Digital nomad visa for employees: required documents

Digital nomad visa for employees: who qualifies

An employee on a DNV works under an employment contract (relación laboral) for a company based outside Spain. In this model the law prohibits working for a Spanish company: under an employment contract you may only work for a foreign employer. The self-employed have a different scheme, with Spanish clients allowed up to 20% [1]. The differences between the models are covered in the article can you work for a Spanish company on a DNV.

Besides the model, you need qualifications (a degree from a university, vocational college or business school, or three years of experience in similar duties) and the ability to do the work entirely remotely [1]. The UGE explains that the duties must not require on-site management of production, supervision of staff or field sales, and it may ask for information on the size and structure of the company [2]. General conditions: Digital Nomad in Spain.

What your employer must do for your digital nomad visa

Half the documents in an employee’s file are company documents. The company will need to provide [1][2]:

The UGE treats the letter as a separate mandatory document and requires it to state the salary in euros [2]. A sample structure: employer letter template for the DNV. If the firm cannot issue a register extract in its own language, the extract must be apostilled and translated, like other official documents [2].

How to talk to your employer: what to explain and what to ask for

Telling your manager “I want to work from Spain” is not enough. You need specific points:

1. Country and duration. The work is done from Spain, for up to three years; the company’s country or branch may change.
2. Letter. The employer agrees to sign a letter following the UGE list and to provide a copy of the contract.
3. Seguridad Social. Either the company registers in the Spanish system as an employer with no workplace in the country, or you obtain a certificado from the country of origin, if there is an agreement, and that document expressly covers remote work from Spain [2]. Both routes are described in the article how to sort out social security without an A1.
4. Salary in euros. If you are paid in another currency, the letter must state the amount in euros explicitly [2].
5. Tax. An employee’s presence in Spain may also have tax consequences for the company. That is a question for the employer’s tax adviser, and we do not cover it here.

If the employer refuses to deal with Seguridad Social, you cannot be registered as a “contractor” instead of an employee. The UGE states plainly that proof of an employment relationship does not serve as proof of a professional one, and vice versa [2]. You can only switch models if the new one matches reality: DNV or cuenta propia for a freelancer.

How to prove your income and working conditions

The threshold for the applicant is 200% of the SMI: €2,849 a month gross, €34,188 a year [2][3]. The amount is before tax and contributions. The UGE expects payslips for the three months before the application and a bank certificate in the applicant’s name, stamped by the bank, in which the salary payments are marked separately and match the payslips [2]. If the salary is below the threshold, the shortfall for the whole term of the permit is covered by savings backed by bank certificates [2].

For a family the threshold is higher: €1,068 a month for the first family member and €356 for each additional one. Example: income for a family of three. Detailed calculation: how to calculate income for the DNV. If you get bonuses, a 13th salary, pay in two currencies or quarterly payments, check in advance how this looks over three months and explain any discrepancies in a separate note [2].

Step-by-step procedure for employees

1. Check the timing. Three months must have passed since the contract start date before you apply, and the company must be at least a year old [1].
2. Agree the letter and Seguridad Social with your employer. The registration decision must be made before you apply [2].
3. Prepare the documents. Form, passport, letter, contract, payslips, bank certificate, degree or work experience, criminal record certificates, insurance or social security document, payment receipt [2].
4. Choose your route. A visa from the consulate where you live or an application to the UGE from Spain: applying from Spain [1].
5. After the decision, register for alta. If registration goes through the Spanish system, alta in the Régimen General must be completed before you start working from Spain. This is a condition of the permit, and failing to meet it may lead to its termination [2].
6. Report changes. A change of employer, terms or the company’s country must be reported to the UGE within 30 days: changing employer on a DNV [1].

Employee taxes: what to know before you apply

The residence permit itself gives no tax advantages. If you spend more than 183 days a year in Spain or your centre of economic interests is here, you are tax resident and pay IRPF on your worldwide income. For an employed teleworker on the DNV, the law allows the special Beckham regime (taxation under rules close to the non-resident regime), if the conditions are met and a separate application is filed: the Beckham law for digital nomads. The overall picture: digital nomad taxes in Spain.

Common mistakes made by employees

• A general remote work policy instead of a letter. You need specific terms for working from Spain in particular [2].
• Contract with one legal entity, salary from another. The employer on paper and the paying entity must be the same, or the difference must be explained.
• Applying before three months have passed. The period is counted up to the application date [1].
• Choosing a route without agreeing it with the employer. Registration with Seguridad Social requires action by the company [2].
• Recasting an employee as a contractor. The UGE does not accept one type of relationship in place of another [2].
• Salary only in roubles or another currency without conversion. The threshold is calculated in euros, and the letter must state the salary in euros [2].

When you need an individual review

A review is needed if your employer is a group of companies, if you hold a stake in the company, if the firm is not prepared to register with Seguridad Social, if your contract has changed in recent months or if your salary is paid irregularly. The scheme is chosen for your specific case and checked by the team’s lawyer and gestor.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona draws up a list of documents and questions for you and your employer, prepares the letter to UGE requirements, helps with translations and apostilles, plans the Seguridad Social registration and supports you through the application and renewal. Consultation: first 15 minutes free. Service format: Digital Nomad, route card DNV.

Frequently asked questions

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.