The Spanish Parliament has given the green light to the new Nomad visa which will allow those who work remotely to live and work in Spain for up to five years. The so-called Nomad visa, is open to all citizens including Britons, and also includes tax breaks.
The new visa will allow those who work remotely to stay and work in Spain for up a year. Once their legal stay has ended, they will be able to extend it by two years and later up to another five years by applying for residence authorization to be a remote worker in Spain.
“It’s one of the most enjoyable moments I’ve experienced in the Parliament. It’s a law that will allow Spain to be at the forefront in the push and promotion of talent in this rapidly growing digital economy,” the Economic Affairs Minister, Nadia Calvino said.
By the end of the month, it is expected for the government to determine the exact requirements and conditions for digital nomads, including the minimum amount they have to earn, although the amount is expected to be approximately €2,000 per month.
- Martin Dell, co-founder of Kyero.com, the UK’s biggest online overseas property portal, said:
“The new Spanish visa is great news for digital nomads in the UK and internationally. Before this the only visa options for Brits were the ‘non-lucrative’ visa, which doesn’t allow you to work, and the ‘Golden’ visa which requires an investment of at least €500,000 in the country, so this new accessible visa will be appealing to many people looking to work in Spain, particularly young people.”
“As European countries look to recover from the pandemic, many are developing new digital nomad visas for non-EU citizens to entice people to the country and this visa should do just that. Covid-19 accelerated the interest in moving overseas and working remotely, as more workers became untethered from the office or considered self-employment. Many countries are keen to appeal to highly skilled and economically active digital nomads to support economic growth.
“Spain remains a popular location, and we are seeing a rise in a new demographic of overseas buyers moving there to live and work. It’s much easier to base yourself anywhere now, and thanks to new visas like this, people have the choice and freedom to base themselves where they want to be.”
The Nomad Visa in Spain
Any non-EU citizen can apply for a special visa to work in the country as a digital nomad for up to five years. They will need to have lived outside Spain for at least five years to qualify.
Provided no more than a fifth of their income comes from organizations based in Spain, the normal 25% rate of income tax will be reduced to 15% for the first four years they are based in Spain. Digital nomads will be allowed to bring close relatives to live with them.