Indian applicants · Kingdom of Spain
Digital Nomad Visa (Spain) for Indian 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 Indian applicants — including document requirements, consular procedures, and common issues specific to India. 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
- No fixed national clock publishedUse the current UGE-CE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas) — Teletrabajadores service for the responsible mission, service centre, authority or live processing-time tool before applying.
- 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: New Delhi / Mumbai
Tourist entry vs. this route
Indian nationals require a visa for any entry into Kingdom of Spain. The Digital Nomad Visa (Spain) is one of the routes available; tourist entry is a separate application.
Key figures for Indian 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pays their own EUR 90 consular fee if applying from abroad, €10.94 UGE-CE tasa (Tasa 038; the old €73.26 line was repealed by Orden PJC/617/2025), and €16.08 TIE.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
No fixed national clock published
UGE-CE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas) — Teletrabajadores does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route.
Use the current UGE-CE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas) — Teletrabajadores service for the responsible mission, service centre, authority or live processing-time tool before applying.
Verified 10 September 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.
Plan the practical side of your stay
Once you have checked the official route, you can prepare for day-to-day life in Spain. These optional services are separate from the application and do not establish visa eligibility.
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
Other Kingdom of Spain routes covered for Indian applicants
Highly Qualified Professional (HQP) permit
Residence permit for highly qualified workers with a Spanish employment contract, processed under the Law 14/2013 regime.
Entrepreneur Visa (Ley 14/2013)
Residence permit for founders establishing an innovative business in Spain under the Entrepreneurs' Law.
Family reunification (Spain)
Residence authorisation for eligible family members of certain non-EU residents in Spain; EU-family routes follow a separate regime.
Not sure Kingdom of Spain is right for you? Compare similar routes
Other countries offer digital nomad routes that Indian nationals also apply to. See how they compare.
Frequently asked questions
Are Indian 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. Indian applicants must meet the general route criteria plus any nationality- or location-specific intake requirements described in the current corridor guidance above.
Where do Indian applicants typically file the Digital Nomad Visa (Spain)?+
New Delhi / Mumbai. 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 Indian applicants need a tourist visa for Kingdom of Spain as well?+
Indian nationals require a visa for any entry into Kingdom of Spain. The Digital Nomad Visa (Spain) is one of the routes available; tourist entry is a separate application.
How much does the Digital Nomad Visa (Spain) cost for a Indian 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 Indian 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 India?+
UGE-CE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas) — Teletrabajadores does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route. Use the current UGE-CE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas) — Teletrabajadores service for the responsible mission, service centre, authority or live processing-time tool before applying. Indian applicants usually file via New Delhi / Mumbai, and appointment or post-specific backlogs can add to the wait. Source: UGE-CE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas) — Teletrabajadores, verified 10 September 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: 1 August 2026