Grounds for residence — business, employment, special programs — with the conditions to qualify.
International teleworking authorization (digital nomad visa)
activeDigital nomad visaFor: All except EU citizens
Income requirement: 2,849 EUR/month (200% of SMI. 2026 SMI €1,221/mo × 14 payments = €17,094/yr; monthly-equivalent €1,424.50 × 200% = €2,849/mo. +75% SMI (≈€1,069/mo) for the first family member, +25% SMI (≈€356/mo) per additional member)
- Duration
- 1 year, renewable
- Path to PR
- Yes
- Family
- Included
- Fee
- 80 EUR
- Processing
- 20–45 days
Requirements (5)
- Non-EU national working remotely for companies outside Spain; work for Spanish-based firms may not exceed 20% of total professional activity
- University/postgraduate degree from a reputable institution, professional training, OR at least 3 years' professional experience
- Employment or professional relationship existing for at least 3 months before applying; the foreign company must have operated for at least 1 year
- Prove the work can be performed remotely; income at or above 200% SMI (payslips/invoices + bank certificate)
- Full private or public health insurance valid in Spain (no significant gaps/high copays), clean criminal record (last 2 years)
Tax implications: Residents (>183 days) are taxed on worldwide income; DNV holders who are EMPLOYEES of a foreign company may elect the Beckham impatriate regime (flat 24% up to €600k) — self-employed DNV holders generally cannot and pay ordinary autónomo IRPF + RETA.related scheme →related scheme →
Created by Ley 28/2022 (Startups Law), Art. 74–82, in force since Jan 2023. Two entry modes: a 1-year visa from a consulate abroad, or a 3-year residence authorization applied for from within Spain via UGE-CE (renewable, counts toward long-term residence). Income requirement pegged to SMI (updates yearly). UGE increasingly verifies ≥183 days/year presence in Spain and rejects weak health-insurance policies. Application fee (tasa 790 codigo 052) ≈ €80.
Residence and work authorization — self-employment (cuenta propia)
activeFreelance permitFor: All except EU citizens
Income requirement: 600 EUR/month (Sufficient funds for investment and subsistence — subsistence ≈ 100% IPREM (€600/mo, 2026); no fixed statutory income, viability of the business plan is decisive)
- Duration
- 1 year, renewable
- Path to PR
- Yes
- Family
- Not included
Requirements (4)
- Business plan validated with a positive viability report from a recognized self-employed workers' association (ATA, UPTA, CIAE, etc.)
- Professional qualifications or licences required to run the intended activity; proof of investment funds and means of subsistence
- Clean criminal record (last 5 years); comply with all conditions to open the activity (permits, registrations)
- First authorization is limited by geography and sector; resolution target ~90 days after the reform of the Immigration Regulation
Tax implications: Registered autónomo — pays IRPF (estimación directa) plus the RETA social-security cuota; not eligible for the Beckham regime as an ordinary freelancer.related scheme →
The traditional route for a foreign freelancer/entrepreneur who does NOT qualify for (or does not want) the digital-nomad visa — e.g. those with Spanish clients above the DNV's 20% cap. More paperwork than the DNV (viability report, sector/geographic limits) but a genuine self-employment path with a route to long-term residence after 5 years.
Non-lucrative residence visa (passive income)
activeTemporary residenceFor: All except EU citizens
Income requirement: 28,800 EUR/year (400% of IPREM (€600/mo × 12 × 4 = €28,800/yr) of passive income/savings; +100% IPREM (€7,200/yr) per additional family member)
- Duration
- 1 year, renewable
- Path to PR
- Yes
- Family
- Included
Requirements (4)
- Prove passive income or sufficient savings ≥ 400% IPREM (pension, rents, dividends, savings) — NOT from working in Spain
- Private health insurance with full coverage in Spain (no copays), from an insurer authorized in Spain
- Clean criminal record (last 5 years) and a medical certificate; passport valid ≥ 1 year
- ABSOLUTE prohibition on work or professional activity in Spain (including, in the authorities' view, remote work) — this is not a work/nomad route
Tax implications: Residence >183 days triggers worldwide-income tax residency; no Spanish earned income by design, so relevant taxes are on foreign passive income and wealth (IRPF savings base, plus wealth/solidarity taxes for large estates).
Included because nomads often ask about it, but it BANS work — a location-independent earner who wants to keep working should use the digital-nomad visa or the self-employment permit instead. Renewable 2+2 years, long-term residence after 5 years. IPREM has been frozen at €600/mo since 2022 (prorogued budgets).
EU Blue Card (highly-qualified employment)
activeTemporary residenceFor: All except EU citizens
Income requirement: 33,000 EUR/year (At least the average gross annual salary threshold set for highly-qualified workers (indicative ≈ 1.0–1.5× the national average wage; the exact 2026 figure is set by the Ministry and was not confirmed on the official page checked))
- Duration
- 3 years, renewable
- Path to PR
- Yes
Requirements (3)
- Binding job offer / employment contract with a Spanish employer in a highly-qualified role
- Higher professional qualifications (degree or equivalent documented experience)
- Salary at or above the Blue Card threshold; clean criminal record
Tax implications: Employer-tied; income taxed as employment (not a freelancer scheme). Employed Blue Card holders relocating may also qualify for the Beckham impatriate regime.related scheme →
Requires a Spanish employer, so it is NOT a freelancer route — included for completeness of the stay-grounds picture. The exact 2026 salary threshold is set administratively and should be re-verified from the ministry's live figure before publication (recorded income requirement is an indicative estimate, flagged).
EU/EEA citizens — registration of residence
activeSpecial programFor: EU citizens
- Duration
- 10 years, renewable
- Path to PR
- Yes
- Family
- Included
Requirements (3)
- No visa or permit needed; full labour-market access and self-employment on the same terms as Spanish nationals
- For stays over 3 months: register in the Central Register of Foreigners (obtain the certificado de registro / green NIE certificate) at a police station or Oficina de Extranjería
- Show sufficient means and health cover if not working (for economically inactive EU citizens)
Tax implications: Tax residency after 183 days or centre of vital interests; full access to autónomo status and all tax schemes (ordinary IRPF + RETA; Beckham only if relocating as an employee and otherwise eligible).related scheme →related scheme →
EU/EEA/Swiss citizens have freedom of establishment — the simplest route for those passport holders. Permanent residence right after 5 years of continuous legal residence. The registration certificate has no fixed expiry (modeled as 10 years / long-lived).