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How much you need to earn for Spain's digital nomad visa

The 2026 income threshold, family-size totals, fees and the other requirements — explained in plain numbers.

How much you need to earn for Spain’s digital nomad visa

The single number that decides whether you qualify for Spain's Digital Nomad Visa is your income — and it's tied directly to the Spanish minimum wage (Salario Mínimo Interprofesional, or SMI). For 2026 the primary applicant needs at least 200% of the SMI, which works out to €2,849 per month gross. Miss that figure and the application stops before anyone reads the rest of your file. Everything below is the current 2026 picture — figures rise when Spain updates the minimum wage, so always check before you submit.

If you read nothing else

You're applying soloYou need €2,849/month grossThat's 200% of the 2026 SMI (€1,424.50/month base), before tax, from remote work.
You're bringing familyAdd €1,068 for the first, €356 each afterOnly one person qualifies as primary applicant; the rest join as dependents.
Both spouses work remotelyApply as one unit, not twoOne primary applicant plus a dependent is usually cheaper and simpler than two separate files.
Your salary is just under the lineTop it up with savings or bonusesConsulates want stability — bank statements that match your declared figures.
The SMI goes up next yearThe threshold goes up tooYou meet the figure in force on your application date, not the one from when you started planning.

How the income threshold is calculated

Spanish immigration law ties the minimum threshold directly to the statutory minimum wage. For the Digital Nomad Visa, the primary applicant must earn at least 200% of the current SMI. The 2026 SMI (set by Real Decreto 126/2026) is €17,094 per year, giving a monthly base of €1,424.50 — so 200% is €2,849 per month. Each family member you add raises the requirement by a fixed percentage of the same SMI.

Applicant	Percentage of SMI	Monthly amount
Primary applicant (solo)	200%	€2,849
First family member	+75%	+€1,068
Each additional family member	+25%	+€356

So if you're applying as a couple with one child, the minimum combined income requirement becomes €2,849 + €1,068 + €356 = €4,273 per month.

Family applications: qualify once, not twice

If you're relocating with your family, only one person needs to qualify as the primary applicant. The others join as dependents — almost always the more efficient route when both spouses work remotely.

Here's why. Say your partner earns €3,200 a month independently. Applying separately means two separate applications, two sets of documents, two rounds of consulate appointments. Applying as a family unit under one primary applicant, with the partner listed as a dependent, typically costs less and creates fewer points of failure. And family members can work in Spain without restrictions once they're here.

Income needed by family size

Family composition	Minimum monthly income (gross)
1 adult (solo)	€2,849
Family of 2	€3,917
Family of 3	€4,273
Family of 4	€4,629
Family of 5	€4,985

These are gross income figures, before tax.

What other requirements are there?

Income is the headline number, but it's not the only criterion. To be eligible for the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa you also need to meet these conditions.

Professional background

At least 3 years of work experience in your field, or a relevant degree.
Your employer must have been operating for at least 1 year.

Employment situation

A valid employment contract or freelance agreement with a company registered outside Spain.
You have been working with this company for more than 3 months.
Written confirmation from your employer that remote work from Spain is permitted.

Personal history

No criminal record in any country of residence over the past 5 years.
No entry bans in Spain or the Schengen area.

What actually counts as income

Not every euro that lands in your account counts the same way. Here's what immigration will and won't accept.

What immigration accepts

Regular salary from an employment contract.
Freelance or contractor income documented through invoices and bank statements.
If the salary falls just short of the minimum, you can make up the difference with savings and bonuses.

What creates problems

Bank statements that don't match your declared income figures.

The bottom line: the consulate wants to see that your income is stable and that your paperwork tells one consistent story.

Government fees

Beyond proving your income, there are official fees involved in the application. These are set by the government and, as of 2026, look like this:

Fee	Amount
Consulate national visa application fee	~€90 per person
NIE number registration (modelo 790, código 012)	~€10
Residence authorization (modelo 790, código 052)	€73.26
TIE card (residence card) issuance	€16.08

Which fees you pay depends on where you apply. If you apply for the Digital Nomad Visa from your home country, you pay the consulate visa fee, the NIE registration, and the TIE card issuance. If you apply for the residence authorization from inside Spain, you pay the residence authorization fee and the TIE card issuance.

What happens to the threshold when the SMI changes?

Spain raises the SMI on an annual basis. When it goes up, so does the income threshold for the Digital Nomad Visa. That has two practical implications.

For initial applications: you need to meet the threshold in effect on the date of your application, not the one that applied when you started planning your move. The 2024 figure was around €2,646; the 2026 figure is €2,849. Check it before you submit.
For renewals: when you renew your residence authorization, you'll need to show that your income still meets the threshold current at that time. If the SMI has risen between your initial application and the renewal, the bar will be higher.

When renewing a digital nomad's residence authorization, immigration reviews the figures on your tax returns. If your income falls short, you can cover the difference with savings.

Insider tipDon't build your plan around last year's number. Check the current SMI at least 3 months before you apply or renew, and keep a small savings buffer — it's the cleanest way to cover any gap if the threshold has just moved up.

Ready to find out if you qualify?

The income threshold is the first filter, but it's not the whole picture — the professional, employment and background conditions all have to line up too. We offer a free consultation to walk through your case: whether you qualify, which visa type makes sense, and what your application would actually look like. Book your free consultation with our team.

Frequently asked questions

Does passive income count toward the threshold?

Not directly. The 200% SMI requirement applies specifically to income from remote work. Passive sources like dividends, rental payments or investment returns don't qualify on their own, because they don't establish your status as a remote worker — which is what this visa is built around. If your situation involves significant passive income, that's worth discussing in a consultation, as a different visa type may fit you better.

Can I combine income from multiple clients?

Yes. Freelancers with several clients can add up total invoice income across all of them. The key is that every income source is documented properly, with invoices and matching bank statements.

What if my income is in a currency other than euros?

The most common solution is to ask your employer or client to state the equivalent amount in euros as of the date the letter was written, so the consulate can compare it directly against the threshold.

If both spouses apply as primary applicants, does each need €2,849?

Yes. If both apply independently as primary applicants, each has to demonstrate 200% of the SMI on their own. In almost every case it makes more financial sense for one spouse to apply as the primary applicant and list the other as a dependent family member.

Does the income threshold change when I renew?

Yes. Spain raises the SMI annually, so the renewal threshold can be higher than the one you first qualified under. We always recommend checking the current figures at least 3 months before your renewal date rather than relying on numbers that were accurate when you first applied.

What if my salary is slightly below the threshold?

You can make up the difference with savings and bonuses. The consulate is looking for stability, so the supporting documents — bank statements, contracts, invoices — need to be consistent with the income you declare.

Official sources

Unidad de Grandes Empresas (UGE-CE) — official information on the international teleworker (digital nomad) visa and residence authorization.
Ley 28/2022 — Startups Act, which created the international teleworker visa (BOE).
Real Decreto 126/2026 — 2026 minimum wage (SMI) that sets the income threshold (BOE).

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