Digital nomad visa or non-lucrative visa: which one fits you?

By Expat Welcome team · Published 21 October 2026

Spain offers two residence routes that attract many people who want to live here without taking a job with a Spanish employer: the digital nomad visa (officially, residence for international teleworkers) and the non-lucrative visa. They look similar at first glance, as both require sufficient income, health insurance and a clean criminal record. But they rest on one key difference that decides which one fits you: whether you will work while living in Spain.

• Digital nomad visa: for people who work remotely for employers or clients mainly outside Spain. Work is the basis of the permit.
• Non-lucrative visa: for people who will live in Spain without working at all, supported by savings, pensions or passive income.
• Where to apply: the teleworker route can be applied for at a consulate or, if you are already in Spain legally, from within Spain. The non-lucrative visa is applied for at the Spanish consulate for your place of residence.
• Income: as a general rule, the teleworker route is linked to the Spanish minimum wage (SMI) and the non-lucrative route to the IPREM indicator.

The core difference: can you work or not?

The international teleworker route exists precisely so that you can keep working remotely, using computer and telecommunication tools, for a company or for clients located outside Spain. If you are employed, your employer is normally a foreign company. If you are self-employed, you can work mainly for foreign clients, and the rules allow only a limited share of your work to be for Spanish clients.

The non-lucrative route is the opposite. As its name says, it does not allow any work or professional activity, in Spain or, in the authorities’ usual interpretation, remotely for a foreign employer. You must be able to support yourself and your family without working.

If you plan to keep working online, the non-lucrative visa is generally not the right choice. Our page on the digital nomad visa in Spain explains how the teleworker route works in practice.

Legal basis

Residence for international teleworkers

This route is part of the regime for international mobility in Ley 14/2013, on support for entrepreneurs and their internationalisation. Residence for international teleworking was added by Ley 28/2022, on the promotion of the start-up ecosystem, commonly known as the «Ley de startups». Because it sits within the international mobility framework, applications made from inside Spain are handled by the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE).

Non-lucrative residence

The non-lucrative residence permit is part of the general immigration system. It is regulated by the Organic Law on the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain and its implementing regulation, now Royal Decree 1155/2024, which replaced the previous regulation.

Where and how you apply

Digital nomad visa

You have two options. If you are outside Spain, you can apply for a visa for international teleworking at the Spanish consulate that corresponds to you. Once in Spain, you can then apply for the residence authorisation. Alternatively, if you are already in Spain legally, for example as a visitor, you can apply directly for the residence authorisation for international teleworking through the UGE, usually electronically.

Non-lucrative visa

You apply at the Spanish consulate responsible for the country where you legally reside, before travelling. You cannot normally switch to this route from within Spain as a tourist. After the visa is granted and you enter Spain, you must apply for your residence card (TIE) within the deadline set by the regulations. Our non-lucrative visa service covers the preparation of the consular file.

Income requirements

Both routes require you to prove sufficient financial means, but they measure them against different reference indicators. These are the general rules:

• Teleworker route: 200% of the Spanish minimum wage (SMI) per month for the main applicant, plus 75% of the SMI for the first family member and 25% for each additional one, according to the information published by Spanish consulates. You usually prove it with your employment contract or client contracts and evidence of payments.
• Non-lucrative route: 400% of IPREM per month for the main applicant, plus 100% of IPREM per month for each family member (article 62 of Royal Decree 1155/2024). You usually prove it with bank statements, pension certificates or proof of passive income.

The SMI and the IPREM are updated periodically, and consulates may apply their own criteria on how means are proved. Always check the current figures before preparing your documents.

Other requirements

Health insurance

Both routes require health cover. For the teleworker route, this can be public cover where you are entitled to it (for example, through Social Security contributions in Spain or an international agreement) or private health insurance with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain. For the non-lucrative route, applicants normally need private health insurance with an insurer operating in Spain, and consulates usually expect comprehensive cover without co-payments or waiting periods.

Criminal record

Both routes ask for a criminal record certificate from the countries where you have lived in recent years, generally legalised or apostilled and, where needed, translated. You must also not be prohibited from entering Spain.

Professional requirements for teleworkers

The teleworker route also looks at your work: a real working relationship or client base, plus a relevant qualification or proven professional experience. Check the exact requirements before you apply.

Family members

Both routes allow you to bring certain family members, typically your spouse or registered partner and dependent children, and in some cases dependent parents. The income threshold increases with each family member. Under the teleworker route they can usually apply together with you. Check who counts as a family member and how relationships must be proved.

Duration and renewals

Both routes start with an initial permission that can be renewed if you still meet the requirements; for non-lucrative residents this includes having actually lived in Spain. For teleworkers, the length depends on whether you entered with a visa or applied directly in Spain. Continuous legal residence can later lead to long-term residence. Check current durations in the official sources.

Tax implications

Whichever route you choose, think about tax before you move. As a general rule, if you spend more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year, you are considered a Spanish tax resident and are taxed in Spain on your worldwide income, subject to any double taxation agreement.

For teleworkers, the special regime for inbound workers, often called the «Beckham law», may be relevant. Under article 93 of the Personal Income Tax Act (Ley 35/2006), people who become tax resident in Spain because they move here, and who were not tax resident in Spain in the previous five years, can opt to pay tax under non-resident rules for the year of arrival and the following five years. Remote work for a foreign employer can qualify. Under this regime, income other than savings income (such as dividends, interest and capital gains) is taxed at 24% up to 600,000 euros and at 47% above that. Whether you qualify depends on your circumstances and on opting in within the deadline. In both cases, we recommend getting professional tax advice before you apply.

Comparison table

	Digital nomad visa (international teleworker)	Non-lucrative visa
Who it is for	Remote employees and freelancers working mainly for companies or clients outside Spain	Retirees, people living on savings, pensions or passive income
Work allowed	Yes, remote work for foreign employers or clients; only a limited share for Spanish clients if self-employed	No work or professional activity permitted
Where to apply	Spanish consulate, or in Spain through the UGE if you are already there legally	Spanish consulate for your country of legal residence
Income basis	200% of the SMI per month, plus 75% for the first family member and 25% for each additional one	400% of IPREM per month, plus 100% per family member
Healthcare	Public cover where entitled, or private insurance authorised in Spain	Normally private insurance with an insurer operating in Spain, comprehensive cover
Family	Spouse or partner and children can usually apply with you	Family members can be included; income requirement rises per person

Which one fits you?

You work remotely for a foreign company

The teleworker route is designed for you. The non-lucrative visa would not allow you to keep working.

You are a freelancer with mostly foreign clients

The teleworker route is usually the right fit, provided you can show a stable client base and meet the professional requirements. Watch the limit on Spanish clients.

You are retired or living on savings

The non-lucrative route is the natural option, as long as you can prove sufficient means and arrange suitable health insurance.

You have passive income but also do some online work

This is the grey area where mistakes happen. If you will do any work, the non-lucrative visa is risky. Assess whether your work qualifies for the teleworker route instead.

Common mistakes

• Choosing the non-lucrative visa while planning to work online. It can lead to refusal or problems at renewal.
• Relying on old income figures. The SMI and IPREM change; check the amounts in force when you apply.
• Buying the wrong health insurance. Policies with co-payments or waiting periods are often rejected for the non-lucrative route.
• Leaving tax planning until after arrival. Some tax options have deadlines that start running when you register as a worker in Spain.

Frequently asked questions

Can I switch from a non-lucrative permit to the teleworker route?

Changes between types of permit are possible in some cases, but they depend on your situation and the rules in force. Get advice before you start working.

Can I have Spanish clients on the digital nomad visa?

If you are self-employed, a limited share of your work may be for Spanish clients. Most of your activity must be for clients outside Spain.

Will I become a Spanish tax resident?

Generally, yes, if you spend more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year. Take professional tax advice for your case.

Official sources

• Ley 14/2013, de apoyo a los emprendedores y su internacionalización (BOE, consolidated text)
• Consulate General of Spain in New York: telework visa requirements (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• Real Decreto 1155/2024, Reglamento de extranjería, article 62 (BOE, consolidated text)
• Ley 35/2006 del IRPF, article 93: special regime for workers moving to Spain (BOE, consolidated text)
• Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación (consulates and visas)
• Portal de Inmigración, Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones
• Sede electrónica de las Administraciones Públicas
• Agencia Tributaria

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