What international teleworking means under Ley 14/2013

What is international telework under Ley 14/2013?

International teleworking (teletrabajo de carácter internacional) is a status for a national of a non-EU country whom Spain allows to stay on its territory to work remotely for a company based abroad. The definition is in article 74 bis of Ley 14/2013 [1]. The 2013 law on support for entrepreneurs and their internationalisation was supplemented in December 2022 by Ley 28/2022 on startups, which added articles 74 bis to 74 quinquies [1][4]. Russian-language texts call this status the DNV, the digital nomad residence permit.

Telework is only one of the categories in the international mobility section: the same law governs permits for entrepreneurs, highly qualified professionals, researchers and intra-company transfers[1]. How the law works as a whole, and what happened to investors, is explained in what Ley 14/2013 is and which permits it offers.

Who counts as an international teleworker: four criteria

Article 74 bis sets four criteria that must all be met at the same time [1]:

• the applicant is a third-country national, that is, not an EU citizen and not a person to whom EU law applies [2];
• the activity is work or professional activity, that is, employed or self-employed;
• the work is done for companies located outside Spain;
• the work is carried out using exclusively computer, telematic and telecommunication means.

For an employee the framework is strict: they may work only for companies outside Spain. A self-employed person may also work for a Spanish company, as long as its share does not exceed 20% of their total professional activity [1]. Details: can you work for a Spanish company on a DNV.

Employee or professional: two types of teleworker

Article 74 bis allows two kinds of relationship with a foreign company: employment (actividad laboral) and professional services (actividad profesional)[1]. This determines the contract you file, the evidence and the Seguridad Social regime.

An employment relationship cannot be proved with documents of a professional one, and vice versa: UGE says so explicitly[7]. The contract, the company letter and the payments must all belong to the type of relationship you rely on.

A special case: you own the company you work for. If you are its sole owner or control it (autónomo societario), the three-month relationship is presumed once you prove 100 % ownership and more than a year of real activity by the company. In return UGE asks for the company's latest corporate tax return, proof of investment in productive assets and a report from your country's social security body on the company's employee history[7]. Documents by type of work: digital nomad visa for employees and digital nomad visa for freelancers.

The 20 % rule: how much you can work for Spanish clients

The twenty per cent applies only to professionals. An employee may not work for a Spanish employer at all[1]. UGE adds two conditions: work for a Spanish company must be under a professional contract, never an employment one, and the relationship with the foreign company your application is based on must continue[2].

How to measure the share, by revenue, hours or number of jobs, and over what period, the law does not define[1]. It only says the share must «no sea superior al 20 %» of your total professional activity, so exactly 20 % is allowed[1]. Measured by revenue, out of €4,000 a month a Spanish client could account for up to €800.

The conditions apply for the whole life of the permit, and changes must be reported to UGE within 30 days under additional provision 7[1]. Detailed analysis with calculations: the 20 % rule on the digital nomad visa.

What does “exclusively remote work” mean?

The law does not define the word “exclusively”. The UGE FAQ explains it this way: the duties of the position do not require on-site presence to supervise or manage production, oversee staff, carry out field sales and the like. The UGE may request information on the size of the company, its type of activity and its structure to determine whether the duties can be performed remotely [2]. Where the line falls between a position that can be done remotely and one that requires physical presence depends on the specific company and role: this is something to check before applying.

How the digital nomad visa differs from ordinary remote work

Spanish labour law has its own remote work statute: Ley 10/2021 de trabajo a distancia. It applies to employment relationships covered by the Estatuto de los Trabajadores and treats remote work as regular from 30 % of working time over three months[6]. These rules govern how employer and employee organise remote work; they give no right to live in Spain.

The practical consequence: a hybrid schedule, where part of the week is spent in the company's office, does not fit the digital nomad visa, because the law requires exclusively remote work[1]. Remote work for a foreign company while holding no lucrativa status does not become international telework either: that status gives no right to work, and UGE does not count such experience[2]. On the risks of remote work without the right status: what remote work in Spain without a visa can lead to.

What conditions does the law set for the teleworker?

To the general requirements of article 62 the law adds the special conditions of article 74 ter [1].

The law does not say which amounts count as sufficient: additional provision 20 instructs the authorities to issue guidelines and links the thresholds to the SMI [1]. For current figures, see the article income for the DNV in 2026.

Visa or permit: which documents are provided for

The law sets out two routes. A third-country national living abroad applies to the consulate for a visa: it is valid for up to a year and gives the right to live and work remotely (article 74 quater) [1]. Anyone legally in Spain or holding such a visa can obtain a residence permit for up to three years, renewable for two years (article 74 quinquies) [1].

Permit applications are handled by the UGE through electronic channels, the Dirección General de Migraciones decides within 20 days, and if there is no answer silencio positivo applies (article 76) [1]. More on durations: how many years the DNV is issued for and what the UGE is. The practical filing procedure is collected in the DNV route card, and our support is described on the page digital nomad residence permit.

What does not count as international telework?

If the foreign company has a branch in Spain, the employee is considered an intra-company transferee (ICT), and the requirements of that category apply [2]. A no lucrativa permit does not allow work, so remote work done on that basis does not count as work experience for the DNV [2]. The status does not cover EU citizens or people to whom EU law applies [2]. In criterio 2/2025, the migration authority stresses that these Ley 14/2013 categories are deliberately excluded from the general regime of Real Decreto 1155/2024 [3]. Comparison with the status without the right to work: no lucrativa or Digital Nomad.

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