Legal map of the authorisation
residence authorisation when the application is filed from Spain.
national visa when the application is filed at a consulate.
statutory time limit for deciding the authorisation application at the UGE.
indicative minimum income of the main applicant in 2026.
Processing times and financial requirements are stated according to the rules in force on the date of the update. Current amounts and requirements must be re-checked before filing.
Applicant profile
For applicants living in Spain, Russia, Latin America, North America, England or elsewhere in the UK, or the UAE, citizenship and country of residence are separate facts. The DNV concerns international remote workers who meet the legal requirements; living in one of these countries does not establish eligibility. Remote work, financial means, social security and the filing route must be checked.
Suitable applicants may include
- Employees of foreign companies.
- Self-employed persons and independent professionals with foreign clients.
- Company owners, where their professional activity and their relationship with the company are documented.
For an employee, the work must be performed for companies located outside Spain.
An independent professional may provide services to Spanish clients, but income from such activity must not exceed 20% of their overall professional activity.
Legal criteria
- The foreign company has been carrying out a real and continuous activity for at least one year.
- The employment or professional relationship with the company or client has existed for at least three months before filing.
- The employer or client authorises the work to be performed remotely from Spain.
- The applicant holds a degree from a recognised institution or has at least three years of documented professional experience.
- The applicant has sufficient and stable income.
- Social security requirements are met.
- The necessary health insurance is in place, where required in the particular situation.
- There are no criminal records preventing the authorisation from being granted.
- When filing from Spain, the applicant is lawfully present in the country.
Income in 2026
| Applicant | Indicative amount |
|---|---|
| Main applicant | approximately €2,849 per month |
| First family member | approximately €1,069 per month in addition |
| Each additional family member | approximately €357 per month in addition |
Indicative 2026 calculation: SMI of €1,221 in 14 payments (RD 126/2026), annualised over 12 months; 200% for the main applicant, 75% for the first family member and 25% for each additional family member. Table amounts are rounded for information: confirm current UGE or consular guidance before filing.
A single bank statement is generally not enough: the regularity of the payments, their amount and the documented origin of the income are usually assessed.
Choosing the procedural route
Filing at a consulate
- The applicant is outside Spain.
- Check the Spanish consulate responsible for your home address and its proof-of-residence requirements. Applicants in Russia, Mexico, the USA, Canada, London or the UAE cannot assume they may choose any consulate.
- A national visa valid for up to one year is issued.
- The exact list of documents and the procedure may depend on the specific consulate.
Filing from Spain
- The applicant is lawfully present in Spain.
- The application is filed electronically with the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE).
- The initial authorisation may be granted for up to three years.
- After approval, subsequent formalities must be completed, including issuance of the TIE where applicable.
Evidence matrix
When preparing the application, having individual documents is not enough. All evidence must support one consistent picture: who performs the work, for which company or clients, since when, on what terms, where the income comes from and which social security system applies.
- Valid foreign passport.
- Application form and proof of payment of the administrative fee.
- Employment contract or service agreement.
- Documents showing the relationship has existed for at least three months.
- Letter from the employer or client confirming that remote work from Spain is possible.
- Evidence of the foreign company's activity for at least one year.
- Income documents: payslips, invoices, contracts, bank statements and other supporting evidence.
- Degree certificate or documents evidencing at least three years of professional experience.
- Social security documents.
- Health insurance, where necessary.
- Criminal record certificates.
- Family members' documents.
- Marriage and birth certificates.
- Apostille or legalisation and sworn translation into Spanish, where required.
The final list depends on the filing route, the country issuing the documents, the form of work and the family situation.
Two professional models
| Employee | Freelancer |
|---|---|
| Works under an employment contract. | Works under service agreements. |
| The employer must be located outside Spain. | Evidences relationships with clients, income and professional activity. |
| Working for a Spanish company under this authorisation is not permitted. | May work with Spanish clients within 20% of overall activity. |
| Correctly evidencing social security is particularly important. | Registration in the Spanish social security system is usually required, depending on the specific situation. |
Family
The following may apply together with the main applicant: a spouse, a registered partner, a partner in an evidenced stable relationship, minor children, adult children who are financially dependent on the applicant and have not formed a family of their own, and dependent parents where the established conditions are met.
Not every relative can be included in the application. For each family member it is necessary to evidence the family tie, additional financial means and compliance with the general requirements. Foreign documents usually require an apostille or legalisation and an official translation.
Social security and health insurance
Health insurance is required where the applicant is not covered by the Spanish Seguridad Social. Whether it is needed depends on the applicant's professional model, the employer's country and the applicable social security arrangements.
Where insurance is required, it must be full cover with a company authorised to operate in Spain, without co-payments and without waiting periods.
Private health insurance does not automatically replace social security obligations: these are separate requirements assessed separately.
Administrative map after the decision
- 1Receiving the decision.
- 2Entering Spain, if the application was filed at a consulate.
- 3Obtaining the TIE, where required.
- 4Complying with obligations towards the Seguridad Social.
- 5Registering the place of residence where necessary.
- 6Monitoring renewal deadlines.
A residence authorisation granted for three years may be renewed in the manner provided by law, provided the conditions continue to be met.
Risk map of the file
10 inconsistencies that may weaken the application
- 1. Real activity of the foreign company.
Possible evidentiary weakness: Insufficient evidence of the company's real activity.
What must be checked: Registration documents, how long the company has existed and evidence of actual economic activity.
- 2. At least three months of relationship with the employer or client.
Possible evidentiary weakness: The relationship with the employer or client has existed for less than three months.
What must be checked: Contract date, payments and correspondence evidencing the continuity of the relationship.
- 3. Possibility of remote work from Spain.
Possible evidentiary weakness: The contract does not provide for remote work from Spain.
What must be checked: Contract wording or a separate company letter authorising remote work from Spain.
- 4. Sufficient and regular income.
Possible evidentiary weakness: Income is evidenced incompletely or irregularly.
What must be checked: Consistency of amounts across contracts, invoices, payslips and bank statements for the whole period.
- 5. Correct social security arrangements.
Possible evidentiary weakness: Social security has been arranged incorrectly.
What must be checked: The applicable insurance system, the existence of an agreement with the employer's country and supporting documents.
- 6. Legal suitability of foreign documents.
Possible evidentiary weakness: The apostille or sworn translation is missing.
What must be checked: Legalisation requirements of the issuing country and the existence of a sworn translator's translation.
- 7. Consistency of the file.
Possible evidentiary weakness: Documents from different sources contain contradictory information.
What must be checked: Cross-checking dates, job titles, amounts and company names across all documents.
- 8. Timeliness and completeness of the filing.
Possible evidentiary weakness: Documents were prepared on different dates and are partly out of date.
What must be checked: Validity of certificates, statements and translations as at the filing date.
- 9. Compliance with technical filing requirements.
Possible evidentiary weakness: Documents are uploaded in the wrong format or are not properly signed.
What must be checked: File format and size, electronic signature and completeness of the uploaded package.
- 10. Observing the limit on work with Spanish clients for an independent professional.
Possible evidentiary weakness: The share of income from Spanish clients is not documented separately from foreign income.
What must be checked: Calculation of the share of Spanish clients in overall activity and its evidence through invoices and statements.