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After teasing it for months, Spain looks set to finally enshrine its long-awaited Startup Law in law in early 2023, opening up a new migration route for foreign workers who might fancy moving to the countries, including digital nomads. Although not by that particular name, the new regulations are, in fact, an equivalent to a Digital Nomad Visa (DNV).
This year, several European countries have started to open up to nomads, in particular the tourist hotspots of Greece, Italy, Croatia and Albania, all of which have the advantage of being located in the sunny south of the continent, and of a pleasant and temperate climate all year round. Spain, on the other hand, was the only missing piece of this vast Mediterranean puzzle.
Fortunately for nomads in love with the Iberian nation, they will soon be able to stay for more than 3 months, as long as certain conditions are met:
Are you eligible for the Spanish DNV?
Spain’s startup law had been doing the rounds for years before a final draft was finally passed in late 2021, triggering a ratification process that saw long debates and multiple delays as the Spanish parliament sought to perfect it. Now he has passed the “lower” house of government, and should finally come into force in January 2023. but what does that mean?
The Ley from Startups will allow foreigners from outside Spain and the European Economic Area to apply for a residency visa on the basis of being a remote worker, either self-employed or an employee of a registered non-Spanish company outside of Spain. That’s the sum of it all, but there are other requirements worth considering:
For example, unlike employees, independent nomads are allowed to offer their services to Spanish companiesbut only partially, with up to 20% of all reported income coming from within Spain. There is a reason for this: this law is approved in order to attract foreign investment without taking away local jobs, which brings us to the next point.
There is, of course, income requirements to meet. According to the law firm Global Citizen Solutions, visa applicants must earn at least double the average salary of a Spanish worker. This means having at least €2,100 (or $2,207.78 at the current conversion rate) of “verifiable income” per month, although the actual financial threshold may be even higher.
Global Citizen Solutions offers a round figure – €3,000 – but this remains to be confirmed by the Spanish authorities. While it is certainly more bureaucratic and more difficult to obtain than a Developing Country DNVSpain’s new visa is sure to be a hit, as the coastal city of Valencia has just been named the best destination for expats around the world.
A Summary of Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa Requirements
Top 5 Travel Insurance Plans for 2023 starting at $10 per week
As for the duration of the visa itself, this is still a matter of speculation, although other DNVs issued by Spain’s EU counterparts vary between one and two years, and are usually renewable for several years a year. after the initial period has elapsed. We are not able to verify this information at the moment, as the visa has not yet been launched, but Global Citizen Solutions reiterates that:
- First of all, European citizens are not eligible: they can already live and work from Spain without requirement*
- Candidates cannot be employed by a company based in Spain
- Independent nomads can only have 20% of their income from Spanish sources
- Nomads can not have been resident in Spain over the past five years
- They must have had a steady source of income for at least a year before applying
- They must present a clean record
- Applicants who have been refused entry to Spain and the Extended Schengen Area are not eligible to apply
- Health insurance is compulsory for the entire duration of their stay in Spanish territory
- Proof of accommodation in Spain is required (short term rentals are generally accepted)
*If you are American but hold a second EUEFTA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) or Swiss nationality, you do not need a visa to travel to Spain
A DNV visa for Spain is a free pass to all of Europe
Spain is also a expensive country to live, so it is understandable that they expect nomads to earn well above the minimum wage. After all, the whole point of nomadic visas is to attract self-employed entrepreneurs with enough money to positively impact local communities, without adding to the burden of an already overstretched public sector.
Perhaps the best thing about applying for a DNV in an EU member – or rather, a Schengen State – is the fact that it grants the visa holder unlimited access to the 27 countries in the borderless zone. In other words, once your DNV is approved, you have a free pass to travel throughout most of Europe without worrying about staying too long and being punished for that.
As a general rule, Americans can only stay in Spain, and to some extent in the territories of European countries applying the Schengen acquis, for only 90 days out of each 180 day period. Once those three months are exhausted within six months, they are required to leave the area and cannot return to any of the 27 members for another 90 days.
If traveling to Europe while working remotely is your goal, then a digital nomad visa, be it Spain, Greece, Portugal or any other Schengen participating country, could prove extremely useful for you. However, we do not know at this stage whether visa holders will be required to maintain residency in Spain specifically for a certain number of months each year.
Top destinations to work remotely from Spain
Some of the main destinations to consider when moving to Spain are:
- Valencean often-overlooked coastal gem with a growing population of American and British expats
- Gran Canaria and Tenerifetwo poles of ‘workcation’ in the Canaries which have in partnership with AirBnB recently to attract more digital nomads
- Barcelonathe historic capital of autonomous Catalonia, where The Sagrada Familia and countless works by Gaudi can be found
- Sevillethe largest city in Andalusia and one of the most culturally charged in Spain, home to The Giralda and the landmark Spain Square
- Formenterathe smallest of the Balearic Islands and Ibiza’s smallest southern neighbour, packed with marine parks and pristine beaches
- Bilbaoa vibrant metropolis in northern Spain, specifically the Basque Country, famous for its world-class museums and colorful old quarter
Traveler alert: Don’t forget travel insurance for your next trip!
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
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