It’s been a good year for remote workers. With the pandemic making remote work mainstream, several countries have introduced digital nomad visas, with Spain now adding to that list.
Spain has long had a problem with unemployment and a shaky economy. A digital nomad visa for Spain is seen as a way to attract high earning long stay visitors to this attractive destination in a bid to boost the tourism economy.
But what are the details? How long can digital nomads stay in Spain? How much does the new digital nomad visa cost? And what are the requirements for entry?
Who is the Spanish digital nomad visa for?
For those looking to stay in Spain long term, there have been a few options. The first, the non-lucrative visa, is the one that most long stay visitors have used. However this technically prohibited any economic activity, ruling out remote working.
The new Spanish digital nomad visa is designed to attract those working remotely for any non-Spanish company.
It is also being proposed by the Spanish government to attract start-ups, tech talent and capital. Neighbouring Portugal has done very well at this in recent years, and it’s actually long overdue for the Spanish government to try and do something similar.
The truth is though, at this stage, the digital nomad visa is still in development stage and hasn’t yet been released.
Remote working communities
Attracting remote workers to smaller communities and towns is something that has been tried in Italy. And Spain are now rolling out something very similar.
The National Network of Welcoming Communities, (Red Nacional de Pueblos Acogedores) is hoping to attract digital nomads to a group of attractive villages across Spain.
Many of these are communities that have been losing population to bigger cities, as people look for jobs. However many of these towns and villages are exactly what most digital nomads are looking for in their new digs.
Beautiful old towns with lots of adventure opportunity, community engagement, cultural experiences and – importantly – fast wifi.
Our pick includes Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, one of the least visited and most remote of he archipelago. There are also several very attractive towns in the Malaga region.
The network is offering a support network of people to welcome you to these specific towns, good connections for the internet and use of co-working spaces.
At Global Playboy, we had a stint in Valencia, so we can vouch for the fact that Spain offers a great lifestyle and a great place to work from.
What are the details of the digital nomad visa for Spain?
The Spanish digital nomad visa is most likely going to be a one year visa with renewal options. This is in line with other digital nomad visas, such as Croatia and Estonia.
There will be local tax payable, with the government suggesting 15%, as opposed to the 25% paid by local tax payers.
At the moment, the details of who is eligible for the Spanish digital nomad visa are hazy. The government has not yet released the details, so factors such as the income threshold are not known.
Based on other European digital nomad visas, it’s likely that freelancers will need to be earning in the region of €2000 a month. This is an educated guess based on the Portuguese, Greek and Croatian visas that have been introduced recently.
And, for now, the cost of the visa is also an unknown.
Say tuned for more details as and when they become available.
Read more about the governments digital nomad and start-up visa proposal (in Spanish).
Thank you, Oli! Where can I learn more about the proposed tax rate(s) for someone on the digital nomad visa? You mentioned that the government is suggesting 15%. Could you provide a link to where you read that or heard that? I want to read more about it. Thank you!
-Mark
Never mind. I see it on the link you provided at the end. I am from the USA, wanting to move to Spain with my family. My understanding was that our tax rate in Spain would be lot higher than 25% (more like 50%). In any case, this suggests to me that our tax rate would be maybe 10% lower than with a different type of visa, with the understanding that the government has not made any definite decisions yet. If you find any more detail about the proposed tax rates for the digital nomad visa, could you let me know? Thank you! -Mark
Hi Mark, yeah I think most people move and use the non-lucrative visa. When I was there I was an EU citizen so was a bit more straightforward, but I am now keeping an eye on this! Will keep you posted. Good luck with your move to Spain. Awesome country with an excellent lifestyle.