How long the DNV is issued for: 1 year or 3 years

How many years is the digital nomad visa issued for?

The term depends on the route. The consular visa is valid for up to a year, the permit applied for from Spain for up to three years, and a renewal is granted for two years [1]. All the figures are in the table:

How long is a consulate-issued digital nomad visa valid?

Up to one year, or, if the period of work is shorter, for as long as the period of work (article 74 quater, paragraph 1) [1]. The general rule for a residence visa in article 75: the term is one year, or equal to the term of the permit if that is shorter, and with such a visa you can live in Spain without a TIE [1]. The visa gives you the right to live and work remotely for as long as it is valid (article 74 quater, paragraph 2) [1].

If you want to stay, apply to the UGE for the permit in the last sixty calendar days of the visa’s validity, as long as the conditions that gave you the right to the visa still apply [1][3]. More on the routes: applying from Spain or through a consulate.

How long is the UGE authorisation valid, and can you get less than three years?

The permit is issued for up to three years unless a shorter term is requested (article 74 quinquies, paragraph 2) [1]. The consulate in Moscow puts it this way: permits are issued for three years straight away, while the visa is issued for no more than one [4].

The migration directorate (Dirección General de Gestión Migratoria), in criterion 2/2025, clarified that permits under Ley 14/2013 have no minimum duration. For teletrabajadores the term is set “according to the time requested, up to a maximum of three years”, and terms shorter than 90 days are allowed [2]. This means you can request the permit for the duration of your employment relationship rather than the default three years. Which term works better for you depends on your contract with the employer and your plans for living in Spain.

When the digital nomad visa or authorisation is granted for a shorter period

One year and three years are ceilings, not standard terms. They are shorter in two cases:

• Visa: if the work period is shorter than a year, the visa lasts as long as the work (article 74 quater, paragraph 1)[1]. The consulate in Moscow adds that if the permit is granted for less than a year, the visa lasts as long as the permit[8].
• Permit: if you yourself requested a shorter work period (article 74 quinquies, paragraph 2)[1]. Under criterion 2/2025, permits for teletrabajadores are granted for the period requested, up to three years, and there is no minimum term[2].

The difference in wording matters. The law ties the visa term to the work period, and the permit term to the period you request[1]. Neither the law nor criterion 2/2025 says whether the UGE will shorten a permit on its own initiative if a fixed-term contract ends before three years[1][2]. Choose the term in your application deliberately and check it against the contract dates.

A shorter term affects money and planning. If savings top up your income, they must cover the gap for the whole validity of the permit[3]: the shorter the term, the smaller the amount. A worked example is in family income for the digital nomad visa. On the other hand, renewal comes sooner, and the conditions are checked again at every renewal[1].

Two routes: timeframes via the consulate and from Spain

1. Through a consulate: a visa for up to one year, then an application to the UGE in the last sixty days of the visa, a permit for up to three years, then a renewal for two years [1].
2. From Spain: a permit for up to three years straight away if you are legally in the country, then a renewal for two years [1].

For comparison: in Portugal the D8 visa permit is issued for two years, with renewals for three-year periods; more in the article DNV or D8 in Portugal. The step-by-step application procedure for both routes is in the DNV route card, and the renewal application is described in the “Renewal” route card.

How long is digital nomad residence renewed for?

A renewal is granted for a period of two years as long as the conditions that gave you the right to the permit still apply (article 74 quinquies, paragraph 3, and article 76, paragraph 3) [1]. The application is submitted electronically. The Dirección General de Migraciones may request reports to check that the conditions still apply [1].

Submitting a renewal application extends the validity of the current permit until a decision is made. The same applies if the application is submitted within ninety days after the permit expires, but a penalty case (procedimiento sancionador) may be opened [1]. The amount of the renewal fee is shown in the tasa table under code 038 on the authority’s page; check it before paying. Details in the article on DNV fees.

What happens if the contract with the company ends before the authorisation

The permit rests on the conditions under which it was granted, and they must be maintained for the whole validity of the visa or permit (additional provision 7 of Ley 14/2013)[1]. The end of a contract changes those conditions. What follows from that:

• Notify the UGE within 30 days. Any change that affects the conditions of admission must be reported to the UGE within 30 days (additional provision 7, paragraph 2)[1]. According to the UGE guidance, such a notice is filed through the same procedure as an initial application[3].
• A new contract with a foreign company. When conditions change, the three-month length of relationship with the company is not required again, because it was already proved when the permit or visa was granted[3]. In our reading, the other requirements, including income, will be assessed against the new contract.
• If the conditions are no longer met. The authorities may check them at any time and terminate the visa or permit by a reasoned decision, after first hearing you (trámite de audiencia)[1].
• Switching to another basis. You can move to another permit under Ley 14/2013 if you meet its requirements, or to a general-regime permit under Title XI of the Reglamento[7]. The options are covered in switching from the digital nomad permit to another residence permit.

The official texts do not say how long you can remain without a contract and keep the permit. So we would not wait: prepare the notice to the UGE and a plan with a new contract as soon as you know when the work ends. A freelancer who loses one of several contracts should also recalculate income: the threshold applies for the whole validity of the permit, not only on the filing date[1].

Do you need a TIE card, and when can you apply for long-term residence?

If the permit is issued for more than six months, you have to apply for a TIE card (article 76, paragraph 2) [1]. No TIE is issued with the visa [1].

The preamble of Ley 28/2022, which introduced the DNV, says that permanent residence is possible after five years [5]. Articles 74 bis - 74 quinquies say nothing about this; the conditions for long-term residence come from the Reglamento and are covered in this article. Do not treat it as an automatic right: everything depends on your case, so check with a lawyer.

The general conditions for larga duración-UE are set out in articles 176 and 177 of the Reglamento (RD 1155/2024): five years of legal continuous residence, stable sufficient means and health insurance[6]. How they fit the visa and permit terms is shown in the next section.

From digital nomad visa to long-term residence and citizenship: year-by-year timeline

Below is the consular route with the maximum terms. If you apply from inside Spain, the first row drops out and the path starts straight with the UGE permit[1].

Five years are reached both via the consulate (a year on the visa plus four years on the permit) and from inside Spain (a three-year permit plus a two-year renewal). Permanent residence requires five years of legal and continuous residence. Absences of up to six months in a row and up to ten months in total over five years do not break continuity, and for work-related absences the limit is 18 months. You also need stable, sufficient means, in the amounts used for family reunification, and health insurance[6]. Article 176 does not specify what counts as a work-related absence for a remote worker.

Nowhere does it say directly whether the visa year counts towards those five years. The consulate states that the visa proves residence in Spain throughout its validity[8], and article 176 requires precisely legal residence[6]. If the visa year counts, the five years are reached before the renewal ends. The filing window of two months before the current permit expires does not apply to those who already meet the conditions of article 176[6]. Detailed calculation: how to count five years for permanent residence in Spain, citizenship: Spanish citizenship by residence.

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 20.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.