Spain's Digital Nomad Visa: Requirements & How Encantada Can Help

Remote work setup on a terrace overlooking Spanish mountains

If you've ever pictured yourself working from a laptop somewhere warmer, with better food and a slower pace of life, Spain's Digital Nomad Visa is likely the reason you've started researching a move. Since its launch in 2023 under Spain's Startup Act, it's become one of the most accessible routes for non-EU remote workers to live legally in Spain — and in 2026, with Spain's investor Golden Visa now closed to new applicants, it's the primary path for most people considering the move.

Here's what the visa actually requires in 2026, and where Encantada fits into the process.

A quiet plaza in a Spanish town

What the visa actually is

Officially called the International Teleworking Visa, this is a residence permit for non-EU nationals who work remotely for employers or clients based outside Spain. It's built for exactly the kind of person reading this: a freelancer, contractor, or full-time employee whose income doesn't depend on a Spanish employer.

You can apply two ways: through a Spanish consulate in your home country before you arrive (initial validity of one year), or from within Spain if you're already there on a tourist stay, within your first 90 days (initial validity of up to three years). Either route renews in two-year increments, up to a total of five years, after which you may become eligible for long-term residency.

The income requirement

This is the number most people want first: for 2026, the main applicant needs to show a monthly income of approximately €2,849 (around €34,188 annually), calculated as 200% of Spain's minimum wage. Because it's tied to the minimum wage, this figure typically rises slightly each year, so always confirm the current threshold before applying.

Bringing family? Add roughly €1,069/month for a spouse or partner, and about €357/month for each dependent child.

One important rule: no more than 20% of your income can come from Spanish clients or companies. This visa is specifically for people whose income comes from abroad.

Reviewing income documents for a visa application

Who qualifies

Beyond the income threshold, you'll need to show:

• A university degree, or at least three years of professional experience in your field

• At least three months working with your current employer or clients before applying

• If employed, your company must have been operating for at least a year, and must confirm in writing that you're authorized to work remotely

• A clean criminal record from the past five years (apostilled, and translated into Spanish)

• Private health insurance with at least €30,000 of coverage and no co-payments

• A valid passport with at least a year left before expiry

The tax benefit worth knowing about

Digital Nomad Visa holders can apply for Spain's Beckham Law tax regime, which offers a flat 24% income tax rate on earnings up to €600,000 — a meaningful saving compared to Spain's standard progressive rates, which climb as high as 47%. This is available for up to six years, provided you weren't a Spanish tax resident in the five years before arriving.

Where Encantada comes in

The requirements above are manageable on paper, but the real challenge is usually in the details — making sure your income documentation is structured the way Spanish authorities expect it, getting the right apostilles on the right documents, and avoiding the small paperwork mistakes that cause delays or rejections.

This is where we help. Alongside guiding you through the visa application itself, we support the parts of the move that come right after approval: finding the right home to rent or buy, getting your children into school, registering with local authorities, and settling into a neighbourhood that actually suits how you want to live. It's the difference between getting the visa and actually building a life here.

If you're weighing up the move, we're happy to talk through where you stand and what the process would look like for your specific situation.

Meet Stephanie and Maria - Founders of Encantada World