- 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.
| Basis | Whom it suits? | Can you work? | First term |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNV [1] | Foreign company distance work, income 2,849 a month | Yes, 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 member | No, not myself, not family. | 1 year, extension 2 years |
| Studies [2] | In-person application | University: yes, up to 30 hours a week, if compatible with studies | University: for the official duration of the programme, the remaining 1 year |
| Employment [2] | Contract with the employer in Spain | Yes, within the community and profession | 1 year |
| Cuenta propia [2] | its project, qualification, investment | Yes, within the community and sector | 1 year |
| Arraigo [2] | two years continuously in Spain | Yes; socioformativo up to 30 hours per week | 1 year, arraigo family 5 years |
| Family [2] | members of the family of a resident or a Spanish citizen | Yes, without a separate procedure | by regulation, for relatives of Spanish citizens 5 years |
| Basis | Where to apply for the first application | Path to the MJM |
|---|---|---|
| DNV | Consulate (visa) or UGE from Spain, with lawful stay; no direct authorization from abroad [3] | 2-year extension [1] |
| No lucrativa | Consulate, visa [2] | 2 years extension, you have to live over 183 days a year. [2] |
| Studies | Foreign visa; Spanish only university programmes with legal residence [2] | The time of study is 50 % [2] |
| Work and cuenta propia | The 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 |
| Arraigo | Only from Spain [2] | One year later, possible modification to another base [2] |
| Family | Residents 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
- 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].
- 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.
- Where's the money? [3]. Any funds are allowed for no lucrativa: property, certified cheques, bank confirmation cards [2].
- 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].
- 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?
Can you work remotely on no lucrativa?
What's easier to get: DNV or no lucrativa?
Can you apply for a residence permit while in Spain?
Which base would lead to the PMJ faster?
Can you work with student residence permits?
Was Spanish necessary to choose the basis?
Based on source
- BOE · Ley 14/2013, artículos 74 bis - 74 quinquies, 75 y 76 (teletrabajo de carácter internacional) ↗
- BOE · Real Decreto 1155/2024, articles 37-39, 52-57, 61-64, 72-77, 82-86, 125-127, 131, 176, 190-192 .
- Ministerio de Inclusión, UGE · Preguntas frecuentes sobre teletrabajadores internacionales ↗
- Consulado de España en Moscú · Visado de teletrabajo de carácter internacional ↗
- BOE · Real Decreto 1463/2009, traspaso a la Generalitat de las autorizaciones iniciales de trabajo ↗
- 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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The source is viewed on 02.10.2026 · NEXO · Drafting Draft · Sources do not replace individual legal advice.

