Digital Nomad Visa: Who Qualifies and What to Translate
Spain's telework visa, better known as the digital nomad visa, lets you live in Spain while you keep working remotely for employers or clients outside the country. For Americans with a remote job, it is the main alternative to the non-lucrative visa, which allows no work at all.
Below we cover who qualifies, what the consulate wants to see and which US documents need a Spanish translation. The facts come from the Consulate General of Spain in Houston, which serves Texas and seven nearby states. Other consulates publish their own checklists, so read the one that covers your state.
Who Qualifies
The visa is for non-EU citizens who work remotely, using only computers and telecommunications, for a company located outside Spain. Employees may work only for companies outside Spain. Freelancers may also take Spanish clients, as long as that work stays at or below 20% of their total activity.
Your spouse or partner, dependent children and dependent parents can apply with you.
The Work and Experience Conditions
- You must have worked with your employer or clients for at least the last three months, and the relationship must continue for at least one year of remote work from Spain.
- The company must show at least one year of actual and continuous activity, with a certificate from the state division of corporations.
- You need a bachelor's or postgraduate degree from a recognized university or business school, or at least three years of experience in your current field.
An employee also needs a letter from the employer that confirms at least three months of seniority, gives explicit consent to remote work from Spain and states the salary. A freelancer needs a document that sets out the length of the contract and the terms for remote work from Spain.
How Much You Need to Earn
The income threshold is tied to Spain's minimum wage, the SMI. For 2026, the Houston consulate asks for 200% of the monthly SMI, or $2,845 a month for the main applicant (official figure: €2,442). Add $1,070 for the first family member (official figure: €916) and $355 for each additional one (official figure: €305).
Any proof counts, such as an employment contract or a firm job offer.
Social Security and Health Insurance
The consulate asks employees for proof that the company has applied to register with Spanish Social Security, and freelancers for proof of registration in Spain's self-employed scheme, the RETA. Both also sign a declaration committing to meet their Spanish Social Security obligations before work starts.
You also need health insurance from an insurer authorized in Spain, with full coverage and no copayments, deductibles or limits, for the whole period of the visa. Travel insurance and insurance cards are not accepted.
Which Documents Need a Spanish Translation
The Houston consulate asks for an official Spanish translation of the foreign documents in your file, after their apostille where one applies. Expect to translate these:
- The employer or company certificate, which must also be apostilled. Our contract translation services cover employment contracts and client agreements too.
- Your FBI background check, issued within the last six months and apostilled by the US Department of State.
- Your degree, if you qualify through education (see transcript translation services).
- Proof of income, such as pay stubs or client invoices, and the health insurance policy if it is not in Spanish.
- Birth and marriage certificates for family members who apply with you (see birth certificate translation).
For the FBI check, the consulate asks for a translation by a certified translator. Authorities inside Spain usually expect a traductor jurado, a translator appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Do not remove the staples or seals that attach an apostille to its document, because the consulate treats a separated apostille as invalid.
Timing and Validity
The consulate has 10 days to decide, counted from the day after you apply, though an interview or a request for more documents can extend it. The visa is valid for one year and itself proves your residence in Spain during that time.
How BeTranslated Can Help
Our Spanish translation team translates the US documents in a digital nomad visa file: employer certificates, contracts, FBI checks, diplomas, income proof and civil records. We can also arrange the apostille for the documents that need one.
When a Spanish authority asks for a traductor jurado, we work with translators appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Tell us which consulate will receive your file, and we will prepare each translation in the form it accepts.
Send us your documents for a free translation quote. We reply with a price and delivery date within 12 hours.
Moving to Valencia?
If Valencia is where you are headed, our relocation partner ValenciaMove helps Americans with the rest of the move: visas, the NIE, finding a home and the paperwork after you arrive. Read their guide to moving to Valencia from the USA.
FAQs
Can I Keep Working for My US Employer?
Yes. The visa exists for remote work for companies outside Spain. Your employer must confirm in writing that you may work remotely from Spain.
Can I Have Spanish Clients?
Only as a freelancer, and only while Spanish clients make up no more than 20% of your total work. Employees may work only for companies outside Spain.
Do I Need a Degree?
Not always. The Houston consulate accepts either a degree from a recognized university or business school or at least three years of experience in your field.
Does the Employer Letter Need an Apostille?
Yes, at the Houston consulate. The company certificate must be apostilled and then officially translated into Spanish.
