British applicants · Kingdom of Spain
Digital Nomad Visa (Spain) for British citizens
By Sam Parks · Last reviewed:
Residence permit for remote workers and international freelancers under the Startup Law (Ley de Startups).
This page covers the Digital Nomad Visa (Spain) specifically for British applicants — including document requirements, consular procedures, and common issues specific to United Kingdom. The route's general criteria are summarised below, but the current corridor-specific filing, visa-issuance, and entry position above can still determine whether the route is usable.
- Processing time
- 3 weeks – 6 weeks
- Worked-example cost
- €1,017.02
- Typical duration
- Initial 1-year consular visa, extendable to 3-year residence permit, then renewable for further 2 years; counts toward permanent residence after 5 years.
- Sponsorship required
- No
- Leads to permanent residency
- Yes
Bilateral context
- Schengen Area
Consular processing: a Kingdom of Spain consulate or visa application centre in your country of residence
Tourist entry vs. this route
Tourist-entry rules for British nationals change periodically and are separate from the Digital Nomad Visa (Spain). Check the destination government's current entry guidance before travel.
Key figures for British applicants
Computed from our continuously re-verified, primary-sourced data. Indicative, not legal advice.
Salary you must earn
€34,188/yr
Digital Nomad Visa — remote-work income
Verified 1 January 2026 · BOE — Real Decreto 126/2026 (SMI)
Worked-example route cost
€1,017.02
Single applicant, applying from abroad
Each family member pays their own EUR 90 consular fee if applying from abroad, €10.94 UGE-CE tasa (Tasa 038; the old €73.26 line was repealed by Orden PJC/617/2025), and €16.08 TIE. Income threshold scales: +75% of SMI for first dependant, +25% per additional.
Verified 1 July 2026 · BOE — Orden PJC/617/2025 (immigration fees)
How long it takes
3 weeks – 6 weeks
The 2022 Startup Law gives UGE-CE a 20-working-day decision target for in-country Digital Nomad applications. Consular applications from abroad commonly run 4–8 weeks.
Verified 22 June 2026 · UGE-CE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas) — Teletrabajadores
Time to permanent residence
Arrival → permanent residence (5 years) → citizenship (10 years for most nationalities; 2 for Latin American).
Leads to Residencia de Larga Duración, then Spanish citizenship.
Visa overview
Spain's Digital Nomad Visa (Visado de teletrabajador de carácter internacional) was introduced by the Startup Law in December 2022. It allows non-EEA nationals to live in Spain while working remotely for companies outside Spain, or as freelancers with predominantly non-Spanish clients (typically 80%+ non-Spanish income).
Eligibility
Typical criteria
- ✓Remote work for a company based outside Spain, or freelance activity where at most 20% of income derives from Spanish clients.Boletín Oficial del Estado / Jefatura del Estado (consolidated text of Ley 14/2013) ↗
- ✓Employment relationship or professional contract of at least 3 months' standing with the foreign company.Boletín Oficial del Estado / Jefatura del Estado (consolidated text of Ley 14/2013) ↗
- ✓University degree or at least 3 years of relevant experience.Boletín Oficial del Estado / Jefatura del Estado (consolidated text of Ley 14/2013) ↗
- ✓Minimum income at roughly 200% of the Spanish minimum wage (SMI); higher uplifts for family.Dirección General de Migraciones & Dirección General de Españoles en el Exterior y de Asuntos Consulares (Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones) ↗
- ✓Private health insurance covering Spain.Boletín Oficial del Estado / Jefatura del Estado (consolidated text of Ley 14/2013) ↗
Common blockers
- !Too high a share of Spanish-client income (above 20%).Boletín Oficial del Estado / Jefatura del Estado (consolidated text of Ley 14/2013) ↗
- !Qualifications not matching degree-or-experience requirement.Boletín Oficial del Estado / Jefatura del Estado (consolidated text of Ley 14/2013) ↗
- !Income below 200% SMI for principal applicant, or insufficient for dependants.Dirección General de Migraciones & Dirección General de Españoles en el Exterior y de Asuntos Consulares (Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones) ↗
Typical evidence
- ·Employment contract or freelance contracts.Dirección General de Migraciones & Dirección General de Españoles en el Exterior y de Asuntos Consulares (Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones) ↗
- ·Letter from employer confirming remote-work authorisation.Dirección General de Migraciones & Dirección General de Españoles en el Exterior y de Asuntos Consulares (Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones) ↗
- ·Recent payslips and tax records.
- ·Degree certificate or evidence of 3+ years experience.Dirección General de Migraciones & Dirección General de Españoles en el Exterior y de Asuntos Consulares (Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones) ↗
- ·NIE and health insurance.
Application pathway
Decide consular vs. in-country route
Apply at a Spanish consulate for a 1-year visa then extend; or enter on tourist status and apply to UGE-CE for the 3-year residence permit directly (faster in practice).
Prepare evidence package
Employer letter, contract, qualifications, income, insurance, clean criminal record.
Submit application
To Spanish consulate or, in-country, to UGE-CE via the online Mercurio system.
Receive approval and obtain TIE
Book TIE appointment (fingerprints) at a Spanish police station.
Renew and progress to long-term residence
After 5 years of lawful residence, apply for permanent residence.
Official application links
Where to actually go next
These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.
- ApplyApplicantSubmit Ley 14/2013 residence application ↗
Use the official electronic procedure to submit an in-country international telework residence application and related documents.
Ministerio de Inclusion, Seguridad Social y Migraciones · verified
- Official guidanceApplicantCheck telework requirements ↗
Use this official guidance to confirm international telework eligibility, income and document requirements before applying.
Ministerio de Inclusion, Seguridad Social y Migraciones · verified
Not sure Kingdom of Spain is right for you? Compare similar routes
Other countries offer digital nomad routes that British nationals also apply to. See how they compare.
Frequently asked questions
Are British citizens eligible for the Digital Nomad Visa (Spain)?+
Eligibility for the Digital Nomad Visa (Spain) is set by Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations. British applicants must meet the general route criteria plus any nationality- or location-specific intake requirements described in the current corridor guidance above.
Where do British applicants typically file the Digital Nomad Visa (Spain)?+
a Kingdom of Spain consulate or visa application centre in your country of residence. Specific intake (online portal, biometrics centre, or in-country lodgement) is determined by Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations — confirm the current intake channel on the primary source linked above before filing.
Do British applicants need a tourist visa for Kingdom of Spain as well?+
Tourist-entry rules for British nationals change periodically and are separate from the Digital Nomad Visa (Spain). Check the destination government's current entry guidance before travel.
How much does the Digital Nomad Visa (Spain) cost for a British applicant?+
The stored worked example (Single applicant, applying from abroad) totals about €1,017.02. Each family member pays their own EUR 90 consular fee if applying from abroad, €10.94 UGE-CE tasa (Tasa 038; the old €73.26 line was repealed by Orden PJC/617/2025), and €16.08 TIE. Income threshold scales: +75% of SMI for first dependant, +25% per additional. It may combine government charges with other stated route costs. Source: BOE — Orden PJC/617/2025 (immigration fees), verified 1 July 2026. Treat it as indicative and confirm the current official schedule before budgeting.
What salary do British applicants need for the Digital Nomad Visa (Spain)?+
The Digital Nomad Visa — remote-work income floor is €34,188/yr, effective 1 January 2026 (BOE — Real Decreto 126/2026 (SMI)). Your occupation's published going rate may bind higher — whichever is greater applies.
How long does the Digital Nomad Visa (Spain) take to process from United Kingdom?+
The 2022 Startup Law gives UGE-CE a 20-working-day decision target for in-country Digital Nomad applications. Consular applications from abroad commonly run 4–8 weeks. British applicants usually file via a Kingdom of Spain consulate or visa application centre in your country of residence, and appointment or post-specific backlogs can add to the wait. Source: UGE-CE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas) — Teletrabajadores, verified 22 June 2026.
How long until permanent residence in Kingdom of Spain?+
Arrival → permanent residence (5 years) → citizenship (10 years for most nationalities; 2 for Latin American). The route leads to Residencia de Larga Duración, then Spanish citizenship. See Ministerio de Justicia — Nacionalidad española for the qualifying-residence rules.
How much income do I need for the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa?+
Roughly 200% of the Spanish minimum wage (SMI) for the principal applicant, with uplifts of approximately 75% for a spouse/first dependant and smaller uplifts for further dependants. Exact figures update annually with the SMI.
Is the Spain DNV tax-favourable?+
Qualifying applicants can apply for the Beckham-style special expats regime (Régimen especial aplicable a trabajadores desplazados a territorio español under Article 93 LIRPF), which flat-taxes non-Spanish-source income at 24% for the first €600k and exempts most overseas income for 6 years. Tax advice from a Spanish asesor fiscal is essential.
How we verified this
We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.
Primary source: Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations
Last checked: 30 July 2026