Americans who earn at least €2,849 a month (about $3,172) working remotely for employers or clients outside Spain can apply for Spain's digital nomad visa in 2026. Plan on 3 months of matching income records, an apostilled and translated FBI check, Spanish-compliant health insurance, and a quick decision: about 10 business days at the consulate.
Checked against the sources at the end on November 1, 2026. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the official source before you apply.
At a glance
Dollar figures use the same euro rate as our income checker, $1.1133 per euro (Oct 28, 2026).
| Item | 2026 rule |
|---|---|
| Minimum income | €2,849 a month (about $3,172), which is 200% of Spain's 2026 minimum wage (SMI) of €17,094 a year. Your income should be well documented over 3 months |
| Savings | No separate savings requirement. The test is monthly income |
| Who it's for | Remote employees, and freelancers or business owners, whose work is for companies or clients outside Spain. Spanish clients can be at most 20% of your professional income |
| Visa | Consular visa from the US: generally 1 year. If you're already legally in Spain, a residence authorization of up to 3 years |
| Renewal | Usually 2 years at a time, if you still meet the rules |
| Decision time | About 10 business days at the consulate; up to 20 days for the in-Spain electronic route (both can stretch if they ask for more documents) |
| Family | Spouse or partner, children and dependent relatives can join. Add 75% of the SMI for the first dependent and 25% for each extra one |
| Permanent residency | After 5 years of legal residence |
| Tax residency | More than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year generally makes you a Spanish tax resident |
Who qualifies
You qualify if you work remotely for a company outside Spain, or for foreign clients, and can prove your income and your professional background.
- Remote work. The job has to be done with computers or telecommunications tools, from Spain.
- Employees need a contract and an employer authorization to work from Spain. The work relationship should be at least 3 months old when you file.
- Freelancers and business owners show client contracts and invoices. Spanish clients can be no more than 20% of your professional income. The foreign company should show real, continuous activity, commonly at least a year.
- Professional background. A degree, a recognized postgraduate or professional qualification, or at least 3 years of relevant experience.
- Clean record. An FBI check with a federal apostille, translated, covering the period your consulate specifies.
- Not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen. US citizens qualify as non-EU applicants.
Open question: consulate pages differ on details like document age and whether copies must be notarized, and some still show 2025 income figures. Use the checklist of the consulate that covers your state.
Consulate or from inside Spain
Most Americans apply from the US at their consulate. If you're already legally in Spain, for example as a tourist, you can apply online and get a longer permit.
| Consular visa (from the US) | In-Spain authorization | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Generally 1 year | Up to 3 years |
| Where you apply | The Spanish consulate for your US state | Online through Spain's Large Business Unit (UGE) platform |
| Decision time | About 10 business days | Up to 20 days after electronic filing |
| Renewal | Usually 2 years at a time | Usually 2 years at a time |
| Card | TIE card if the permit runs longer than 6 months | TIE card if the permit runs longer than 6 months |
| Best for | Moving for good from the US | Already in Spain legally and wanting the longer first permit |
Americans can enter Spain visa-free for up to 90 days. Filing an in-Spain application can extend your legal stay while it's decided, but confirm that with the UGE before relying on it.
Documents
These are the categories Spanish guidance asks for. Your consulate's checklist is the final word.
- Passport and the national visa or residence application form
- Passport photo that meets the consulate's size and background rules
- FBI background check (fingerprint-based) with a federal Hague apostille from the US Department of State in Washington, DC, and a sworn Spanish translation. A state-level apostille isn't valid. Some consulates ask for certificates covering the countries you've lived in over the past 5 years, others for the past 2 plus a declaration covering 5
- Contract or client agreements showing the remote work, with 3 months or more of history
- Employer authorization to work from Spain: job title, duties, salary and remote-work approval
- Company registration extract, or equivalent, showing the foreign company has been active (commonly 1 year)
- Proof of income: 3 months of payslips or invoices and the bank deposits that match them
- Spanish-compliant health insurance, not travel insurance and not reimbursement-only
- Degree, professional credential, or proof of 3 or more years of experience
- Social security: either proof of registration with Spanish Social Security, or a certificate showing you stay covered by the US system under the US-Spain agreement, if it covers remote work from Spain
- Apostilles and sworn translations for US public documents
- NIE paperwork, if your consulate or the UGE asks for it
For family members, add marriage or partnership certificates, birth certificates, custody or travel authorization for minors, proof of dependency for older children or parents, and income and insurance for each person.
Tip: payroll records and bank deposits that don't match are a common reason for a request for more documents. Line them up before you file.
Step by step from the US
Start 2 to 3 months before your move date. The decision itself is quick, but apostilles and translations are not.
- Check your numbers. Confirm income of at least €2,849 a month (add 75% of the SMI for a first dependent, 25% for each more), and 3 months of matching records.
- Order the FBI background check and have it apostilled by the US Department of State, then translated by a sworn translator.
- Get insurance that Spain accepts for residence, starting no later than your arrival date.
- Ask your employer for the contract, the remote-work authorization and the company registration extract.
- Find your consulate. It depends on your US state. Washington, Houston, New York, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco each have a telework visa page.
- Book and attend your appointment. Applications are in person, by appointment only, with originals and copies. Some consulates, such as Chicago, use BLS International. Then wait for the decision.
- Enter Spain and, if your permit runs longer than 6 months, book your TIE card appointment.
- Sort your tax and social security before you pass 183 days. See Taxes below.
Costs
Government fees vary by consulate and date, so we don't quote one number here. Check the fee on your consulate's page before you pay.
| Cost | What to expect | When |
|---|---|---|
| Consular visa fee | Varies by consulate; check on the day you file | At your appointment |
| Tasa 790, code 038 | Paid through the official electronic system for in-Spain authorizations. Keep the payment proof | When you file in Spain |
| TIE card fee | May apply after approval | When you collect your card |
| Apostilles | Set by the issuing authority | Before you file |
| Sworn translations | Priced per page or document | Before you file |
| Health insurance | Depends on age, family size and insurer | From your arrival date |
| Tax or legal help | Optional but useful for US-Spain double tax and social security | Before your first resident tax year |
Taxes
The visa decides where you can live. It doesn't decide what you owe. Plan the tax side before the move.
- Spanish tax residency. More than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year can make you a Spanish tax resident, taxed on worldwide income.
- The special regime (the "Beckham Law"). Some qualifying inbound workers can opt in with Modelo 149 and file Modelo 151. In 2025 the scale was 24% up to €600,000 and 47% above. It isn't automatic, the option is generally due within 6 months of starting work or social security, and freelancers and founders need a closer look.
- US taxes continue. US citizens file a Form 1040 on worldwide income. The foreign tax credit (Form 1116) usually fits when you pay Spanish tax; the foreign earned income exclusion ($130,000 for 2025) can help in low-tax or partial years. You can't claim both on the same income.
- Account reporting. FBAR if foreign accounts exceed $10,000 in total at any time. Form 8938 applies at higher thresholds for people living abroad.
- Social security. This is separate from income tax. The US-Spain totalization agreement and a Certificate of Coverage can show which system applies, but the certificate must cover remote work from Spain.
Talk to a cross-border accountant before you pass 183 days, and before you opt into the special regime.
After you land
- Within your first weeks: collect your TIE card if your permit runs longer than 6 months, and register your address with your city hall.
- Open a Spanish bank account so your income arrives where your records match.
- Decide on the special regime early. The Modelo 149 window is short.
- Calendar your renewal and keep updating your income, insurance and work proof. Renewals ask for the same things again.
- Track your days. Count Spain days for tax residency and keep your travel history for later residence applications.
Common mistakes
- Treating the visa as proof that Spain won't tax you as a resident
- Forgetting that US citizens still file a US return on worldwide income
- Buying travel insurance instead of residence-compliant health coverage
- Using an outdated income threshold. The figure moves with the minimum wage every year
- Letting Spanish clients grow past 20% of your professional income
- Filing payslips or invoices that don't match your bank deposits
- Assuming the special tax regime applies without checking Modelo 149 timing
- Missing FBAR after opening a Spanish bank account
Sources
Checked on November 1, 2026. Where sources disagree, we say so above.
- Taxes for Expats: Spain digital nomad visa for US citizens (updated Jul 2026)
- Spain, Large Business Unit: international teleworkers
- Spanish Consulate in Washington: telework visa
- Spanish Consulate in Houston: telework visa
- Spanish Consulate in Chicago: telework visa
- Spanish Consulate in San Francisco: telework visa
- Spanish Consulate in Boston: telework visa
- Spanish Consulate in New York: telework visa
- Spain: electronic residence authorization applications
- Spain: Tasa 038 residence and work authorization fee
- Spanish Tax Agency: special regime for workers displaced to Spain
- Spanish Tax Agency: US income and Spanish residents
- Remote Work Europe: Spain digital nomad visa 2026
- Pellicer Heredia: Digital nomad visa Spain 2026
- Greenback Tax Services: Spain digital nomad visa
- SSA: US-Spain totalization agreement
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