Remote workers eyeing Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) in 2026 will need to prove higher earnings after Royal Decree 126/2026 lifted the national minimum wage (SMI) by 3.1 percent. Because DNV income requirements are pegged at 200 percent of the SMI, a single applicant must now show at least €2,849 a month—up from €2,763 in 2025. (remoteworkeurope.eu)
Families face steeper proofs: the first dependent adds 75 percent of the SMI (€916) and each additional dependent 25 percent (€305). Spain’s remote-worker pathway, launched in January 2023 under the Start-up Act, has attracted more than 14,000 applicants but authorities report a spike in fraudulent or incomplete files. Consulates are therefore tightening document checks and demanding consistent monthly income rather than isolated bank balances. (remoteworkeurope.eu)
![Income threshold for Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa rises to €2,849 after minimum-wage hike]()
If gathering the right paperwork feels daunting, VisaHQ can streamline the process. Their Spain-focused platform (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) pre-screens income documentation, helps format support letters for dependents, and books consular appointments, reducing the risk of costly rejections and delays.
The higher bar paradoxically strengthens Spain’s appeal for legitimate applicants: the so-called ‘Beckham Law’ still offers a flat 24 percent tax rate on Spanish-sourced salary up to €600,000 for six years, while foreign income remains largely exempt. That combination keeps Spain cost-competitive against Portugal’s digital-nomad regime, which lost its tax break in 2025.
Practical implications for corporates include reassessing relocated staff budgets, updating assignment letters and alerting payroll providers to potential Beckham-Law elections. Would-be freelancers should remember that at least 80 percent of revenue must originate outside Spain, and social-security registration is being cross-checked more stringently at renewal.
Families face steeper proofs: the first dependent adds 75 percent of the SMI (€916) and each additional dependent 25 percent (€305). Spain’s remote-worker pathway, launched in January 2023 under the Start-up Act, has attracted more than 14,000 applicants but authorities report a spike in fraudulent or incomplete files. Consulates are therefore tightening document checks and demanding consistent monthly income rather than isolated bank balances. (remoteworkeurope.eu)
If gathering the right paperwork feels daunting, VisaHQ can streamline the process. Their Spain-focused platform (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) pre-screens income documentation, helps format support letters for dependents, and books consular appointments, reducing the risk of costly rejections and delays.
The higher bar paradoxically strengthens Spain’s appeal for legitimate applicants: the so-called ‘Beckham Law’ still offers a flat 24 percent tax rate on Spanish-sourced salary up to €600,000 for six years, while foreign income remains largely exempt. That combination keeps Spain cost-competitive against Portugal’s digital-nomad regime, which lost its tax break in 2025.
Practical implications for corporates include reassessing relocated staff budgets, updating assignment letters and alerting payroll providers to potential Beckham-Law elections. Would-be freelancers should remember that at least 80 percent of revenue must originate outside Spain, and social-security registration is being cross-checked more stringently at renewal.
