Digital Nomad Visa: Employed or Self-Employed?
Both remote employees and self-employed professionals can apply for Spain's digital nomad visa (DNV), but the rules and the evidence differ:
- Employees may work only for companies outside Spain, and they prove an employment relationship plus the employer's permission to work remotely.
- Self-employed professionals may also earn up to 20% of their activity from Spanish companies, and they prove client relationships and the terms of the work.
The two groups also join different Social Security schemes.
At a glance
| Remote employee | Self-employed professional | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you work for | Companies outside Spain only | One or more companies outside Spain, plus Spanish companies up to 20% of your activity |
| Relationship to prove | Employment for at least three months, and the employer's permission to work remotely | A commercial relationship for at least three months, and the terms of the remote work |
| Income evidence | Payslips for three months, with a matching bank certificate | Invoices for three months, with a matching bank certificate |
| Spanish Social Security | Commitment to register in the general scheme (Régimen General) | Commitment to register in the self-employed scheme (RETA) |
A note the UGE makes clear: evidence of an employment relationship can't be used to prove a professional relationship, or the other way round.
If you're employed
Your employer's letter carries the application. It should authorise you to work from Spain and describe your role and main duties. It should also confirm the work can be done remotely and state your salary in euros and the other conditions. The company must have been active for at least a year. For Social Security, the UGE expects the foreign employer to be registered with Spanish Social Security without a workplace in Spain, and you to be registered in the general scheme once authorised.
If you're self-employed
You show contracts with one or more companies outside Spain covering at least three months, and how the remote work will be done. The 20% allowance for Spanish companies applies to your total professional activity, so keep track of where your income comes from. You commit to registering in the self-employed scheme (RETA) once authorised.
If you own the company you work for
If you're the sole owner, or you control the company, the three-month relationship is taken as given once you prove 100% ownership and more than a year of real company activity. The UGE then asks for more:
- proof of ownership or control;
- the company's latest corporate tax return;
- evidence of investment in its operations;
- a record of the employees it has registered with Social Security in its home country.
The company letter must still contain the details listed above, although permission to work remotely is implied.
Staying in your home country's Social Security
Some applicants can stay in their home system under a social security agreement. In that case you show a certificate from your home system confirming that it covers your remote work from Spain. A request for the certificate isn't enough. That certificate exempts you from registering in Spain. If the agreement doesn't give you Spanish public healthcare, you need to show health insurance. This is where the insurance question differs most between applicants. Our DNV health insurance guide covers it.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up the two types of evidence. Payslips don't prove a commercial relationship, and invoices don't prove employment.
- Spanish clients above 20%. Count by your total professional activity, not by number of clients.
- A letter that doesn't mention remote work. An employment contract on its own may not show permission to work from Spain.
- Applying for the certificate too late. A pending request for a home-system certificate isn't accepted.
Remote employees
My Spanish DNV
A guide for remote employees of foreign companies.
- What your employment contract must show
- Social Security and insurance explained
Opens provider website. No details shared.
Platinum Legal Spain
A DNV pathway for remote employees.
- An employer letter template
- The letter reviewed before filing
Opens provider website. No details shared.
Self-employed and freelancers
My Spanish DNV
A guide for freelancers and the self-employed on the DNV.
- Registering as autónomo
- Invoices and the 20% Spanish-client rule
Opens provider website. No details shared.
Platinum Legal Spain
A DNV service for freelancers and autónomos.
- Your contracts, invoices and bank statements reviewed
- Filing through the UGE or a consulate
Opens provider website. No details shared.
We don't pass your details to either service. Choosing one opens its website in a new tab, where you start a separate enquiry.
Frequently asked questions
I'm a contractor paid through my own company. Which am I?
It depends on the relationship you can prove. If you own or control the company you work through, the UGE's rules for company owners apply. Your service will assess which evidence fits.
Do I have to pay Spanish Social Security?
Usually you commit to registering in the Spanish scheme once authorised. The exception is an applicant who stays in their home system with a certificate that expressly covers remote work from Spain.
Does employed or self-employed change the income threshold?
No. The UGE thresholds are the same, set as a share of the minimum wage. What changes is the evidence: payslips or invoices. See DNV requirements.