Family on the digital nomad visa in Spain: requirements and documents

Who counts as family under the digital nomad visa

Article 62.4 of Ley 14/2013 covers a spouse or partner, minor children, financially dependent adult children who have not started their own family, and dependent relatives in the ascending line. The applicable general requirements are checked for each applicant. Brothers and sisters are not named in this list. Grandparents belong to the ascending line: they cannot be excluded on the degree of kinship alone, but dependency and the other conditions need separate proof. family on a DNV: spouse, children over 18 and parents Official source

This article covers how to apply for your family: documents for each person, the order and the timelines. Who can be included at all (unmarried partner, adult children, parents) and on what terms is covered separately: who counts as family on the digital nomad visa.

How much income the family needs

The threshold is linked to the SMI, and the figures are before tax and contributions. To the applicant’s 200% of the SMI, 75% of the SMI is added for the first family member and 25% for each additional one [2][3]. As proof you need payslips or invoices for three months and a bank certificate in the applicant’s name; any shortfall is covered by savings for the whole period of the permit [3].

Figures as at 01.10.2026; the amounts change when a new SMI is set. The UGE does not say in its public documents whether a family member’s own income counts towards the overall threshold, so rely on the applicant’s income. How to calculate it for a family of three: income for a family of three.

Three application scenarios

The law allows applications to be filed together or one after another [1]. In practice, people choose one of three options.

• Everyone together. You file the family’s applications at the same time as the main one. The decisions are made at the same time and you get a single timeline. This suits you if documents are ready for everyone.
• First the applicant, then the family. You apply and go through the stages, then the family joins. Each family member still files a full set of documents and pays the fee, so there is no saving on documents.
• The applicant is already in Spain, the family is abroad. The applicant applies to the UGE from Spain while staying there legally [1][2], and the family members apply for the permit and, if needed, for a visa [1]: for those living abroad, this is a visa at the consulate for their place of residence.

For each scenario, draw up a timeline with dates: when you will gather the documents, when you will apply and when the family will arrive. On the general DNV scheme: Digital Nomad in Spain.

What to prepare for each family member

The UGE’s indicative list for family members: form MI-F, a full passport, proof of funds, health insurance in Spain (if the person will not get access to public healthcare through the applicant’s work) and a document proving the relationship: a marriage or birth certificate or a certificate of cohabitation, original or a copy with an apostille and translation [4][5]. Adult children must show financial dependency and that they have no family of their own; parents must prove they are dependent [4]. The ministry published the list a long time ago, so check it against the UGE’s current requirements on the day you apply.

If a child travels with one parent, gather the custody documents and the other parent’s consent in advance. We found no specific rule for the DNV in Ley 14/2013, but this proof will help if questions come up. Differences in surnames and transliteration are best explained before you apply. Photos and messages do not replace an official document. Documents in another language need a sworn translation, and foreign official documents need an apostille or legalisation [3].

The process step by step and timelines

1. Decide on the scenario and who is coming. Work out who is travelling, the relationship, nationality, country of residence and the preferred date.
2. Make a list for each person. Each has their own documents; do not combine passports into one shared file.
3. Pay the fees. €73.26 for each person, family members included, online with an NRC number. Anyone can pay for someone else [2].
4. File the applications. Under Ley 14/2013, applications and documents are filed electronically through the ministry’s website, and you need a digital certificate [5]. From abroad, you apply for a visa at the consulate [1][2].
5. Wait for the decision. The UGE decides within 20 days; if it does not reply, the permit is deemed granted [1].
6. Get your TIE. If the permit is valid for more than six months, each person applies for the card separately [1].

What to do in the first month after arrival: the first 30 days after DNV approval.

Work, insurance and what can derail the family plan

According to the UGE, family members may work in Spain without restriction, as employees or self-employed [2]. This sets the DNV apart from the family of a higher education student under article 56 of the regulation, who may not work. Insurance is checked for each person; policy conditions and exemptions are covered in the article insurance for the DNV.

The main risk lies with the main applicant. They must keep meeting the conditions of the permit and report changes to the UGE within 30 days [1]. If a self-employed applicant has not registered (alta) in the RETA, the permit is terminated, and both they and their dependent family members lose the right to live and work in Spain [2]. If the main applicant loses the grounds for the permit, the consequences for the family depend on the specific case: we did not find a rule in public sources on the duration of family permits or how they are renewed.

How family under a digital nomad visa differs from a student's family and family reunification

The family of a university student under article 56 of the regulation may not work (paragraph 6) and is tied to the main student’s study estancia: a student’s family in Spain. Family reunification (reagrupación familiar) with a resident follows other articles with their own thresholds and is applied for by the resident: family reunification in Spain. The regimes are not mixed: each family member is processed under the rule that fits their case.

Common mistakes

• Calculating the threshold for the applicant only. The 75% and 25% SMI supplements for the family are left out [2][3].
• Assuming a family member can apply later without a full set of documents. Each person has their own set under article 62.3 [1].
• Paying the fee only for the applicant. It is paid for every initial application [2].
• Including a relative without checking the category and dependency. Brothers and sisters are not named in article 62.4. For relatives in the ascending line, grandparents included, dependency and the other applicable conditions must be proved separately. Official source
• Bringing only proof of kinship for an adult child. Proof of dependency is needed [4].
• Building the budget on the family starting work straight away. They have the right, but actual work depends on the job market and documents.

When you need an individual review

An individual review is needed if your partner is unmarried, if adult children or parents are involved, if a child travels with one parent, if the applicant and the family are in different countries, or if you are choosing between the DNV and another ground for the family.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona plans the family’s application, prepares lists and documents for each person, arranges apostilles and sworn translations, calculates the family income and supports you through the application, any requerimiento and the renewal. Consultation: the first 15 minutes are free. Service: family residence permit. General procedure: residence permit in Barcelona, route cards for DNV and family.

Frequently asked questions

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