Remote workers eyeing Spain’s increasingly popular Digital Nomad Visa will need to show fatter pay-slips in 2026. Following the government’s 3.1 % increase to the statutory minimum wage (SMI) under Royal Decree 126/2026, the Ministry of Inclusion confirmed on Thursday that the income threshold for the visa—fixed at 200 % of the SMI—rises from €2,763 to €2,849 per month for a single applicant.
Family applicants face steeper hurdles: the first dependant now requires an extra €916 and each additional dependant €305. The government stresses that the change is automatic, not a policy shift targeting digital nomads. Nevertheless, relocation advisers say the higher bar could price out junior freelancers and small-company staff whose overseas contracts are pegged to emerging-market pay scales.
![Income bar for Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa lifted to €2,849 a month]()
The Digital Nomad Visa, launched in January 2024, allows non-EU professionals who earn most of their income from abroad to live and work in Spain for up to five years, with a route to permanent residence. More than 18,000 permits were issued in 2025, according to official data, fuelling co-working hubs from Valencia to Málaga.
Meanwhile, services like VisaHQ can smooth the path: their dedicated Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) offers step-by-step guidance on eligibility checks, document gathering and appointment booking, helping digital nomads and their families apply with confidence under the updated salary requirements.
Companies that use Spain as a near-shore base for remote teams should audit salary packages to ensure compliance before filing renewals or new applications. Applicants already in the pipeline will be assessed against the higher figure if their files are adjudicated on or after 1 March 2026.
Family applicants face steeper hurdles: the first dependant now requires an extra €916 and each additional dependant €305. The government stresses that the change is automatic, not a policy shift targeting digital nomads. Nevertheless, relocation advisers say the higher bar could price out junior freelancers and small-company staff whose overseas contracts are pegged to emerging-market pay scales.
The Digital Nomad Visa, launched in January 2024, allows non-EU professionals who earn most of their income from abroad to live and work in Spain for up to five years, with a route to permanent residence. More than 18,000 permits were issued in 2025, according to official data, fuelling co-working hubs from Valencia to Málaga.
Meanwhile, services like VisaHQ can smooth the path: their dedicated Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) offers step-by-step guidance on eligibility checks, document gathering and appointment booking, helping digital nomads and their families apply with confidence under the updated salary requirements.
Companies that use Spain as a near-shore base for remote teams should audit salary packages to ensure compliance before filing renewals or new applications. Applicants already in the pipeline will be assessed against the higher figure if their files are adjudicated on or after 1 March 2026.
