Spain is the second largest country in the European Union. It occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula in south-western Europe, as well as some territories in Africa. This country has a rich history and unique cultural heritage.
Citizens of other jurisdictions choose to immigrate to Spain because of its mild climate, high standard of living, advanced healthcare, convenient infrastructure, and the opportunity to obtain a European passport.
In order for an immigrant to have legal grounds for staying in Spain, they must obtain a residence permit. Often, the abbreviation “residence permit” refers to either the document itself — a residence card — or a long-term visa issued for a period of at least one year.
Resident status is granted to foreign citizens who move to Spain on a national visa. The most popular immigration routes in 2026 are:
The programme is closed from 4 April 2025.
The visa for financially independent persons was developed for immigrants who do not need to work or engage in commercial activities in order to live comfortably in the Kingdom of Spain. This immigration route is ideal for:
By contacting Imperial & Legal, you will save time, as our consultants provide ready-made turnkey solutions with minimal client involvement in the process. The entire process takes no more than 5 steps.
From accurately assessing the applicant’s circumstances and drawing up a joint action plan at the first consultation to restructuring finances, purchasing insurance, preparing documents and making an appointment at the Spanish consulate, the preparatory stage takes our consultants approximately 2-3 weeks.
The applicant submits the application in person to the Spanish consulate. As a rule, this stage takes no more than one working day.
Imperial & Legal’s legal support minimises the likelihood of errors in the documents, so our client is granted a visa to enter Spain within 3 months. The absence of an official response is interpreted as “silence is consent”.
The Non-Lucrative Visa is valid for 90 days and allows two visits to the Kingdom of Spain. We recommend not postponing relocation until the last minute, as the client will have to solve two important tasks with the help of Imperial & Legal once they arrive:
With our help, you can obtain a residence card within 30 days after visiting the immigration department of the Spanish police. The first residence permit for Non-Lucrative visa holders is valid for 1 year.
To have your residence card renewed, you must meet 5 simple requirements:
If you show personal savings, the minimum amount allowed in your bank account will be twice as much, as the residence permit is extended for 2 years instead of 1. If you renew your residence card at the beginning of 2026, this minimum must be €57,600.
The Digital Nomad Visa is ideal for immigrants whose work is related to modern digital technologies and is not tied to any one location. This is the option for you if you:
To determine the minimum acceptable income for a digital nomad, the Spanish authorities use a parameter such as the minimum interprofessional wage, abbreviated as SMI, which at the beginning of 2026 is €1,381 per month.
The minimum monthly income of an applicant for a Digital Nomad Visa must start at €2,763, which corresponds to 200% of the SMI.
The income requirement for a digital nomad will increase if they move to Spain with their family or plan to bring relatives there on a family reunification visa. Add to the minimum acceptable income:
In Spain, digital nomads can switch to a preferential tax regime, also known as the “Beckham Law” — a law named after British footballer David Beckham.
This is a favourable tax regime for immigrants who have come to Spain for work. By taking advantage of the Beckham Law, foreign specialists can fix their tax rate at 24% on the portion of their declared income that comes from their professional activities.
Income from passive sources abroad is taxed at a progressive rate of 19% to 24%.
The preferential tax treatment under the Beckham Law is available to digital nomads in the year of their relocation and for the following five tax periods, and as long as their declared income does not exceed €600,000 per year.
Digital nomads appreciate Spain for its mild climate, safety, relatively low cost of living, and well-developed infrastructure, which includes a developed service sector, high-speed internet, and shared workspaces.
Who can move to Spain with a digital nomad?
Digital nomads have the opportunity to give their children a modern education at numerous educational institutions in Spain. They also have access to the high-quality and affordable Spanish healthcare system.
If a foreign specialist plans to settle in Spain for a long time, they can apply for a residence permit. The residence card is valid for 3 years and can be renewed an unlimited number of times.
Five years of permanent residence ≥ 183 days per year, in the homeland of Pablo Picasso gives the opportunity to apply for a permanent residence permit. After spending 10 years in Spain, you can obtain European citizenship through naturalisation.
The main requirements for applicants are the same as for the immigration categories discussed above.
The peculiarity of the Entrepreneur Visa is that this route is only suitable for enterprising foreigners with an innovative business project that is not only economically viable but also brings tangible benefits to the Spanish economy.
Therefore, the applicant’s start-up must be approved by the state innovation company ENISA – Empresa Nacional de Innovación. Only then will the entrepreneur be able to obtain a positive decision from the Spanish immigration authorities on their application.
The financial requirements for future Spanish entrepreneurs are not as strict as those for digital nomads. At the beginning of 2026, applicants will only need to show an income exceeding €600 per month. On the other hand, successfully launching a start-up in Spain is impossible without significant cash injections, which are not regulated by law but often reach €50,000 or more.
A fairly common way to obtain a residence permit in Spain is to find long-term employment with one of the local companies.
There are two types of visas suitable for this purpose:
Before applying for a visa at the consulate, the applicant must sign an employment contract with a Spanish employer and obtain a work permit from the Spanish Ministry of Labour.
When deciding on an applicant, the Spanish authorities assess how scarce their profession is. Otherwise, the employer in Spain will have to prove that they were unable to find candidates for this vacancy in the EU.
An immigration programme to attract highly qualified foreign specialists to European Union countries. Three key conditions for participation in the EU Blue Card programme:
A student visa is intended for citizens of countries that are not members of the European Union who wish to move to Spain for the purpose of:
To remain in Spain after their studies, former students find employment, switch to a more promising type of visa and modify their student residence permit to a residence permit with the right to work.
This type of visa is used by relatives of foreigners who have already obtained a residence permit in Spain to move to Spain. This immigration route is suitable for:
A family reunification visa is issued for 90 days. Upon arrival in Spain, a residence permit is issued.
Consular fees are usually charged in the currency of the country where the application for a national visa to Spain is submitted. In most jurisdictions, the application processing fee is equivalent to €80.
There are countries where the consular fee is higher, as it is regulated by bilateral agreements. These countries include the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and Canada.
Applying for a Spanish residence card also involves paying a fee of around €10.
When calculating the cost of moving to Spain, you should take into account additional expenses related to obtaining a medical certificate, purchasing insurance, and paying for the services of a certified translator and immigration lawyer.
At the initial consultation at Imperial & Legal, the client receives an estimate of the upcoming costs, broken down by individual items.
A significant number of expats who have come to Spain on long-term visas highly value this wonderful country for its mild climate, economic stability, high-quality healthcare and the opportunity to provide a good education for their children.
In order to obtain a permanent residence permit, you will need to have lived in Spain legally for 5 years. Applicants for a permanent residence card must integrate into the local community and have a sufficient knowledge of Spanish to pass the interview.
After living in Cervantes’ homeland for more than 10 years, immigrants have the opportunity to apply for second citizenship. Immigrants from Latin American countries, as well as citizens of Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Jews of Sephardic origin can become subjects of the Spanish kingdom two years after moving there.
A significant portion of the immigration routes to Spain considered here involve a long-term stay and, as a result, tax obligations in the country.
If the income of a new tax resident was earned outside Spain, they can take advantage of a tax break and exclude the first €60,100 of that amount from taxation . There are additional conditions for applying the tax break — in particular, tax on income earned abroad must be paid in the jurisdiction where it was earned.
The Spanish tax authorities conditionally divide an individual’s income into:
A progressive tax rate is applied to total income, which is the sum of taxes levied at the state level and at the level of a specific autonomous community in Spain. Depending on the declared amount of total income, it can vary between 19% and 47%.
Spain does not seem to be the most favourable place for tax residence, unless legal tax optimisation methods are taken into account.
Digital nomads take advantage of the preferential tax regime under the Beckham Law to lock in a favourable income tax rate for six years. Competent asset structuring helps wealthy expats reduce their tax base. For more information on tax optimisation in Spain, please contact Imperial & Legal consultants!
The cost of living depends largely on the region of Spain to which you are moving. In large cities such as Madrid or Barcelona, a single person will need at least €2,500 per month to live comfortably. A family with a child and the same level of consumption in a city with a population of over a million will spend around €4,000 per month.
An expat will need less money to live in provincial Spain, as rents for rented accommodation are usually lower in the countryside and goods and services are cheaper. A single person will need €1,500-2,000 per month to live comfortably.
It is generally accepted that the cost of living in Spain is not as high as in France, Belgium and Germany.
The choice of region depends entirely on your reasons for moving to Spain. Ambitious entrepreneurs are attracted by the opportunities offered by Madrid and Barcelona. Digital nomads often choose the more peaceful Valencia or Malaga for living and working. Pensioners often move to quieter areas of the country near the Mediterranean Sea, far from popular tourist routes.
If you are not familiar with the intricacies of Spanish immigration law, it will probably be difficult for you to obtain a residence permit within a reasonable time frame. Fortunately, you can always take advantage of the knowledge and experience of our company’s specialists!
At Imperial & Legal, we take a comprehensive approach, providing our clients with reliable legal support at every stage of their immigration to Spain. We successfully solve the following tasks:
Moving to Spain will be much easier if you consult with Imperial & Legal specialists during the preparation stage!
Unfortunately, no. In the Kingdom of Spain, holders of this visa cannot be employed, run their own business or work as a freelancer.
At the beginning of 2026, the minimum amount of passive income that an applicant for a Non-Lucrative visa must show is €2,400 per month.
There is a separate immigration category for this purpose – a family reunification visa.
No. Buying residential property in this country is not mandatory to obtain a Spanish residence card. An expat can also register at the address of a rented Spanish flat.
We will work with you to find a customised solution for your immigration, second citizenship, business, tax and other needs.
Spain Residence
Spain entrepreneur visa
Digital nomad visa Spain