Working from abroad · November 2026
Working remotely from Spain: the visa, tax and time zones
Yes. Spain has a telework visa, often called the digital nomad visa, for people from outside the EU who work remotely for companies outside Spain. It asks for an income of twice Spain's minimum wage (2,442 euros a month at the 2026 wage), a degree or three years of experience, and at least three months with your employer. Stay more than 183 days in a calendar year and you are tax resident in Spain.
Every visa and tax fact here was read on the official page linked under it on 11 November 2026. It is a summary, not legal or tax advice: rules and amounts change, and the consulate or the tax office decides your case. It does not cover social security or what your employer has to do in the country.
At a glance
| Permit | Telework visa (international teleworking), also called the digital nomad visa |
|---|---|
| Who it is for | People from outside the EU who work remotely for companies outside Spain. A self-employed person may do up to 20% of their work for companies in Spain |
| Income asked | 200% of the minimum wage a month: 2,442 euros at the 2026 wage of 1,221 euros. Plus 75% of the wage for the first family member and 25% for each one after |
| Also asked | A degree or three years of experience, three months or more with the employer or client, and a company at least one year old |
| How long | The visa is valid for one year. The residence permit, which people already legally in Spain can apply for directly, runs up to three years |
| Tax resident | After more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year |
| The clock | 6 hours ahead of New York, 1 ahead of London |
The visa
Spain's telework visa is for nationals of countries outside the EU who come to Spain to work remotely, using only computers and telecommunications, for companies located outside Spain. An employee may work only for companies outside Spain. A self-employed person may also work for a company in Spain, as long as that is no more than 20% of their professional activity.
You must be a graduate or postgraduate of a recognised university, vocational school or business school, or have at least three years of professional experience. An employee needs at least three months with the company and its written authorisation to work remotely; a self-employed person needs a contract that has run for at least three months. The company must have existed for at least one year.
The income asked is 200% of Spain's minimum wage (the SMI) a month, plus 75% of the SMI for the first family member and 25% for each one after. Royal Decree 126/2026 sets the SMI at 1,221 euros a month for 2026, which makes 2,442 euros a month for one person. The consulate that handles your application states the amount it applies.
The visa is valid for one year, and for that time it is enough to live and work remotely in Spain. Someone who is already legally in Spain can apply for the residence permit without a visa first; that permit is valid for up to three years.
Sources: Consulate General of Spain in New York: Telework visa, Official State Gazette: Royal Decree 126/2026, the 2026 minimum wage (Spanish). Read on 11 November 2026.
Tax
Spain treats you as tax resident if you stay more than 183 days in a calendar year, or if the main centre of your activities or economic interests is in Spain. Occasional absences count as time in Spain unless you prove you are tax resident in another country.
People who become tax resident by moving to Spain can opt for a special regime, often called the Beckham law: they are taxed under the non-resident income tax rules in the year of the move and the five tax years after it. They must not have been resident in Spain in the five tax years before. The Tax Agency's page says employees who hold the international remote working visa meet the regime's condition on the move. Under it the withholding on work income is 24%, and 47% on the part above 600,000 euros paid by one employer in a year.
Sources: Tax Agency: The residence of natural persons, Tax Agency: Special regime for people relocating to Spain (Article 93). Read on 11 November 2026.
The clock
Madrid is 6 hours ahead of New York, 9 ahead of San Francisco and 1 ahead of London. A 9:00 to 17:00 day in New York is 15:00 to 23:00 in Madrid; a San Francisco day runs from 18:00 to 02:00. For a few weeks in March and one week around the end of October the gap to the US is an hour smaller, because the clocks change on different dates.
Will the employer agree?
A visa lets you live in Spain. It does not make an employer hire there. Most remote ads name the countries they accept. In a sample of 3,076 open remote roles on RoleFinder on 5 November 2026, 59% named the US or Canada, 15% the UK or Europe and 14% another single country. Fewer than 1 in 100 said worldwide.
So read the ad's location line before you plan around a role, and ask the employer in writing. Spain's visa asks for the company's written authorisation to work remotely.
RoleFinder lists 4,795 open roles in Spain today, 888 of them remote. Those are jobs with employers that hire in Spain: a different route, which needs the right to work there rather than the visa above.
Open roles in Spain · All remote roles (51,691 today)
Questions
Can I work remotely from Spain for a US company?
Yes. If you are from outside the EU, the telework visa is made for it: remote work for companies outside Spain. You need the company's written authorisation, at least three months with it, a degree or three years of experience, and 200% of Spain's minimum wage a month.
How much do I need to earn for Spain's digital nomad visa?
200% of Spain's minimum wage a month. The 2026 minimum wage is 1,221 euros a month, so 2,442 euros a month for one person, plus 75% of the wage for the first family member and 25% for each one after.
Do I pay tax in Spain if I work remotely from there?
You are tax resident after more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year. People who move to Spain can opt for a special regime for the year of the move and the next five, with a 24% withholding on work income; the Tax Agency says holders of the remote working visa meet its condition on the move.
How long does Spain's telework visa last?
The visa is valid for one year. The residence permit for remote work, which people already legally in Spain can apply for directly, is valid for up to three years.
Other countries
- Working remotely from Japan (on Buy Houses Japan, a site by the same maker)
- Working remotely from Italy
- Working remotely from Portugal
- Working remotely from Thailand
- All the guides side by side
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