Spain
Spanish non-lucrative visa (NLV)
if your income does not come from work
Onboard Living · Spain
Spain for the long term – and your work comes with you
The Spanish permit for international teleworkers is issued for 3 years and can be renewed for 2 years at a time; your family can come with you and work too. The time you spend in Spain counts towards long-term residence. We handle your case from the documents to the residence card.
Spain
The programme in brief
- Who it is for
- A non-EU national over 18 who is employed by a foreign company or works self-employed for clients abroad
- Income threshold (2026)
- EUR 2,849 gross per month (200% of one twelfth of the annual minimum wage); +EUR 1,068.38 for the first family member, +EUR 356.13 for each additional one
- Validity
- Visa applied for at a consulate: 1 year; permit applied for in Spain: 3 years
- Renewal
- For 2-year periods, as long as the requirements are met
- Family
- Spouse and child under 18 – with the right to work
- spouse : yes
- child under 18 : yes
- parent : no
family members' permits also allow them to work
- Appearance in person
- Yes at the consulate; in Spain an online application, with fingerprints taken for the card
- Processing time
- 20 days when applying in Spain (official); consular visa 10 working days
- Official fees
- Permit EUR 73.26; visa EUR 90
- Route to settlement
- Yes: long-term residence after 5 years
Benefits
Why it works for you
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Three years at once
Applied for in Spain, the permit runs for 3 years and is renewable every two years. No starting over each year.
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A route to settlement
After five years of legal residence you can apply for long-term residence, and digital nomad time counts.
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Your family can work
Family members' permits let them work in Spain without restriction.
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Possible tax advantages
Employees of a foreign company may qualify for Spain's special tax regime (commonly known as the Beckham Law) – worth discussing with a tax adviser.
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Fast processing
For applications made in Spain the law sets a 20-day time limit; if the authority does not respond, the application is deemed granted.
Who it is for
Who it is for – and who it is not for
Who it is for
- An employee working only for an employer outside Spain.
- A self-employed professional or freelancer with at most 20% of their income from Spanish companies.
- Someone with at least 3 months at their current company or with their clients, where the company has operated for at least 1 year.
- Someone with a university degree or at least 3 years of professional experience.
Who it is not for
- Anyone planning to work as an employee of a Spanish company.
- Anyone who cannot prove regular income (payslips, invoices, bank statements) – the programme mainly asks for current income; savings count only as a supplement, at the authority's discretion.
- Anyone who cannot or will not arrange social security: employees need the company's Spanish registration or a certificate under a social security agreement; the self-employed must register as self-employed in Spain.
Requirements
Requirements and documents
Requirements
- Income: 200% of the Spanish minimum wage. The authority divides the annual minimum wage (EUR 17,094 in 2026) by 12, so the threshold in 2026 is EUR 2,849 gross per month. For family members, as a percentage of the minimum wage: +75% for the first family member (EUR 1,068.38) and +25% for each additional one (EUR 356.13).
- An employment or client relationship of at least 3 months; the company has been genuinely active for at least 1 year and authorises remote work in writing.
- A recognised higher education degree or at least 3 years of professional experience.
- No criminal record in Spain or in your countries of residence over the past 2 years, plus a formal declaration (declaración responsable) covering 5 years.
- Health insurance from an insurer authorised in Spain – travel insurance is not accepted.
- Social security arranged as described above.
Documents required
- Application form
- Full passport copy (at a consulate, valid for at least 1 year)
- Photograph
- Employment contract or contract for services (at least 3 months)
- Company register extract showing at least 1 year of operation, with apostille and certified translation
- Company letter confirming your income and authorising remote work
- CV
- Degree or proof of 3 years of experience
- Social security certificate
- Police clearance certificate with apostille, no older than 6 months, plus a formal declaration
- Health insurance
- 6 months of bank statements
Reasons for refusal
Why applications are refused – and how we prevent it
Applications made in Spain are decided by the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE-CE) within 20 days; a request for missing documents suspends the time limit. Under Article 62 of Law 14/2013 on support for entrepreneurs and their internationalisation (Entrepreneurs Act), the applicant may not be staying irregularly and must have a clean criminal record, valid insurance and sufficient income; Article 74 bis sets the international teleworker programme's own requirements.
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Social security not in order – the most common obstacle
An employee's foreign company must register with Spanish social security, or a certificate under a bilateral agreement is needed; without an agreement, registration cannot be avoided. The self-employed must register under Spain's self-employed scheme (RETA).
We: settle this with your employer at pre-screening and, if they decline, recommend another programme – before you pay anything.
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The company or the working relationship is too new
The company must have been genuinely active for at least 1 year, and the employment or client relationship at least 3 months old.
We: prove both with the company register extract and the contract, with apostille and certified translation.
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Incomplete proof of income
EUR 2,849 gross per month (more with family), with 3 months of payslips or invoices and a bank letter; if this falls short, savings sufficient for the whole permit period may supplement it at the authority's discretion.
We: compile the supporting documents and attach an explanatory letter where anything differs.
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The qualification is not accepted
You need a degree (recognised in Spain for a regulated profession) or at least 3 years of documented professional experience.
We: assess which route is stronger and request the documents for it.
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Unsuitable insurance
Travel insurance or policies with reimbursement, waiting periods or an excess are not accepted.
We: recommend an insurer authorised in Spain.
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Police clearance certificate and declaration
From your countries of residence over the past 2 years, with apostille, recently issued, plus a formal declaration covering 5 years.
We: specify exactly what is needed on the document checklist.
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Spanish income above the permitted share
For the self-employed, no more than 20% of income may come from Spanish companies; an employee may not work for a Spanish company.
We: review your client structure in advance.
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Formal grounds
Irregular stay in Spain at the time of submission, a Schengen entry ban, an unpaid fee – under the law, these are grounds for refusal.
We: time the submission within your legal stay.
Legal basis: Law 14/2013, Articles 62 and 74 bis (as amended by Law 28/2022 on the promotion of the start-up ecosystem, the Startups Law); the UGE-CE guidance and frequently asked questions.
Process
How the process works
In total typically 2–3 months
- Pre-screening and checklist duration: 1–2 working days
- Preparing the documents duration: 2–4 weeks
- Submission and processing duration: 10–20 days
- Fingerprinting and card (TIE) duration: 2–6 weeks
There are two routes. Route A starts at the consulate: a 1-year visa, then a 3-year permit applied for in Spain within the 60 days before expiry. Route B starts in Spain: while staying legally (for example as a tourist), you apply online and go straight to a 3-year permit. For most of our clients we recommend route B, because it takes you to the longer permit in one step.
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1. step: Pre-screening and checklist
we check your income, the company's operation and your qualifications.
Duration: 1–2 working days
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2. step: Preparing the documents
translation, apostille, company letters, social security certificate.
Duration: Typically 2–4 weeks
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3. step: Submission
Route A: in person at the consulate, by appointment. Route B: online with the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE-CE), through an authorised representative.
Duration: 1 day
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4. step: Processing
Route A: the visa within 10 working days. Route B: within 20 days; if the authority does not respond, the application is deemed granted.
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5. step: Residence card (TIE)
fingerprinting in person in Spain, then collecting the card.
Duration: 2–6 weeks, depending on the appointment
Who does what
What we handle – what you need to do
We
- pre-screening
- personalised document checklist
- drafting the employer's and company letters
- arranging translation and apostille
- preparing and submitting the application online as your authorised representative
- arranging health insurance after approval
- arranging the TIE appointment
- contact throughout the procedure
You
- original company and personal documents
- obtaining a police clearance certificate
- signing the social security registration
- fingerprinting in person (on route A, at the consulate too)
Afterwards
After the permit
- at the start Permit for 3 years (1 year with a consular visa) (permit)
- year 3 Renewal for 2-year periods (renewal)
- year 5 Eligible to apply for long-term residence (settlement)
Leads to settlement: long-term residence after 5 years.
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Renewal
for 2-year periods, as long as the requirements are met.
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Long-term residence
after 5 years of continuous legal residence; an absence may last no more than 6 months at a time and 10 months in total (18 months for work reasons).
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Citizenship
usually after 10 years of legal residence; 2 years for nationals of Ibero-American and a few other countries.
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Family
family members can apply together with you or later.
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Reporting changes
a change of employer or address must be reported within 30 days – we help with this too.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Should I apply at the consulate or in Spain?
In Spain, if you can: a 3-year permit in one step, decided within 20 days. The consular route gives a 1-year visa, converted in Spain into a 3-year permit.
Can I work for Spanish clients?
Not as an employee; if self-employed, yes, provided no more than 20% of your income comes from Spanish companies.
What is the Beckham Law, and does it apply to me?
A special Spanish tax regime offering favourable taxation to workers arriving from abroad. It expressly names employees arriving with the international teleworker visa; as a rule, it does not apply to the self-employed. Discuss the details with a tax adviser.
Do I have to pay social security in Spain?
Employees need the foreign company's Spanish social security registration or a certificate under a bilateral agreement. The self-employed must register as self-employed in Spain; failing to do so ends the permit.
Do I need to speak Spanish?
Not for the application. Documents need a certified Spanish translation – we arrange it.
News
Related news
Sources
Sources and updates
Last checked:
- Law 14/2013, Articles 74 bis–74 quinquies – BOE, consolidated text (opens in a new tab)
- UGE-CE – international teleworkers (opens in a new tab)
- UGE-CE – frequently asked questions (opens in a new tab)
- Embassy of Spain in Budapest – teleworker visa (opens in a new tab)
- Royal Decree 126/2026 – the 2026 minimum wage (opens in a new tab)
- UGE-CE – document checklist for the international teleworker permit (opens in a new tab)
- UGE-CE – document checklist for family members (opens in a new tab)