Yes, US citizens can get Spain's digital nomad visa in 2026. Spain officially calls it the international telework visa. It is for remote employees and freelancers who work for companies outside Spain. As of November 2026, the Washington consulate asks a single applicant to show EUR 2,442 a month (about $2,900) in gross income.
You can apply at a Spanish consulate in the US, or you can enter Spain visa-free and apply from inside the country. Applying inside Spain is usually faster and can give you up to 3 years right away. Either way, you will need an apostilled FBI background check and proof of social security coverage. This guide covers the income math, both routes, the paperwork, and how the Beckham tax option works.
Digital nomad visa Spain: key facts at a glance
| Question | Short answer (as of November 2026) |
|---|---|
| Official name | International telework visa (also called the Spanish digital nomad visa) |
| Income, single applicant | EUR 2,442 a month gross (consulate figure). Some advisers use EUR 2,849 |
| Family add-ons | EUR 916 for the first family member, EUR 306 for each additional one (Washington) |
| Education or experience | A university degree or 3 years of professional experience |
| Employer rules | 3 months with your employer, and the company must have operated for at least 1 year |
| Freelancers | Allowed, but Spanish clients can be at most 20% of income |
| Criminal record | FBI check, issued within 6 months, with a federal apostille and a sworn Spanish translation |
| Social security | US Certificate of Coverage (employees only) or Spanish Social Security registration |
| Permit length | 1-year visa from a consulate, or up to 3 years if you apply inside Spain |
| Beckham tax regime | Possible, but not automatic. You must elect it on Modelo 149 |
Does Spain have a digital nomad visa?
Yes. Spain's digital nomad visa is the international telework visa. It lets non-EU citizens live in Spain while working remotely for companies based outside Spain. Americans are eligible if they meet the income, work history and document rules.
According to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consular Section Washington, you qualify if:
- You hold a university degree or have at least 3 years of professional experience.
- If you are an employee, you have worked for your employer for at least 3 months.
- The foreign company has been operating for at least 1 year.
- Your employer gives you explicit permission to work remotely from Spain.
Freelancers can qualify too, but there is a hard limit. At least 80% of your income must come from clients outside Spain, so Spanish clients can be no more than 20%. Advisers at Interlink Agency say this is the most common reason files are refused.
If you are comparing countries, our Greece digital nomad visa guide for Americans covers a popular alternative. For the bigger picture, see how to move to Europe as an American.
Spain digital nomad visa income requirements in 2026
As of November 2026, the Washington consulate's telework checklist requires a single applicant to show 200% of Spain's monthly minimum wage (SMI). That is EUR 2,442 a month, or about $2,900. These amounts are gross, before tax and Social Security.
The number moved this year. Royal Decree 126/2026 raised Spain's 2026 SMI by 3.1% to EUR 1,221 a month, paid in 14 installments (EUR 17,094 a year). The Council of Ministers approved it on 17 February 2026, and it applies retroactively from 1 January 2026 (Remote Work Europe). Doubling EUR 1,221 gives the EUR 2,442 figure used in the BLS International Washington telework checklist, which VisaMind also reports as the consular figure.
Why some advisers say EUR 2,849
EUR 2,849 is an alternative reading, not the consulate figure. Some advisers take the annual SMI of EUR 17,094, divide it by 12 and double it. That gives EUR 2,849 a month, or EUR 34,188 a year. They say this is what the in-Spain office (the UGE) uses (Digital Emigre).
Spain's law itself only asks for "sufficient economic resources." The 200% rule comes from consular and UGE practice. Our advice: if you file at a US consulate, the consulate figure applies. If you file inside Spain, budget for the higher EUR 2,849 reading so you are not caught short.
Worked example: a family of four
Say you are a remote software tester from Raleigh with a spouse and two kids. Dollar figures below use about $1.19 per euro, the rate implied by the consulate's "about $2,900" figure. Check the current rate before you apply.
| Item | Consulate reading | Higher annualized reading |
|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | EUR 2,442 | EUR 2,849 |
| Spouse (first family member) | EUR 916 | EUR 1,068 |
| Child 1 | EUR 306 | EUR 356 |
| Child 2 | EUR 306 | EUR 356 |
| Total per month | EUR 3,970 (about $4,720) | EUR 4,629 (about $5,510) |
| Total per year | EUR 47,640 | EUR 55,548 |
Washington lists EUR 306 and Houston lists EUR 305 for each additional family member (25% of EUR 1,221 is EUR 305.25). Use the figure on your own consulate's checklist. To test other scenarios, check your income with our Europe visa income checker.
Applying at a US consulate vs inside Spain: which is faster?
For most Americans, the fastest turnaround for the Spain digital nomad visa is applying from inside Spain. Advisers estimate about 2.5 to 3 months in total from inside Spain, against 4 to 6 months through a US consulate (Global Citizen Solutions). The consulate route still makes sense if you want approval before you sell your house or pull the kids out of school.
| Feature | US consulate route | Inside Spain (UGE) route |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | 1-year visa | Residence permit of up to 3 years |
| Decision time | About 10 days from when the Embassy receives the file from BLS (can be extended if an interview or more documents are requested) | 20 working days, and no answer counts as approval |
| Realistic total time | About 4 to 6 months | About 2.5 to 3 months |
| After approval | Collect your visa from BLS within 1 month of the approval notice. The visa itself lets you live and work remotely in Spain for up to 1 year, so you do not need a TIE card yet. In the 60 days before it expires, apply in Spain for a residence permit of up to 3 years and get your TIE card. | Collect your TIE card at a police station |
| Best for | People who want certainty before moving | People who can spend time in Spain while the file is processed |
The permit lengths, the 20-day UGE deadline and the renewal window come from Immigration Spain. The New York consulate confirms that the telework visa is enough to live and work remotely in Spain while it is valid, so you do not need a TIE card during that year. BLS forwards applications to the Embassy on the next working day, the 10-day period runs from there, and you must collect an approved visa within 1 month of being notified (Spanish Consular Section Washington; BLS International, Washington DC). Check the validity dates printed on your visa before you book flights.
Which Spanish consulate do you apply to?
You apply at the consulate that covers the place where you legally live. The Washington office only accepts legal residents (or in-person students) of DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. B1/B2 visa holders cannot apply there (BLS International, Washington DC).
Since 1 September 2026, Washington telework applications are filed in person, by appointment, at the BLS Spain Visa Application Center, 1660 L Street NW, Suite 216, Washington, DC. Before that date they went directly to the Embassy's Consular Section. The Embassy now says you must get an NIE (Spanish foreigner ID number) before you apply (Aqee).
Other consulates publish their own pages, and they are not all up to date. The San Francisco consulate page still shows a 2024 income figure of $2,268. Also check the New York or Miami consulate pages if you live in their districts.
How to apply for Spain's digital nomad visa from inside Spain
As an American, you can enter Spain visa-free for up to 90 days and then file the telework application online with the UGE. The Miami consulate and the Washington office both say foreigners legally in Spain can apply directly there, without a prior telework visa.
Two warnings. First, a few advisers say the UGE will not accept applications from people who entered as tourists, while others say Americans can enter visa-free and file within 90 days. Second, advisers report that people holding non-work permits, such as non-lucrative visa holders, cannot switch to digital nomad residency inside Spain. Confirm both points with the UGE before you rely on them.
- Order your FBI check and federal apostille in the US before you fly (see the next section).
- Ask your employer to start your social security paperwork, since it can take months.
- Get your company documents, employer letter, income proof and degree or experience evidence apostilled where required.
- Buy health insurance from an insurer authorized to operate in Spain.
- Enter Spain as a visitor and note your entry date.
- Have your documents translated into Spanish by a sworn translator.
- File the online application with the UGE well before day 90.
- Once approved, book your fingerprint appointment and collect your TIE card at a police station.
Worked example: counting your 90 days
Suppose your FBI report is issued on 10 September 2026. It must be less than 6 months old when you file, so your deadline is around 10 March 2027. You land in Madrid on 5 January 2027. Counting the arrival day, day 90 of your visa-free stay falls on 4 April 2027.
That gives you a window from 5 January to 10 March 2027, because the FBI deadline comes first. Aim to file by mid-February so a missing document does not push you past either date. You can check your dates with our Schengen 90/180 calculator, especially if you visited Europe in the past six months.
FBI background check and apostille for the Spain nomad visa
Spain requires a US FBI background check, not a state or local police check. It must be issued within 6 months before you file, carry a Hague Apostille from the US State Department, and be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator (Spanish Consular Section Washington).
The apostille must certify the signature on the FBI report itself, not a notary's signature. The Spanish translation does not need its own apostille. A state Secretary of State cannot apostille an FBI report, and you should not get the report notarized (DC Mobile Notary).
- Request your FBI Identity History Summary. The FBI charges $18, and an FBI-approved channeler can sometimes deliver it the same day.
- Send the original report, unaltered and not notarized, to the US State Department for a federal apostille. The fee is $20 per document.
- Have the apostilled report translated by a sworn Spanish translator.
- Check that the report will still be under 6 months old on your filing date.
Timing varies. Mailed requests to the State Department are published at up to about 5 weeks, while DC walk-in services report roughly 6 to 14 business days. Plan for 3 to 6 weeks in total (Fingerprint Boston). Private apostille services cost more than the government fees, so confirm current fees on the FBI and State Department sites.
If you spent more than 180 days in the last 2 years in a country other than the US or Spain, you also need a criminal record check from that country. Checks issued by EU authorities do not need an apostille. Some consulates, such as Miami, also ask for a signed statement that you have had no criminal record in the last 5 years. Check your consulate's list.
Spain digital nomad visa requirements: the other documents
Beyond income and the FBI check, you need proof that your company is real, that you are allowed to work from Spain, and that you have social security and health coverage. The Washington checklist asks for the items below (BLS International Washington checklist).
- Company registry certificate from the state Division of Corporations, apostilled and officially translated. It must show at least 1 year of real, continuous activity.
- Employer certificate (employees only) confirming at least 3 months of seniority, your income, and explicit permission to work remotely from Spain.
- Social security proof: a US Certificate of Coverage (employees only) or Spanish Social Security registration (see below).
- Health insurance from an insurer authorized to operate in Spain, covering every risk Spain's public health system covers, for your whole stay, with no deductible, copayment or coverage limit. You do not need it if you prove Spanish public Social Security coverage. Typical travel policies do not meet these rules.
- Degree or proof of 3 years of experience.
- NIE if you file through the Washington BLS center.
Social security: Certificate of Coverage or Spanish registration
Every applicant must show social security coverage. If you are an employee of a US company, you need either a Certificate of Coverage from the US Social Security Administration under the US-Spain Totalization Agreement, or your employer registering with Spanish Social Security (BLS International Washington checklist).
The Washington checklist accepts a US Certificate of Coverage for employees only. Freelancers and self-employed applicants must show Spanish Social Security (RETA) registration (Spanish Consular Section Washington). Your employer, not you, requests the certificate from the Social Security Administration, and it can take months. Raise it with HR as soon as you decide to apply.
Freelancers and LLC owners
If you invoice clients through your own LLC, gather contracts and invoices that clearly show where each client is based. Expect to prove the split with real contracts, invoices and bank deposits, not projections. Keep your Spanish client share low and documented.
Does the digital nomad visa give you the Beckham Law tax rate?
No. The Spanish digital nomad visa does not grant the Beckham regime automatically. You have to qualify and elect it on Modelo 149, usually within 6 months of registering with Spanish Social Security (Integrate Abroad).
The Beckham regime (Article 93 of Spain's income tax law) uses a flat 24% rate up to EUR 600,000 and 47% above that. Under the regime, all of your employment income is treated as Spanish-source, so a salary from a US employer is taxed in Spain at 24% up to EUR 600,000. Most foreign investment income and gains stay outside Spanish tax. The regime lasts for the year you arrive plus five more years, and you file Modelo 151 every year. To qualify, you must not have been a Spanish tax resident in the previous 5 tax years.
Freelancers face a real question mark. Many advisers, including ApexTax, say autónomos (self-employed workers) are generally excluded, because registering as autónomo creates a Spanish permanent establishment. Others say freelancers with 80% foreign clients can opt in. Talk to a Spanish tax adviser before you register as autónomo.
Some sources start the 6-month clock from your NIE, padrón or tax residency date instead. The safe move is to use whichever date comes first. Ignore old claims about a "15% digital nomad rate": that was a proposal that never became law.
Will you still owe US taxes?
Yes. Americans file US returns on worldwide income no matter where they live. Under Beckham, your US salary is taxed in Spain, and on the US side you choose between tools such as the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and the Foreign Tax Credit. The Foreign Tax Credit depends on the Spanish tax you actually paid, so the two interact. The 2026 FEIE limit is $132,900 per person (IRS). FBAR and Spain's Modelo 720 reporting may also apply.
Confirm your own tax and immigration position with the Agencia Tributaria, your consulate or a qualified Spanish tax adviser before you file.
Common mistakes Americans make
Most refusals and delays come from a short list of avoidable errors. These are the ones that come up most often.
- Getting a state police check. Spain wants the FBI report, not a state or local check.
- Apostilling at the Secretary of State. FBI reports need the federal apostille from the State Department.
- Notarizing the FBI report. The apostille must cover the FBI signature, not a notary's.
- Letting the FBI check expire. Order it too early and it can pass 6 months before your appointment.
- Skipping social security proof. Employees need a Certificate of Coverage or Spanish registration, and the certificate can take months. Freelancers cannot use the US certificate.
- Trusting an outdated consulate page. San Francisco's page still shows 2024 income numbers.
- Too many Spanish clients. Going over 20% Spanish income sinks freelance applications.
- Assuming Beckham is automatic. Missing the Modelo 149 deadline means losing the regime.
- Assuming Beckham exempts your US salary. Employment income is taxed in Spain at 24% under the regime.
- Buying a typical travel policy. Spain wants full coverage with no deductible, copayment or coverage limit.
- Skipping the NIE. Washington applicants now need one before filing.
Planning the whole move? Our step-by-step guide to moving to Spain from the USA covers housing, banking and arrival tasks. If you are close to leaving work, compare this route with retiring in Spain as an American.
Frequently asked questions
What is the income requirement for the Spain digital nomad visa in 2026?
As of November 2026, the Washington consulate's checklist requires EUR 2,442 a month gross for a single applicant, which is 200% of Spain's 2026 monthly minimum wage of EUR 1,221. That is about $2,900. Add EUR 916 for the first family member and EUR 306 for each additional one. Some advisers use EUR 2,849, so budget for that figure if you apply inside Spain.
Can Americans apply for the Spain digital nomad visa from inside Spain?
Yes. According to the Miami and Washington consular offices, foreigners legally in Spain can apply there without a prior telework visa, and US citizens can enter visa-free for up to 90 days. This route can give a permit of up to 3 years, and the UGE has 20 working days to decide. Some advisers say the UGE resists tourist entries, so confirm current practice first.
Do I need social security coverage for the Spanish digital nomad visa?
Yes. Employees of US companies need either a US Certificate of Coverage under the US-Spain Totalization Agreement or an employer registered with Spanish Social Security. The Washington checklist accepts the US certificate for employees only, so freelancers and self-employed applicants must show Spanish RETA registration. Your employer requests the certificate from the Social Security Administration, and it can take months, so start early.
Who apostilles an FBI background check for Spain?
The US State Department apostilles FBI background checks, for $20 per document. A state Secretary of State cannot do it. The apostille must certify the signature on the FBI report itself, so do not notarize the report. After the apostille, get a sworn Spanish translation. The translation itself does not need a separate apostille.
Can I travel while the consulate is processing my application?
On the consular route you file in person and your passport is used for the visa, so plan to stay put until your file is decided and returned. Avoid booking international trips during processing. Practices differ by consulate and can change, so confirm with your own consulate or the BLS center how your passport is handled and when it comes back.
Does the Spain digital nomad visa lead to long-term residency or citizenship?
The telework route can be extended: a 1-year consular visa can be followed by a permit of up to 3 years, and the in-Spain route starts with up to 3 years. The official telework pages do not set out a path to citizenship. Ask a Spanish immigration lawyer whether your telework years count toward the 5 years usually needed for long-term residence, and keep every TIE and renewal record.
References
- Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consular Section Washington: Telework (Digital nomad) Visa
- BLS International: Washington Telework (Digital nomad) Visa checklist
- BLS International: Spain National Telework Visa page, Washington DC
- Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consulate General New York: Telework visa
- Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consulate General Miami: Telework Visa
- Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consulate General San Francisco: Telework Visa
- IRS: Figuring the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion
- US Social Security Administration: Official website
- Aqee: Spain digital-nomad visa, Washington filing update
- Immigration Spain: Digital Nomads Visa Spain
- Global Citizen Solutions: Spain Digital Nomad Visa Ultimate Guide 2026
- VisaMind: Spain Digital Nomad Visa 2026 Requirements
- Remote Work Europe: Spain digital nomad visa 2026
- Digital Emigre: Spain Digital Nomad Visa
- Interlink Agency: Spain Digital Nomad Visa guide
- Integrate Abroad: Beckham Law and the Spain Digital Nomad Visa (2026)
- ApexTax: Beckham Law Eligibility 2026
- DC Mobile Notary: FBI Background Check Apostille 2026 Guide
- Fingerprint Boston: How to Get an Apostille on an FBI Background Check (2026)
Muhammad Sahil
Founder and editor of EU Info Hub. Digital marketer with over seven years of freelance experience, now studying economics and business in Europe. He has been through the residence permit process himself. This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Always confirm details with the relevant consulate or authority.
