How to get a digital nomad visa in Spain

The development of telecommunications technologies has radically transformed the labor market: more and more people work remotely from anywhere in the world. In addition to convenience, this allows you to count on high fees. To work from another state, it is necessary to legalize on its territory, Spain in this sense is no exception. The leadership of the southern European country responded to the needs of people in a timely manner, provided an opportunity to obtain a digital nomad visa in 2023. Holders of this document can legally live and work in the country remotely. This is a long-term Digital Nomad Visa, in order to obtain it, you need to clarify some details.

Who is a digital nomad?

In modern realities, the expression "where he was born, there he came in handy" has ceased to be relevant. Thanks to the Internet, people have the opportunity to work from anywhere in the world, for this you just need to learn how to get a digital nomad visa. The need for such a document arises from specialists of various professions:

• Programmers;
• layout designers;
• web designers;
• project managers;
• SEO specialists.

This list is by no means exhaustive, it is possible to add other employees who only need a laptop and broadband Internet to perform their duties. This method of employment appeared a relatively long time ago, but the most popular phenomenon became during the COVID-19 pandemic, when millions of people around the world were forced to work from home due to quarantine. This way of working turned out to be very popular, so many, even after the end of the coronavirus, refused to work in the same mode. Moreover, they move to another country and work from abroad. Thus, they can choose places with a more comfortable climate and cheap life (when choosing a location, the cost of renting real estate, food and other factors are taken into account).

Benefits of a Digital Nomad Visa

The popularity of such a document is growing every year, which is not surprising, because its owner receives a whole array of advantages:

• the ability to open an account in a foreign bank;
• increasing the chances of obtaining a residence permit;
• the possibility of obtaining Spanish citizenship;
• simplification of the process of studying abroad.

The downside is that work in the host country on this document is not allowed, you can only work remotely.

Taxes for digital nomads

The popularity of work in other countries is also associated with the desire to avoid the fiscal burden, but even such specialists will have to pay income tax, otherwise they face large fines. To avoid administrative measures, it is necessary to deal with the status of a tax resident, that is, it is necessary to decide in which state such a person will pay taxes. In addition to tax residency, it is important to determine the source of income. If we are talking about the income of individuals, then they can be classified into local and foreign. In the first case, we are talking about income in the state where the individual is listed as a tax resident. Foreign income differs in that its source is in other countries. It is extremely important to understand these differences, since the taxation of different types of income has significant differences. Taxes on local income are paid only to the treasury of the state in which the person is listed as a tax resident. Another state can also claim part of foreign income.

Because of this feature, it is extremely important to avoid double taxation, but for this you need to know the peculiarities of the legislation of the two countries. If you can't figure out the legal intricacies on your own, then thanks to the services of professionals from specialized firms, you can fulfill all the requirements of the law and avoid duplicate taxation.

Digital Nomad Residency

Relocating to a Spanish city for remote work attracts with a warm climate, delicious food, a variety of real estate for every taste and budget, as well as the rule of law. According to the laws of this southern European country, foreigners from countries that are not members of the European Union can obtain a residence permit under the Non-Lucrative Visa program. In this case, residency is possible even if the visa applicant proves passive income in another country. This type of visa excludes the possibility of working in Spain itself, but it is possible to work remotely. The document is issued for 1 year with the possibility of extension, to obtain it, the applicant must pay 140 euros.

Visa Candidate Requirement

To take advantage of the document, the applicant must fulfill a number of conditions. The requirements for a digital nomad visa in Spain are as follows:

• The minimum confirmed income is 2151 euros.
• Availability of documentary evidence of the execution of orders for foreign clients - you can provide an employment contract or other documents.
• Documentary evidence of qualifications and 3 years of work experience - you can provide a diploma, an employment contract, demonstrate completed projects.

In Spain, the conditions for a digital nomad visa also include having health insurance and no criminal record for 5 years prior to applying. If you draw up a document in other countries, then the term will be different, however, like other requirements.

If a freelancer plans to go to Spain not alone, but with his family, then documentary evidence of the spouse's income is added to the above list of requirements (they should not be less than 75% of the minimum wage in the country, at the moment it is 875 euros per month). For each subsequent family member, wage requirements are increased by 25%.

Where to apply

You can apply for a document from January 1, 2023, but so far this can only be done in Spain. The place of application depends on how long you want to get a visa. If the period of stay in the state does not exceed 1 year, then in this case it is necessary to apply with the application and the collected documents to one of the branches of the consular service of Spain. A one-year visa excludes the possibility of making any migration office. If the period of stay is up to 3 years with the possibility of extension, then in this case the application is submitted to the Immigration Office (Department of Foreigners), after which you need to apply for a visa and a residence permit tarjeta de residencia (TIE).

If the applicant expects to obtain a residence for up to 3 years, then you need to contact the Spanish Migration Office Oficina de Extranjería (UGE). Regardless of the place of application, the law on supporting the ecosystem of developing companies makes obtaining this document a fairly simple and understandable procedure, although due to the fact that the law was adopted relatively recently, the registration process has not been fully worked out.

Digital Nomad Visa for Russians

Russian citizens began to work en masse remotely, and many of them are moving abroad to work, including to Spain, as the European country creates favorable conditions for work and leisure. In 2022, 2.3 million people left our country to work remotely, according to this indicator, Russia ranks third - after the United States and Great Britain, and over time the number of such people only increases.

It is worth noting that recently, due to sanctions against our country, Russians have become much less likely to give visas to Spain. The process is accompanied by bureaucratic delays, various obstacles, or simply refusal without explanation. This situation is faced by persons who receive the document on their own, but there is an alternative. It is much easier to obtain this document with the help of an intermediary - a company that provides consulting services, collects, executes and submits documents. The client can only get a ready-made visa and go to Spain for remote work from abroad. This method is much cheaper, more convenient and faster, so most freelancers and IT professionals use it. In any case, it will be cheaper than doing the document on your own.