Digital Nomad Visa in Spain: A Family-Friendly Guide

We are a US-accredited international online school that coexists with local schooling. Families are responsible for ensuring compliance with any local education requirements applicable to their situation.

What the Digital Nomad Visa Actually Is

It was created under the Startup Law (Ley de Startups) and came into effect in 2023. It allows non-EU remote workers – employees of foreign companies and self-employed freelancers – to live and work legally in Spain for up to one year initially, renewable for up to five years and eventually leading to long-term residency.

The DNV is not a Schengen visa. It is a national authorization that grants legal habitation in Spain specifically. Holders can travel freely within the Schengen area as residents, but the visa itself is Spanish.

“This visa is for any foreigner planning to live in Spain as a resident, working remotely for a company or an employer located outside of the Spanish national territory, and using exclusively computer, telematics and telecommunication media and systems.”

— Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Digital Nomad Visa – Official Requirements

Income Thresholds and Financial Requirements

The main applicant must demonstrate income of at least 200% of Spain’s minimum wage (SMI). As of 2026, the SMI is €1,221/month (source: La Moncloa), making the threshold approximately €2,442/month or roughly €29,300/year. Each additional adult dependent adds 75% of the SMI. Each minor child adds 25%.

For a family of four – two adults and two children – the income requirement is approximately €3,969/month. These figures are updated periodically; verify current SMI figures with the Spanish consulate or a qualified immigration lawyer before applying.

Proof of financial means typically takes the form of employment contracts, bank statements (usually three to six months), or invoices from clients for self-employed applicants. A foreign company work contract needs to clearly establish that the role is remote and that the employer is based outside Spain.

Who Can Apply as a Dependent

Family members can apply for dependent authorization alongside the main applicant. This covers spouses and legally registered partners – unregistered partnerships (pareja de hecho) are recognized if cohabitation can be documented – as well as financially dependent adult children and minor children.

Each dependent requires their own documentation package. Identity card or passport. Proof of relationship – marriage certificate, birth certificates. Proof of cohabitation where relevant. All foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled by the issuing country before submission. This is not optional and not waivable. Applications where apostilles are missing or incomplete are rejected.

The Application Process Step-by-Step

Apply from your home country at a Spanish consulate if you are outside Spain. If you are already in Spain on a tourist visa, you can apply in-country for the residence permit version – though the tourist visa route has time constraints that require careful management.

Required documents for the main applicant typically include: valid passport, criminal record certificate (apostilled), private health insurance that covers Spain, proof of income, employment contract or client invoices, and the completed application forms. The consulate may request additional documentation.

Processing times vary. Madrid and Barcelona consulates have different workloads. Some applicants report authorization in six to eight weeks; others wait longer. Build buffer time into your relocation timeline.

Once authorization is granted and you arrive in Spain, you must register with Spanish social security within the required window if you are self-employed. Employees of foreign companies have different obligations – confirm with a qualified advisor whether you need to register with the Spanish social security system or remain covered by your home country’s system under a bilateral agreement.

DNV and Your Children’s Education

This is where families seeking information about the DNV often have the most questions – and the least clear answers.

Spain’s compulsory education law requires children between ages 6 and 16 to receive education. Your visa status as a digital nomad does not exempt your children from this requirement. What it does not specify, and what varies by Autonomous Community, is whether a WASC-accredited international online school satisfies that requirement.

Many digital nomad families in Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia enroll their children in local Spanish schools or international schools. Others use Legacy Online School as their primary provider – a WASC-accredited American online school with live daily classes, full K-12 curriculum from elementary through high school, and a US diploma track. Legacy enrolls within 48 hours – no empadronamiento required, no waiting list.

A family from Austin relocated to Madrid on a DNV in September 2024. Both parents work remotely for US companies. Their two children – ages 9 and 14 – enrolled in Legacy the same week. The 14-year-old is on the AP courses track – 19 courses administered by the College Board – targeting US university admission. The 9-year-old attends daily live group classes from the family’s apartment. No school run. Curriculum continuous from their Austin school.

Virtual clubs and extracurricular activities are included in all plans – relevant for families who worry about social development when their child isn’t in a physical school

For families who prefer to keep their child in a local Spanish school while adding American curriculum subjects, part-time K-12 courses are available – AP preparation, English Language Learning, or specific subjects on their own, without full enrollment

That said: whether Legacy enrollment satisfies whatever documentation your specific visa conditions or local Autonomous Community requires is a question for an immigration lawyer. Legacy provides an Enrollment Confirmation Letter to all enrolled families. Whether that document satisfies your specific situation depends on factors we cannot determine for you.

A Common Pitfall: Assuming the DNV Solves Everything at Once

Bureaucracy in Spain moves on its own timeline. The DNV is one piece. Empadronamiento (local address registration) is another – and you typically need a rental contract or property deed to complete it, which means housing needs to be secured before you can register, which affects the school admission points system for concertado schools, which is why many digital nomad families end up with an international school or an online school rather than a concertado.

Bilingual schools in Spain – state or concertado schools with bilingual programs in Spanish and English – are available in some Autonomous Communities, including Madrid. Access depends on local registration and availability. Do not assume a bilingual school place is guaranteed.

“Spain offers a specific visa for digital nomads, but compliance with local education requirements for accompanying children remains the family’s responsibility and varies by Autonomous Community.”

— Eurydice / European Commission, Spain: National Education System Overview

For families managing the DNV process while also setting up their children’s education, Legacy’s admissions team can explain enrollment, documentation, and options specific to your situation. Contact us before you arrive – not after.

Top Tips from Our Expert

Maya Robinson, College Prep Advisor at Legacy Online School

• Start your children’s school enrollment before you arrive in Spain, not after. Legacy can enroll within days and provide an Enrollment Confirmation Letter immediately – useful documentation to have ready when you’re navigating empadronamiento and local authority processes.
• If your child is in middle school or high school and you’re relocating mid-year, the academic calendar gap matters. Summer school at Legacy fills credit gaps and keeps momentum. Don’t wait until September to address a January relocation.
• AP exams are offered once a year, in May. If your family arrives in Spain in the fall, your high schooler can sit AP exams at an authorized test center in Barcelona or Madrid that same academic year. Plan the course enrollment accordingly.
• Dual enrollment partnerships with ASU and USF let 11th and 12th graders earn real university credits while in high school. For a family that relocated internationally, arriving at a US university with credits already on the transcript is a meaningful head start.
• Digital nomad families move. Legacy’s curriculum is American-standard and fully transferable – no credit loss, no grade reassessment when your family moves from Madrid to Lisbon to Dubai. That continuity has real value when you’re not sure how long Spain is home.

We are a US-accredited international online school that coexists with local schooling. Families are responsible for ensuring compliance with any local education requirements applicable to their situation.

Legacy Online School’s K-12 programs are available to expat and internationally mobile families in Spain. The legal status of online education as a substitute for compulsory school attendance varies across Spain’s 17 Autonomous Communities and depends on individual circumstances and visa conditions. Legacy Online School does not represent that enrollment satisfies Spanish compulsory education (educación obligatoria) requirements. Families are solely responsible for verifying compliance with applicable law in their Autonomous Community and for confirming whether their visa conditions require proof of enrollment at a Spanish school. Legacy does not provide legal or immigration advice.

Questions about enrolling in Spain? Contact our admissions team for guidance specific to your family’s situation.