No Lucrativa or Digital Nomad Visa: Which to Choose in Spain

No lucrativa or Digital Nomad: what decides the choice

There is one key question: who pays you and what for. If it is for your personal labour, meaning a salary under an employment contract or payment for your services against invoices, then you work, and no lucrativa is not for you. Article 61 of the Reglamento de extranjería (Real Decreto 1155/2024) defines it as residence “sin realizar actividades laborales o profesionales”, and the UGE adds in its guidance that no lucrativa does not give the right to work, including remotely [1][3].

In law, the Digital Nomad visa (DNV) is called teletrabajo de carácter internacional. It is a permit to live in Spain and work remotely for companies outside the country, Articles 74 bis onwards of Ley 14/2013 [2]. If you live on savings, a pension, rent or dividends and do not work yourself, your situation is covered by no lucrativa: no lucrativa conditions and procedure. If you work remotely, see Digital Nomad conditions.

The grey area begins where income is mixed: a pension plus consulting, dividends plus a role in management. The law gives no “part of it is fine” answer: you have to decide which activity counts as work, and that depends on your case.

No lucrativa and the digital nomad visa compared on the key points

The information is taken from Articles 61 - 64 of the Reglamento, Articles 74 bis - 76 of Ley 14/2013 and the UGE guidance [1][2][3]. The table sets out the general rules; in your case, timelines, the country where you apply and your status matter [1][2].

Money: why the no lucrativa and digital nomad visa thresholds can't be compared directly

No lucrativa requires 400% of IPREM per month for the applicant and 100% for each family member, for the term of the permit. With IPREM at €600 for 2026, that is €2,400 per month for the applicant [1][5]. You prove savings or a pension and explain where the money comes from: how to calculate funds for no lucrativa.

The DNV requires income from remote work of at least 200% of SMI, which is €2,849 gross per month for a single applicant. The thresholds are set by the authorities’ instruction, and the UGE checks them through documents: payslips or invoices for three months and a bank letter. If your earnings are below the threshold, you can cover the difference with savings for the whole term of the permit [3][4]. The calculation is explained in how to calculate income for the DNV.

In practice: a person with large savings and no earnings will not get the DNV, because it requires a working relationship. A person with earnings but no savings has no chance of no lucrativa, because the law does not accept a salary alone as a source. It is the nature of the income that decides, not the amount.

Application, timelines and what comes after approval

No lucrativa is applied for together with the visa at the consulate. After a positive decision, the consulate issues the visa within a month, and after entering Spain you have one month to apply for the TIE [1]. If there is no answer, the application is considered refused [1]. The procedure: no lucrativa through the consulate.

There are two ways to get the DNV. From abroad, you obtain a TEL visa at the consulate (for up to one year), then apply to the UGE for the permit in the 60 days before it expires. If you are already legally in Spain, for example after visa-free entry, apply to the UGE directly [2][3]. The UGE decides within 20 days of electronic filing; if it does not reply, the permit is deemed granted. This rule applies to the UGE decision; the consulate issues the visa on its own timescale [2]. More on timing: how long the UGE takes to decide.

In terms of duration the DNV is more favourable: a permit of up to three years versus one year for no lucrativa. But this follows from the different logic of the grounds rather than being a reason to choose it: after the DNV you have to prove your work conditions at renewal [2].

Family, Seguridad Social and taxes

Family. Under Article 61, family members on no lucrativa also get the right to reside, but without work activity [1]. Relatives of a DNV holder can work as employees and self-employed without restrictions (additional provisions of Ley 14/2013, answer 17 in the UGE FAQ) [3]. This is a strong argument if your spouse also plans to work: family on the Digital Nomad visa.

Social security. No lucrativa requires a seguro de enfermedad, which, under the requirements of the consulate in Moscow, must cover all the risks covered by the Spanish public health system [1][6]. The DNV requires you to meet Seguridad Social obligations: for an employee, that means registering the foreign employer in the system and alta in the Régimen General, or a certificado de legislación aplicable from the country of origin; for the self-employed, alta in RETA [3]. In detail: Digital Nomad and Seguridad Social.

Taxes. Neither permit determines your tax status. If you spend more than 183 days a year in Spain or your centre of economic interests is here, you are resident and pay IRPF on your worldwide income. The special Beckham regime with a 24% rate is available to an employed teleworker on a DNV if the conditions are met. With no lucrativa it is ruled out by definition, since there is no employment income: Beckham law for digital nomads, digital nomad taxes.

What suits whom: four typical profiles

• Pensioner or rentier. A pension, rent, dividends, savings and no work: no lucrativa. If the pension is below the threshold, savings cover the gap: no lucrativa on a pension.
• Employee of a foreign company. The company is at least one year old, the employment relationship is at least three months old, a degree or three years of experience: DNV [2][3].
• Freelancer. A business relationship with foreign clients of at least three months: DNV or cuenta propia, and the choice depends on your clients: DNV or cuenta propia.
• Business owner. If you run your own business, that is work. The UGE has a separate list of documents for the owner of a sole-shareholder company, and no lucrativa is not suitable [3].

If you do not fit any of these profiles, start by comparing all the grounds: which residence permit to choose if you work remotely.

Common mistakes when choosing

• Going on no lucrativa and “quietly” working remotely. The UGE calls such work an offence, and work history built up this way is not accepted for the DNV [3]. If you are already in this situation, it is better to discuss what to do with a lawyer before you apply.
• Choosing by the amount. No lucrativa requires €2,400, the DNV €2,849, but these are different tests [1][4].
• Treating the DNV as a tax break. A residence permit does not automatically include the 24% rate [2].
• Going by duration. Three years on the DNV assume that you keep your job and income for all that time [2].
• Ignoring Seguridad Social. For the DNV this is a condition of the permit, not a formality after you get the card [3].

When you need an individual review

You need a review if your income is mixed, if you own a business, if your employer refuses to deal with Seguridad Social, if family members have different statuses, or if you already live in Spain on other grounds and are thinking of switching. In these cases the right choice depends on your case, and it is checked by the lawyer and the gestor.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona looks at your income model, compares no lucrativa, the DNV and cuenta propia for your family and country, and prepares the documents and a plan for after approval. Book here: the first 15 minutes of the consultation are free. Step-by-step plans: no lucrativa route card and Digital Nomad route card.

Frequently asked questions

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