Spain Digital Nomad Visa from Nigeria

What is a Digital Nomad Visa in Spain?

Spain is a country with a rich national culture, excellent food scene, numerous areas of natural beauty, and bustling cities and towns. As such, it is a popular choice with international workers, including workers from Nigeria.

For Nigerian remote workers who are already employed by a non-Spanish company, Spain’s Digital Nomad visa is a popular choice. It’s intended for non-EU citizens who work remotely for a company outside of Spain, or who are self-employed and primarily work for non-Spanish clients.

The Spanish Digital Nomad visa is different to the Non-Lucrative visa, which is designed for non-EU citizens who have a passive income and so do not need to work during their time in Spain. If you have a Non-Lucrative visa, you are not authorised to work when in Spain, even if that work is remote and for an overseas company. If you wish to work remotely for a non-Spanish company when in Spain, you must apply for a Digital Nomad visa. if you wish to live in Spain without working, using overseas passive income, you must instead apply for the Non-Lucrative visa.

In order to be eligible for the Digital Nomad visa, applicants must have an undergraduate or postgraduate degree or 3 years of relevant work experience. 

Note that citizens of other EU countries will not require a Digital Nomad visa in order to live and work full-time in Spain, due to EU citizens having freedom of movement between the different EU countries.  Citizens of Nigeria are likely to require a Digital Nomad visa in order to work remotely in Spain, however.

Key Aspects of Spain Digital Nomad Visa 

The Digital Nomad visa is designed to allow non-EU remote workers to live and work in Spain and to contribute to the Spanish economy whilst remaining primarily employed by an overseas employer. While self-employed remote workers are authorised to complete some work for Spanish clients, this work should not exceed 20% of their total workload. 

If you successfully apply for a Digital Nomad visa from outside of Spain, you will be granted a visa with a 1-year duration. If you apply within Spain, on the other hand, you can instead apply for a 3-year Digital Nomad Residency permit. This status can then be renewed for a total of up to 5 years, after which point you may become eligible for permanent residency status. When applying to extend your visa, you will need to ensure that you still satisfy the Digital Nomad eligibility criteria. 

Once you become a Spanish permanent resident, you can live and work indefinitely in Spain, provided that you continue to satisfy the eligibility criteria.

In the event that you first receive a Digital Nomad 1-year visa, having applied from outside of Spain, you can apply to switch to a Digital Nomad Residency permit after your first year in Spain. 

Spain Digital Nomad Visa Requirements for Nigerians

When applying for a Spanish Digital Nomad visa, there are a number of eligibility criteria which you will need to satisfy. These are generally as follows: 

• You are a remote worker 
• You are either employed by an overseas employer (and have been employed by them for at least 3 months at the time of application) or are a self-employed worker who primarily works for non-Spanish clients
  • While some work for Spanish clients is allowed in the case of self-employed remote workers, this work must not exceed 20% of your total workload
• In the case of remote workers employed by an overseas company, your employer must have been operating for at least 1 year 
• You must have either a degree or 3 years of relevant work experience 
• You must have the financial means to support yourself for the duration of your stay; specifically, your monthly income must be at least 200% of Spain’s monthly minimum wage. Note that this amount will increase to 275% if you apply with 1 dependant and will increase by an additional 25% for each extra dependant  
• You must obtain Spanish health insurance
• You must have a clean criminal record

Required Documents for Spain Digital Nomad Visa 

There are a number of documents which you will require when applying for Spain’s Digital Nomad visa. These are generally as follows: 

• Completed application form 
• Passport photo, to the Spanish specifications 
• Valid passport
• Criminal record certificate (from within the last 6 months, or one which is still in date) 
• Proof of health insurance 
• Proof that you have been working for your employer for at least 3 months
• Proof of sufficient financial means to support yourself during this stay. Specifically, your monthly means must be at least 200% of the Spanish national minimum wage 
• Copy of your degree certificate or equivalent professional certificate (if applicable)

If any family members are also applying as your dependants, they will need to provide certain extra documents in addition to the documents listed above, including:

• Proof of their familial relationship with you (e.g. birth or marriage certificate or other family records)
• In the case of adult dependent children, evidence of their financial dependence on you

Documents must be translated into Spanish by an authorised translator and notarised. These documents should be submitted alongside the rest of your application.

How to Apply for a Spain Digital Nomad Visa from Nigeria? 

There are 2 main routes to applying for a Spanish Digital Nomad visa, depending on whether you apply from Spain or Nigeria.

If you are applying from Nigeria, you will need to book an appointment with your local Spanish consulate or embassy. In Nigeria, the Spanish embassy can be found in Abuja, at the following address: 

8 Bobo Close, Maitama District

P. M. B. 5120 Wuse Post Office

Abuja

Nigeria

There is also a consulate in Lagos, found at the following address: 

21C Kofo Abayomi St, Victoria Island, Lagos

P.O.Box: 74759 Victoria Island

Lagos.

Nigeria

Once you have submitted your application, it will then be processed. If you are granted a visa, you will generally have up to 1 month to collect it from the embassy or consulate. 

If you instead want to apply from within Spain as a Nigerian citizen, you will likely first need to apply for a Tourist visa. This visa generally has a validity period of 3 months. 

Once you arrive in Spain on your Tourist visa, you will need to apply for your Digital Nomad visa via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You will need to bring all of your accompanying documents with you when you travel to Spain and when you attend your appointment.  

Once you have submitted your application, it will then be processed. If your application is successful, you will be granted a 3-year Digital Nomad Residence permit. 

If your visa application is unsuccessful, you will receive written confirmation of why. You will also generally have the option of appealing the decision, provided that you submit your appeal within 2 months of receiving the decision. You may also choose to submit a legal appeal to the High Court of Justice of Madrid. 

How Long Does it Take to Get Spain Digital Nomad Visa from Nigeria? 

In general, you should expect to wait around 2 weeks for a decision on your visa. However, you may have to wait more or less time depending on how many other applications are simultaneously being processed and whether or not you are asked to provide additional information. 

In order to minimise delays, make sure to submit your application correctly and fully. In the event that you are asked to provide additional information, make sure to do so as quickly as possible.

What is the Application Cost for a Spain Digital Nomad Visa? 

When applying for the Spain Digital Nomad visa, you will need to pay an application fee. The specific cost depends on the duration of your visa. If you are applying for a 1-year visa, the cost is €60. If you are applying for a 3-year Residence permit, on the other hand, it is €73.60. 

If your supporting documents are not already in Spanish, you will also need to pay to get them translated. While costs vary between different translators, you will need to make sure to use an authorised translation service. 

Note that you will also have to satisfy certain financial criteria in order to apply for the Digital Nomad visa, as outlined earlier in this article.

For help with organising the translation of your supporting documents, contact IAS today. 

What if My Spain Digital Nomad Visa Application is Rejected?

If your Digital Nomad visa application is rejected, you will be informed of the reason(s) why in writing. You will also be given details on how to appeal the decision, and will generally need to submit your appeal within 1 month of the date given on your refusal letter. You may also choose to appeal to the High Court of Justice of Madrid, which will need to be submitted within 2 months of the original decision. 

Note that, in the event that you enter Spain on a Tourist visa and do not successfully obtain a Digital Nomad visa during your stay, you will need to leave Spain before the expiry of your Tourist visa. Failure to do so would mean that you no longer have legal immigration status in the country, which may impact your ability to secure future visas. 

If you choose to apply for a new visa after receiving a rejection, make sure to address the reasons why your original application was unsuccessful. 

Living in Spain as a Digital Nomad: What You Need to Know

When living in Spain as a Digital Nomad, there are certain rules and regulations with which you will need to comply. However, you will also obtain certain benefits.  

Firstly, you will not be able to start working in-person for a Spanish company during your stay. Your Digital Nomad visa specifically authorises you to work remotely for your overseas employer while living in Spain. If you are self-employed, up to 20% of your work can be for a Spanish company, but this work must also be remote. 

You will also be required to pay tax when working in Spain under a Digital Nomad visa. However, you will be entitled to lower tax rates than other residents. Nigeria also has a Double Taxation Agreement with Spain, which helps ensure that Nigerian workers in Spain will not be taxed twice on the same income.

While you will need to obtain private health insurance before entering Spain, you will generally be able to apply to access public services upon arriving in the country. You will also be authorised to visit other countries in the Schengen region during the validity period of your visa.

The Digital Nomad visa also provides a route to eventual Spanish citizenship. After 5 years of living in Spain, you can apply for permanent resident status. After 10 years, you can apply for citizenship status.

For more information on the rules, regulations, and benefits when living in Spain on a Digital Nomad visa, contact IAS today. 

Route to Permanent Settlement and Citizenship

Once you have lived in Spain on a Digital Nomad visa for at least 5 years, you will generally be able to apply for Spanish permanent residence. This means that you can live and work indefinitely in Spain and access Spanish public services. However, you will generally need to renew your status after 5 years, will not be eligible to vote in Spanish elections, and will not be able to apply for a Spanish passport. 

After 10 years of continuous and legal residence in Spain, you can then apply for Spanish citizenship. Obtaining Spanish citizenship grants the right to vote in Spanish elections and to apply for a Spanish passport. 

For those on the Digital Nomad route, a common path to Spanish citizenship is to spend 5 years in Spain with a Digital Nomad Residence Permit, 5 years as a permanent resident, and to then apply for Spanish citizenship after 10 years of living in Spain.

How Can IAS Help with Spain Digital Nomad Visa 

Spain offers numerous benefits to its residents, including access to bustling cities like Madrid and Barcelona, beautiful beaches like La Concha and Barceloneta Beach, and a safe and stable environment in which to raise a family. 

For many remote workers, Spain is a popular work destination. Via its Digital Nomad route, overseas workers can live and work in Spain without first needing to secure Spanish employment. Provided that you satisfy the eligibility criteria, you can continue working remotely with your current company or clients while reaping the benefits of the Spanish lifestyle. 

If you are a Nigerian citizen or resident who is working remotely and interested in moving to Spain, the Digital Nomad visa might be the right choice for you. Contact IAS today on +2342013306361 to learn more about our full range of services and to get started on your relocation journey. We can help ensure that your move to Spain runs as smoothly as possible.