Spanish consulate or BLS visa centre for your country of residence (visa code TEL). From inside Spain, or after arriving on the visa: online to the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE) of the Ministry of Inclusion through its electronic office, then the TIE card at a police station.

Not yet reviewed by a person

Compiled from the official pages listed below, last read on 2026-10-04. A named person has not yet re-checked it; treat it as a starting point and confirm with the source before you apply.

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Who can apply

Any non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizen with a university or business-school degree or three years of professional experience, working remotely for an employer outside Spain (employees) or for clients mostly outside Spain (freelancers may earn up to 20% from Spanish companies). EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need it and register as EU residents instead.

What you need

National visa application form, signed, with a recent passport photo
Full valid passport (most consulates ask for at least a year of remaining validity and blank pages)
Proof of at least three months of employment or professional relationship with one or more companies outside Spain
Certificate from the commercial registry (or equivalent) showing the foreign company has operated for at least one year
Employer letter authorising you to work remotely from Spain, or for freelancers the contracts and terms under which you will provide services remotely
Proof of funds of at least 200% of the SMI (€2,442 a month in 2026) plus 75% and 25% for family members: payslips, contracts, invoices or bank statements
Degree or postgraduate certificate, or evidence of at least three years of professional experience
Criminal-record certificate for the last two years of residence, apostilled and translated into Spanish, plus a signed declaration of no record in the last five years
Public or private health insurance from an insurer authorised to operate in Spain
Social-security coverage certificate from your home country, or a declaration that you will register with Spanish social security (freelancers)

Income proof: The consulates apply 200% of the salario mínimo interprofesional, which Real Decreto 126/2026 fixed at €1,221 a month (14 payments) from 1 January 2026. Shown with payslips, contracts, invoices or bank statements. €2,442 converted at the ECB reference rate of 2026-10-02 (US$1.1225 per euro).

Family: Your spouse or unmarried partner, minor children, financially dependent adult children and dependent parents can apply together with you or join later; you must show an extra 75% of the SMI (€916 a month) for the first family member and 25% (€306) for each additional one, and they receive residence authorisations tied to yours.

Cost and timeline

Minimum income	$2,741/month€2,442/month (200% of the 2026 minimum wage, SMI, of €1,221), plus €916 for the first family member and €306 for each further one
Fee	about $106The consular visa fee is set by nationality and charged in local currency; the Washington consulate lists US$190 for US citizens and US$106 for everyone else. The residence authorisation handled by UGE-CE carries the Ministry of Inclusion's tasa 038 and the foreigner identity card (TIE) another small fee; the ministry's pages refused the connection on 2026-10-04 so those amounts could not be confirmed. Visa centres such as BLS add a service charge.
Processing time	10 days to 3 weeksBy law the consulate must decide the visa within 10 working days of receiving the file (Ley 14/2013 art. 75.5) and UGE-CE must decide the residence authorisation within 20 days, after which silence counts as approval (art. 76). In practice booking a consular or visa-centre appointment adds weeks.
Stay	1 year, renewable

How to apply

Consulate, then in the country. From abroad: the Spanish consulate or BLS visa centre for your country of residence (visa code TEL). From inside Spain, or after arriving on the visa: online to the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE) of the Ministry of Inclusion through its electronic office, then the TIE card at a police station.

Confirm you qualify: a degree or three years of professional experience, at least three months with your current foreign employer or clients, and a company that has been operating for at least a year (shown by a commercial-registry certificate).
Get an employer letter authorising remote work from Spain (employees) or contracts setting out the terms of your remote services (freelancers), and gather proof of income of at least €2,442 a month.
Obtain a criminal-record certificate for the countries you lived in during the last two years, apostilled and translated, plus health insurance from an insurer authorised in Spain and a social-security coverage certificate or declaration.
Book the consulate or BLS appointment, submit the national visa form, photos, passport and documents, request a NIE at the same time, and pay the fee; the decision is due within 10 working days.
Travel on the one-year visa and, within the 60 days before it expires, apply online to UGE-CE for the three-year residence authorisation, then collect your TIE card from the police.
Alternatively, if you are already legally in Spain, file the UGE-CE application directly and wait for the 20-day decision without leaving.

After you arrive

Renewal: The consular visa is valid for up to one year and is itself a residence title. Within the 60 days before it expires you apply to UGE-CE for the residence authorisation, issued for up to three years and renewable for two-year periods while you still qualify. Anyone already legally in Spain (including on a 90-day visa-free stay) can skip the visa and ask UGE-CE for the three-year authorisation directly.

Residence: The visa and authorisation are legal residence under Spanish immigration law, so the time counts toward long-term residence (residencia de larga duración) after five years of continuous legal residence; Ley 14/2013 only requires that continuity be proven under the general rules. Permanent residence is typically possible after 5 years.

Taxes

You become a Spanish tax resident after 183 days in a calendar year or if your centre of economic interests is in Spain. Ley 28/2022 opened the special regime for inbound workers (the Beckham regime, art. 93 LIRPF) to international teleworkers, taxing employment income at a flat 24% up to €600,000 for the year of arrival and the five following years if you were not a Spanish tax resident in the previous five years; otherwise ordinary progressive rates apply to worldwide income.

In practice

The 200% SMI figure is applied by consulates; the law itself only says sufficient means, so check your consulate's sheet, which may also quote the older 2025 figure of €2,363.
The Ministry of Inclusion's UGE-CE pages (inclusion.gob.es) refused our connection on 2026-10-04, so the authorisation fee amount and the ministry's own document list could not be confirmed; consulate sheets and the law text were used instead.
Applying from inside Spain during a visa-free stay gives you the three-year authorisation directly and keeps your stay legal while UGE-CE decides, which many nomads prefer over the one-year consular visa.
Freelancers must register as autónomos and pay Spanish social-security contributions unless a bilateral social-security certificate (for example a US certificate of coverage) keeps them in their home system.
Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga have the largest nomad communities; Málaga and Valencia are cheaper for rent than Barcelona.

For your passport

Choose your passport in the ranker and the notes that apply to you move to the top.

EU, EEA, CH:You do not need this visa. Enter freely and, if staying more than three months, obtain the EU citizen registration certificate (certificado de registro) from the police.
US, GB, CA, AU, NZ, JP:Visa-free for 90 days in 180 in the Schengen area. You can apply at the consulate at home, or enter visa-free and apply to UGE-CE for the three-year authorisation while legally in Spain. US citizens pay a higher visa fee (US$190) under reciprocity.
All other passports:Nationals who need a Schengen visa must obtain the teleworking visa at the Spanish consulate for their country of legal residence before travelling; the income and document rules are the same for every nationality.

Cities in Spain on Nostos

Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Balanced score 77 · $2,200/month
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Balanced score 77 · $2,200/month
Puerto de la Cruz
Balanced score 77 · $2,200/month
Arrecife (Lanzarote)
Balanced score 75 · $2,200/month
Palma de Mallorca
Balanced score 75 · $2,200/month
Sitges
Balanced score 75 · $2,200/month
Corralejo (Fuerteventura)
Balanced score 75 · $2,200/month
Benidorm
Balanced score 74 · $2,200/month
Ibiza Town
Balanced score 74 · $2,200/month
Málaga
Balanced score 74 · $2,200/month
Bilbao
Balanced score 73 · $2,200/month
Jerez de la Frontera
Balanced score 73 · $2,200/month
Cádiz
Balanced score 73 · $2,200/month
Mahón (Menorca)
Balanced score 73 · $2,200/month
San Sebastián
Balanced score 73 · $2,200/month
Alicante
Balanced score 73 · $2,200/month
Barcelona
Balanced score 73 · $2,694/month
Salamanca
Balanced score 73 · $2,200/month
Tarragona
Balanced score 73 · $2,200/month
Tarifa
Balanced score 72 · $2,200/month
Madrid
Balanced score 72 · $2,579/month
Valencia
Balanced score 72 · $1,949/month
Córdoba (Spain)
Balanced score 72 · $2,200/month
Girona
Balanced score 72 · $2,200/month
Toledo
Balanced score 72 · $2,200/month
Valladolid
Balanced score 72 · $2,200/month
Marbella
Balanced score 72 · $2,254/month
Murcia
Balanced score 72 · $2,200/month
Seville
Balanced score 72 · $1,435/month
Oviedo
Balanced score 71 · $2,200/month
Santander
Balanced score 71 · $2,200/month
Almería
Balanced score 70 · $2,200/month
Zaragoza
Balanced score 70 · $2,200/month
Gijón
Balanced score 70 · $2,200/month
Pamplona
Balanced score 70 · $2,200/month
Granada
Balanced score 70 · $2,200/month
A Coruña
Balanced score 69 · $2,200/month
Santiago de Compostela
Balanced score 69 · $2,200/month
Vigo
Balanced score 66 · $2,200/month

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Frequently asked

Who can apply for the Spain digital nomad visa?: Any non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizen with a university or business-school degree or three years of professional experience, working remotely for an employer outside Spain (employees) or for clients mostly outside Spain (freelancers may earn up to 20% from Spanish companies). EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need it and register as EU residents instead. Spain's international teleworking visa is for non-EU remote employees and freelancers who have worked for companies outside Spain for at least three months and earn at least 200% of the minimum wage, €2,442 a month in 2026. The consular visa lasts one year; the residence authorisation issued by UGE-CE in Spain lasts three years, renews for two years at a time and counts toward long-term residence.
How much income do you need for the International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa)?: About $2,741 per month (€2,442/month (200% of the 2026 minimum wage, SMI, of €1,221), plus €916 for the first family member and €306 for each further one). The consulates apply 200% of the salario mínimo interprofesional, which Real Decreto 126/2026 fixed at €1,221 a month (14 payments) from 1 January 2026. Shown with payslips, contracts, invoices or bank statements. €2,442 converted at the ECB reference rate of 2026-10-02 (US$1.1225 per euro).
How much does the International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa) cost and how long does it take?: The fee is about $106 (Visa fee US$106 for most nationalities at the Washington consulate (US$190 for US citizens under reciprocity); the UGE-CE authorisation fee and residence-card fee are extra); The consular visa fee is set by nationality and charged in local currency; the Washington consulate lists US$190 for US citizens and US$106 for everyone else. The residence authorisation handled by UGE-CE carries the Ministry of Inclusion's tasa 038 and the foreigner identity card (TIE) another small fee; the ministry's pages refused the connection on 2026-10-04 so those amounts could not be confirmed. Visa centres such as BLS add a service charge. Processing time: 10 days to 3 weeks. By law the consulate must decide the visa within 10 working days of receiving the file (Ley 14/2013 art. 75.5) and UGE-CE must decide the residence authorisation within 20 days, after which silence counts as approval (art. 76). In practice booking a consular or visa-centre appointment adds weeks.
How long can you stay in Spain on the International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa), and can it be renewed?: 1 year, renewable. The consular visa is valid for up to one year and is itself a residence title. Within the 60 days before it expires you apply to UGE-CE for the residence authorisation, issued for up to three years and renewable for two-year periods while you still qualify. Anyone already legally in Spain (including on a 90-day visa-free stay) can skip the visa and ask UGE-CE for the three-year authorisation directly.
Does the International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa) lead to permanent residence in Spain?: Yes. The visa and authorisation are legal residence under Spanish immigration law, so the time counts toward long-term residence (residencia de larga duración) after five years of continuous legal residence; Ley 14/2013 only requires that continuity be proven under the general rules.
Can family members come with you on the International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa)?: Your spouse or unmarried partner, minor children, financially dependent adult children and dependent parents can apply together with you or join later; you must show an extra 75% of the SMI (€916 a month) for the first family member and 25% (€306) for each additional one, and they receive residence authorisations tied to yours.
Do you pay tax in Spain on the International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa)?: You become a Spanish tax resident after 183 days in a calendar year or if your centre of economic interests is in Spain. Ley 28/2022 opened the special regime for inbound workers (the Beckham regime, art. 93 LIRPF) to international teleworkers, taxing employment income at a flat 24% up to €600,000 for the year of arrival and the five following years if you were not a Spanish tax resident in the previous five years; otherwise ordinary progressive rates apply to worldwide income.
Where do you apply for the International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa)?: Consulate, then in the country: From abroad: the Spanish consulate or BLS visa centre for your country of residence (visa code TEL). From inside Spain, or after arriving on the visa: online to the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE) of the Ministry of Inclusion through its electronic office, then the TIE card at a police station.
Can I apply for the Spain digital nomad visa while I am in Spain as a tourist?: Yes. Ley 14/2013 lets anyone legally in Spain, including visa-free visitors within their 90 days, apply online to UGE-CE for the three-year residence authorisation without a prior visa. Filing extends your legal stay until the decision, which is due within 20 days.
Can a freelancer on the Spain teleworking visa have Spanish clients?: Only partly. Self-employed holders may work for companies in Spain as long as that work is no more than 20% of their total professional activity; employees must work exclusively for employers outside Spain.

Sources

Telework (Digital nomad) Visa, Consulate General of Spain in Washington, Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores (exteriores.gob.es) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · 200% SMI rule with 2026 figures (€2,442, €916, €306), US$190/US$106 fee, 10-day decision, one-year visa and three-year authorisation, applying directly in Spain
Telework visa, Consulate General of Spain in Miami, Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores (exteriores.gob.es) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · 20% limit for self-employed work for Spanish companies, degree or three years' experience, family members, insurance and criminal-record requirements
Solicitudes de visados y autorizaciones de residencia de teletrabajo de carácter internacional, Consulado General de España en Sídney, Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores (exteriores.gob.es) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Full document list, TEL visa code, NIE requested in parallel
Ley 14/2013, de 27 de septiembre, de apoyo a los emprendedores y su internacionalización (texto consolidado), arts. 62, 74 bis-74 quinquies, 75 and 76, Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Definition, 20% rule, three-month relationship and one-year company activity, one-year visa, three-year authorisation renewable for two years, 10-working-day visa decision, 20-day UGE-CE decision with positive silence, general requirements and family members
Ley 28/2022, de 21 de diciembre, de fomento del ecosistema de las empresas emergentes, Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Created the international teleworking visa and authorisation (disp. final 5) and extended the special inbound-worker tax regime to teleworkers (disp. final 3)
Real Decreto 126/2026, de 18 de febrero, por el que se fija el salario mínimo interprofesional para 2026, Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · SMI of €1,221 a month (€17,094 a year) with effect from 1 January 2026

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