Relocation

What residence permit to choose in Spain for remote work: comparison

What kind of residence permit is a remote job in Spain: if you work for a company outside Spain, it's DNV, and no lucrativa does not allow work, including remote work, and the rest of the reasons for doing other things, which are compared below.

Information material, not individual legal opinion: Prepared using IE; checked by a subject matter specialist before publication has not yet been completed; conditions apply to a particular situation and may change.
Short
  • Remote employment for a foreign company means DNV (teletrabajo de carácter internacional): income is not lower than 2,849 euros per month (34,188 euros per year), a diploma or three years of experience [1][3][4].
  • No. lucrativa does not allow work, and working on it without permission is considered a violation of [3]. Needed funds: 400 per cent IPREM per month and 100 per cent per family member [2].
  • The study grants the right to work in university programmes up to 30 hours a week, employment and cuenta propia are tied to the autonomous community, and the arrajo is granted only from Spain after two years of stay (arraigo familiar without this period) [2].
  • First term: DNV up to 1 year on a visa or up to 3 years on a permit, no lucrativa and work 1 year, arraigo 1 year, arraigo familiar 5 years [1][2].
  • The way to the MHL is common: five years of legal continuous residence, with school time estimated at 50% [2].

What residence permit is available in Spain for remote employment?

If you work remotely for a company outside Spain, the foundation is called teletrabajo de carácter international, DNV or digital nomad's residence permit. Ley 14/2013 requires a diploma or experience of at least three years, a relationship with a foreign company for at least three months and the actual activity of the company for at least a year. [1]The income threshold of 200,000 SMI is indicated by UGE and the Consulate [3][4]The figure for 2026 is 2,849 a month, or 34,188 a year before taxes. DNV income in 2026.

No. lucrativa is not suitable for such work. The permit does not allow work, and UGE explicitly states that work without permission is in violation of the Aliens Act. [3]If you have estancia por estudios superriores (training permit for a university), you can cross provided you've been on an alta since you started working for a foreign company. [3]III. The difference is dealt with in greater detail no lucrativa or Digital Nomad.

Summary table of grounds

The first table answers the questions "who's fit" and "can work", the second shows where they serve and how they go to the PMT.

BasisWhom it suits?Can you work?First term
DNV [1]Foreign company distance work, income 2,849 a monthYes, remote only; freelancer to Spanish company not more than 20%a visa up to 1 year or a permit up to 3 years
No lucrativa [2]Life without work: 400 % IPREM per month plus 100% per family memberNo, not myself, not family.1 year, extension 2 years
Studies [2]In-person applicationUniversity: yes, up to 30 hours a week, if compatible with studiesUniversity: for the official duration of the programme, the remaining 1 year
Employment [2]Contract with the employer in SpainYes, within the community and profession1 year
Cuenta propia [2]its project, qualification, investmentYes, within the community and sector1 year
Arraigo [2]two years continuously in SpainYes; socioformativo up to 30 hours per week1 year, arraigo family 5 years
Family [2]members of the family of a resident or a Spanish citizenYes, without a separate procedureby regulation, for relatives of Spanish citizens 5 years
BasisWhere to apply for the first applicationPath to the MJM
DNVConsulate (visa) or UGE from Spain, with lawful stay; no direct authorization from abroad [3]2-year extension [1]
No lucrativaConsulate, visa [2]2 years extension, you have to live over 183 days a year. [2]
StudiesForeign visa; Spanish only university programmes with legal residence [2]The time of study is 50 % [2]
Work and cuenta propiaThe employer applies to the external public for a visa; the civila propia through the consulate; the labour unit in Catalonia is decided by Generalita. [2][5]5 years of legal residence
ArraigoOnly from Spain [2]One year later, possible modification to another base [2]
FamilyResidents apply to Spain, relatives then obtain visas; different options are available for relatives of Spanish citizens [2]5 years of legal residence

The general rule of the MHM: larga duración requires five years of legal uninterrupted residence, means and medical coverage. [2].

How to choose the basis: five questions

  1. Outside Spain: DNV and no lucrativa, studies and work go through consulates. In Spain, legally: DNV can be filed with UGE, arraigo is only possible from here. [2][3].
  2. What do you do? Remote work for a foreign company: DNV. No work and there is capital: no lucrativa. Contract in Spain or its project: employment or cuenta propia. Study: estancia por estudios.
  3. Where's the money? [3]. Any funds are allowed for no lucrativa: property, certified cheques, bank confirmation cards [2].
  4. On DNV, the family adds 75% SMI for the first member and 25% for each next member, family members can work without restrictions. [3]. No lucrativa does not work either, and each needs 100% IPREM [2].
  5. All the ways to the MJM take five years to live legally, but each status must be extended separately and according to its own rules. [2].

What about the family on every basis?

The family can be made up of spouses or partners, minor children, adult children on maintenance and parents on maintenance, and they can work without restrictions. [3]. No lucrativa is considered a family as a spouse, registered or stable partner (generally in a life together year), minor children and adult children with disabilities, but all of them are not working. [2]Upon reunification, a resident relative must have lived in Spain for at least one year and request permission for another year, after which the family member may work without a separate procedure. [2]I'll give you more details: family on DNV.

Specialities for Russian, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine

The basis is based on what you do in Spain, not citizenship, but there are practical differences in the application, and the visa is submitted to the consulate at the place of residence: the consulate in Moscow accepts applications from citizens and legal residents of its consular district. [4]The Russians attach a copy of the internal passport; the certificates of independency from Russia and Belarus require apostilles, the whole package is translated into Spanish. [4]The lines of consulates in other countries differ, so look at the page of your consulate; for Ukrainian citizens with temporary protection, there is a separate regime that is not included in this table.

Typical error in base selection

  • Select no lucrativa and work remotely. It's a violation of the law, and then go to DNV with this UGE story. [3].
  • To deliver to DNV with incomes below the threshold or with capital income. [3].
  • Take "for the sake of the document." The permit is retained while you are studying, and if more than a year is required, the admission must be confirmed annually. [2].
  • Count for arraigo without two years of continuous stay and without verification of the new condition: the applicant should not be the holder of the residence permit, this was added by Real Decreto 316/2026 [2][6].
  • The Spanish can be considered as a source of any form of defence. [2][3].
  • Comparison of the basis for the cost of the escorts. First check the condition, then the cost: What it's coming from.

When Individual Review Is Needed

The table does not replace the evaluation of your case. If you have a mixed situation, the employer from Russia and Spanish clients, the family with different nationalities, the previous refusals, the change of basis in the process, or the long journeys, the lawyer and the estranger check the case.

What can we help you with?

The NEXO team helps define the right basis and build a plan: that serve, where, in what order and what to collect. The first 30 minutes of consultation is free, a full consultation for 45 minutes is worth 121. Start with the first 30 minutes of consultation. The consultation is open to the public.I. More detailed on the grounds of: Digital Nomad, no lucrativa, studies, arraigo, familyI'm going to get a step-by-step route sheetAn overview of Barcelona collected on the page Residence permit in Barcelona.

Frequent issues

What kind of residence permit do I have if I work remotely for a foreign company?
DNV, i.e., teletrabajo de carácter international on Ley 14/2013, requires a diploma or three years of experience, three months of company relations, the company's annual activity and income is at least 2,849 a month, and Freelancer can work for a Spanish company not more than 20% of his business. [1][3][4]
Can you work remotely on no lucrativa?
No. lucrativa does not allow the applicant to work, nor does it allow family members, and UGE explicitly states that work without a permit violates the Aliens Act. A foreign company requires a DNV basis for a remote job, and the change from no lucrativa to it is not allowed by UGE in FAQ. [3]
What's easier to get: DNV or no lucrativa?
This is a different condition, not a simple and complex version. DNV requires income from work and company documents, no lucrativa requires a budget of 400% IPREM per month and health insurance without the right to work. What is appropriate depends on your case, so first check the conditions. [1][2]
Can you apply for a residence permit while in Spain?
The DNV from Spain is introduced to the UGE at legal residence, arraigo only from Spain, no lucrativa and employment through consulates, and university programmes are also available from Spain. [2][3]
Which base would lead to the PMJ faster?
There is no quick path: larga duración requires five years of legal uninterrupted residence, with school time counted as 50%, each permit extended by its own rules and, as specified periods are counted, the dates of your case. [2]
Can you work with student residence permits?
In higher education, yes: up to 30 hours a week, if work is compatible with study and without separate procedure; in other educational cases, such as language courses, there is a need for a separate work permit, and the study itself remains the main purpose of the permit. [2]
Was Spanish necessary to choose the basis?
No, language examination is not required for the reasons of residence, language is required for citizenship (DELE level A2 and CCSE) and is indirectly included in the integration report at arraigo. What is tested on each basis is dealt with in a separate article on language. [2]

Based on source

  1. BOE · Ley 14/2013, artículos 74 bis - 74 quinquies, 75 y 76 (teletrabajo de carácter internacional) ↗
  2. BOE · Real Decreto 1155/2024, articles 37-39, 52-57, 61-64, 72-77, 82-86, 125-127, 131, 176, 190-192 .
  3. Ministerio de Inclusión, UGE · Preguntas frecuentes sobre teletrabajadores internacionales ↗
  4. Consulado de España en Moscú · Visado de teletrabajo de carácter internacional ↗
  5. BOE · Real Decreto 1463/2009, traspaso a la Generalitat de las autorizaciones iniciales de trabajo ↗
  6. BOE · Real Decreto 316/2026, de 14 de abril, por el que se modifica el RD 1155/2024 ↗

Sources are viewed on 02.10.2026. Consolidated texts and departmental reference pages are informative: legal application takes into account official publications, changes and specific circumstances. Material has not been personally checked by counsel.

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