Digital Nomad Visa — Requirements [2026]

Last updated: April 2026

Financial requirements

Example: For a family of 3 (applicant + spouse + child), the minimum monthly income must be 4,273 EUR.

Income is gross (before tax). For employees, it is verified through employment contracts and payslips; for freelancers, through client invoices.

Eligibility criteria

• You must be a citizen of a country outside the European Union
• You work remotely for a foreign company or clients
• You have been working with your current employer or client for at least 3 months
• The employer/client has been operating for at least 1 year
• You have a professional qualification (university degree) or 3+ years of work experience
• Freelancers must be officially registered in their home country [2026 update]
• Clean criminal record

Required documents

1. Passport (valid for at least 12 months) and copy
2. Employment contract or service agreements (position, duration, salary in EUR, remote work permission must be stated)
3. Document proving the employer’s or client’s activity — Certificate of Good Standing or equivalent proving at least 1 year of operation (issued no more than 6 months before application date) [2026 update]
4. Diploma proving professional qualification (with apostille and translation) or official documents proving at least 3 years of work experience (tax or social security reports)
5. CV (resume) — in Spanish
6. Criminal record certificate (from countries where you have lived in the last 2 years) and a signed declaration that no serious crime was committed in the last 5 years
7. Social security certificate (A1 form) or registration commitment declaration (details below)
8. Health insurance — required in certain cases (details below)
9. For freelancers: document proving official registration in your home country [2026 update]
10. Passport-size photographs

All documents must be translated into Spanish and apostilled.

Including family members

Your spouse and children under 18 can apply together with you. For an unmarried partner, a document officially proving cohabitation is required.

Including family members as dependents increases the financial requirements for the main applicant (see the table above).

Social security certificate

For employees: If there is a mutual social security agreement between your country and Spain, your employer can apply for an A1 form (social security certificate). If no such agreement exists, the employer must register the employee in Spain’s social security system.

For freelancers: A social security certificate is not required. Instead, a signed declaration must be submitted confirming that you will register in Spain’s social security system after the application is approved.

The payment for the first year is approximately 88 EUR/month (in some regions, a refund of this amount is possible).

Beckham Law — Tax benefits

The “Beckham Law” (a special tax regime for workers relocating to Spain from abroad) allows Digital Nomad visa holders to benefit from a flat tax rate under certain conditions.

• A flat 24% tax rate applies to income up to 600,000 EUR per year
• Income above 600,000 EUR is taxed at 47%

For comparison, standard Spanish tax resident income tax rates are progressive and can reach up to approximately 47%.

• Is valid for a total of 6 years (year of relocation + 5 years) from the year you move to Spain
• Foreign-source income is not taxed in Spain (although tax obligations may arise in other countries)

Application process and timeline

1. Document preparation

Gathering required documents, translation, and apostille — approximately 2-4 weeks.

2. Submitting the application

Application through the Spanish Embassy (Ankara) or Istanbul Consulate General, or from within Spain via UGE.

3. Waiting for a decision

Response from the consulate typically takes 1-2 months. For in-Spain applications, 20 business days.

4. Arrival in Spain

After receiving the visa, you must enter Spain within 90 days.

5. TIE card (residence card)

Within 30 days of entering Spain, you must apply for fingerprinting and formalization of your residence card.

Where to apply from

From your home country (via consulate)

Azerbaijani citizens submit the application through the Spanish Embassy in Ankara or the Istanbul Consulate General. In this case, only a 1-year visa is granted, and the residence permit must then be formalized in Spain.

From within Spain (recommended)

While legally in Spain (e.g., as a tourist), you can apply directly for a 3-year residence permit (or matching your contract duration). This process is faster (reviewed within approximately 20 business days) and bypasses the consulate stage.

Health insurance

Health insurance: Private health insurance is required only for those applying with an A1 form (social security certificate). The insurance must be valid in Spain, comprehensive, and without co-payment.

Freelancers who commit to registering in Spain’s social security system do not need separate health insurance. In this case, social security payments grant access to public healthcare services (approximately 88 EUR/month for the first year).

Official sources

• Spanish Consulate (Istanbul) — Digital Nomad visa requirements
• Spanish Embassy (Ankara) — For Azerbaijani citizens
• Ley 28/2022 — Startups Act (BOE official text)