If you can call yourself a digital nomad and you are thinking of Spain as an attractive place to live and work, the decision to apply for a Digital Nomad Visa Spain is rather smart to make. Follow the article suggested here, and you will be well aware of all peculiarities linked to this process.
What Is a Visa All About?
The visa was introduced in 2023 (January) so it is a new way to attract foreigners to the country. This is going to help in boosting entrepreneurship. According to the rules of the visa, foreign citizens can live and work in Spain for a year. After this period, it is possible to extend the stay in the country (for up to five years).
It is essential to have a minimum income of 2,334 EUR per month in order to be able to apply for a visa. But this is only one requirement to meet.
Check That You Can Apply for It
Apart from having a stable income, there is some other stuff to remember about. Well, if you are a remote worker, you will need to present a stable contract and permission from a company (that will prove that it is okay to work in Spain). Besides, the company must be involved in the business it conducts for at least one year.
If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen, you can apply for the visa without any problems. Those living in the European Union or European Economic Area can enter the country and work there without having to apply for a visa of this kind.
Those from the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada can apply too. This can be done in the Spanish Embassy. The representatives of the embassy will instruct you on the basic steps to take.
How Hard Is It to Apply in General?
The procedure may seem to be lengthy and tiring. But those having enough motivation will not experience any major hardships. The most important aspect here is being consistent.
You only need to collect all the docs and interact with the Spanish Embassy. After this, there is getting a residence permit right in Spain which is not really difficult either. So, you will surely be able to handle all of this!
What About Getting Ready?
It is basically every type of visa that requires thorough preparation before you are able to apply for it. Take a look at the list of documents that have to be presented.
- Statement of income.
This is really important as long as you should prove that you are able to provide for yourself and your family members if they are going to live with you in Spain. The smallest rate to deal with equals 200% of the minimum wage (1,167 EUR) in Spain. Certainly, this figure is likely to change so this has to be checked several times.
Again, if your family is traveling with you, expect to come across a greater figure. As for the ways to prove your income, bank statements, work contracts, and payslips are going to be just fine.
- Statement of the remote worker status.
You need to show that you can be involved in your regular work online. It doesn’t really matter what exactly your job is all about but it is great if you have a university degree or some specific knowledge that allows you to get engaged in certain stuff and earn money by means of it.
Besides, you need to have a long-term contract too. Ideally, the contract must be active for the period of the supposed stay in Spain.
- A clean criminal record.
This refers not only to the country of your current residence but all countries you have lived in for the previous five years. Sure, the forms will be different depending on where you order them. It is absolutely okay for the applicants for the Digital Nomad Visa Spain.
The document must be translated into Spanish and have an Apostille.
- Full health insurance.
The health insurance you have should work for the period of your stay in Spain (for as much as you intend to stay there). The same refers to the family members if you grab them with you. it is vital to take a look at the health insurance plans and investigate them in advance.
Being Aware of the Minimum Stay Requirement
The first and foremost rule to come across is this: you should not have lived in Spain for the last five years if you intend to apply for the Digital Nomad Visa Spain. Besides, it is impossible to get a visa if you stay in the country illegally.
Those who plan to prolong their stay in Spain should spend not less than half a year within the last twelve months there.
Describing the Sequence of Actions Within the Process of Applying for the Visa
As you can guess, everything starts with the preparatory step 1 which is all about collecting the proper docs. The main stuff was given above, and you are already well aware of what to present right now. But let’s put it in a convenient list again and take a look at what else you need to get ready.
- Valid passport. It has to be valid for one year minimum.
- Two passport-sized photos.
- The National Visa Application Form. It has to be completed, and you also need to prepare a copy of it. if your family members plan to travel with you, each of them should have such a form.
- A statement that shows that your employer was active for at least one year.
- Proof of work that can be expressed in the form of a contract.
- Evidence of income.
- Statement of qualifications you have right now.
- Health insurance that is going to work in Spain.
- A clean criminal record.
- Statement of the relationship with other family members (like marriage and birth certificates).
This is all that has to be ready in advance.
Step 2 is checking that you have everything and arranging the appointment with the Spanish Consulate/Embassy. The time of the visit has to be convenient for you. Apart from this, it is essential to pay a fee for the Digital Nomad Visa Spain. The figure to face here is about 80 EUR.
Step 3 is going to the appointment. You need to be ready for such an event both when speaking of the documents you will have to take and the confidence you should demonstrate when answering the questions you may come across. Try not to worry, have enough sleep before this, and you will certainly be fine!
Step 4 may seem to be the hardest one for some people and it is waiting for the result of applying for a Digital Nomad Visa Spain. The best decision you can make while expecting the visa is to get engaged in something that is able to hold your attention for a long time. It may be work or some cool hobby. If you were confident enough at the appointment and have a nice cover letter (along with exceptional preparation when speaking of all the docs), you will be able to get your visa without any major hardships.
As for the time you will have to wait, it is quite tricky to indicate an exact figure to come across. It depends on where you are applying for a Digital Nomad Visa Spain. On average, it takes from two weeks up to a month and a half to process the stuff of the applicant and make a final verdict in connection with all of that. If something is missing, you may be required to suggest it. By the way, in some cases, the embassies’ representatives make it possible for the applicants to track the stage the application is currently going through.
What Happens as Soon as Your Visa Is Approved?
Certainly, it is awesome news! Congratulations! You will need to visit the Embassy again to collect it (this can be considered step 5). Now, you are really close to the implementation of your dream which is living and working in Spain. It is essential to arrange this visit within a month after you are informed about getting a visa.
Can Your Application Be Rejected?
Unfortunately, such a situation is possible. The reasons for it can vary. And, you have a chance to fix this all by enclosing the stuff that was missing or completing any other action that is going to be required by the Embassy of Spain. Sometimes, it is not hard to deal with the issue at all, and the applicants manage to receive their Digital Nomad Visa Spain in the end.
Can Getting a Visa Be Considered the Last Step to Take?
Technically, it is this way. You can enjoy your visa and get to Spain. However, you need to proceed with one more action that turns out to be crucial and that will determine the success of your living and working in Spain. It is applying for NIE and NIF.
NIE is a national identity number while NIF is a taxpayer ID. You are not going to be able to open a bank account or make any vital purchase without them.
As for the ways of receiving NIE and NIF, you can do it through the official authorities. It is a traditional method to stick to. There is also such an option as referring to the help of online intermediaries. This variant can be considered preferable by those who do not have much time and do not want to make any extra effort.
And, it is not really expensive. You are going to be able to receive your NIE and NIF quickly and effectively. You will be instructed on the necessary docs to present but in most cases, their number is fewer compared to obtaining these docs with the help of the authorities of Spain. For instance, as for NIE, only a scan of your passport is going to be required.
Those who intend to apply for NIE officially have to present the following stuff:
- A valid passport with a visa;
- Three passport-sized photos;
- Proof of address (Spain);
- The application form that is fully completed.
Apart from this, it is essential to pay a fee.
Getting NIF is linked to the necessity to suggest this:
- A form 030 that is completed in the Spanish language;
- A passport;
- Proof of address (a local one);
- Tax ID from the country of residence.
Actually, there is not too much to present anyway so you will definitely succeed in getting these docs.
Some Important Points about a Digital Nomad Visa Spain
In conclusion, it is a great idea to familiarize yourself with several important aspects of Digital Nomad Visa Spain. It will allow you to feel even more ready for the whole process.
- There is a chance to apply for permanent residency after five years of living in Spain (according to the conditions of a Digital Nomad Visa Spain) are over. So, in other words, receiving this kind of visa is a smart decision to make for those who are interested in long-term living in the country a bit later.
- In case of the inability to receive a visa (when the application is rejected), you will not get the money return (those 80 EUR you are paying for applying for the visa).
- If you think that the process of applying for a Digital Nomad Visa Spain is too complicated (and, it is absolutely okay to have such an opinion), you can ask the team of experts to help you with the basic steps. In this case, you will save some time and effort.
All in all, the majority of those applying for the visa manage to get it. Hopefully, you will be one of these people soon! Best of luck with completing the process then!