One step closer to a Digital Nomad Visa for Spain

Digital Nomad/Remote Worker Visa for Spain- nearly there!

It’s been a long time coming but Spain made a big step towards implementing the long-awaited “digital nomad visa” last week, when the Bill finally passed through Spanish Congress – the next and final stage is for the Bill to pass through the Spanish senate before it becomes law. 

Back in December 2021, Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Nadia Calvino tweeted 

📜 You can read my #LinkedIn post on the draft #Startups law just passed in Spain. 
It is a key reform of the #RecoveryPlan to boost entrepreneurship, investment and talent and place the country at the forefront of innovation and digitalization in 🇪🇺.

Spain wants to  attract new talent and investment and the original brief (anteproyecto in Spanish) for the “Ley de start-ups” (the legislation that includes the new visa) was given the green light for development by Spain’s Commission for Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation. During the political process, there have been no less than 271 amendments to the initial `anteproyecto´ so that might explain why it’s taken longer than expected to get to this final stage.

For many third-country nationals (which includes UK passport holders since Brexit), who wish to move to Spain but don’t fall into the current visa structure, this is great news. The `Ley de start-ups´ could help digital nomads and remote workers realise their dreams to live and work in Spain.

The small print … Do we know what the requirements for the digital nomad visa will be?
No, not in detail. Like any residency permit in Spain, there are sure to be strict qualifying rules and the initial draft law did outline some possible requirements:

• Applicants will need to be university graduates or postgraduates, in vocational training or business school
• Or have experience in the sector they are working in for more than 3 years.
• There is also going to be a set minimum income qualification, linked to IPREM.
• Applications will be handled by the same Spanish Government Department used to apply for a Golden visa. 

So, we are still not quite there, but another important step has been taken towards remote workers/digital nomads being able to work in Spain. We don’t expect to see the law passed before early 2023, but it’s an exciting prospect for next year and could be the missing piece of the jigsaw for so many people who want to live and work in Spain.
Watch this space! 

Register your Interest in the new visa
If you would like to be added to our contact list to be notified when this new visa goes live, please email your full name, contact telephone number and the town you live in to [email protected] 

Useful links:
Presentation to the Spanish Congress about the new law
Unidad de Grandes empresas Y Colectivo estrategicos