Spain has implemented stricter regulations for digital nomad visas, causing frustration among British applicants who have already relocated to the country.
Britons, along with other non-EU citizens, are finding themselves in a bureaucratic bind as new documentation requirements emerge mid-application.
Applicants must now provide extensive proof of ownership and legitimacy, including evidence of 100% company ownership, stable income, client contracts, and tax returns.
This additional paperwork, aimed at ensuring applicants are bona fide workers, has left many digital nomads (remote workers who travel from place to place) in a difficult position.
Lawyers and immigration consultants have been advising applicants to create freelance contracts between themselves and their companies.
They are required to show their business has existed for at least 12 months, and pay themselves for three months to satisfy Spain’s new demands.
One British businesswoman said: “Spain has moved the goalposts… We’ve moved our whole lives over here… and to be told midway through we need a lot more information, it is very unfair.”
She criticised Spain’s change in rules after the application process had already begun, likening it to a football match where the rules are altered halfway.
The digital nomad visa, introduced in 2023 as part of Spain’s Start Up law, was intended to attract remote workers by offering lower living costs, tax breaks, and the allure of working in Spain’s sunny climate.
However, the new changes only apply to self-employed workers, with no tax benefits, creating further complications.
Visa experts like María José Muñoz Gomez from Help At Hand Spain, who helps expats with the visa process, confirmed that Spain has tightened requirements for those owning their own companies.
“The requirements are shifting, you may be asked to prove you have real clients, your company has an activity that is separate from the owner, and you earn a stable income from client work,” she explained.
Spain’s migration ministry has yet to officially respond to the concerns raised. However, since the introduction of the visa, 7,368 digital nomad visas have been granted as of January, although it remains unclear how many British nationals are affected by the new rules.
While Spain’s digital nomad visa was initially designed to attract talent, digital nomads have been blamed, alongside tourists, for driving up housing prices in major cities such as Barcelona, Málaga, and Palma de Mallorca, leading to further tensions.