Before you move
Time
1 to 4 months at the consulate (skip if doing the DNV)
Cost
€80 visa fee approx (consulate routes)
Difficulty
Hard
EU vs non-EU
EU/EEA: You don't need this. EU/EEA citizens can enter, live, and work freely with no visa, your only paperwork is the NIE registration and the padrón. See "Get your NIE" instead.
Non-EU: Most routes (non-lucrative, work, student, entrepreneur) need a national visa from the Spanish consulate in your home country before you fly, it's the slowest part of the move. The digital nomad visa is the exception: enter visa-free on your 90 Schengen days and file with the UGE from inside Spain instead. See "Which Spanish visa do you actually need?" for the full comparison.
What to bring
Passport valid 6+ months beyond your stay
Proof of income or means (route-dependent)
Apostilled criminal record certificate
Full private health insurance, no copays or waiting periods
Proof of accommodation in Spain
Not needed: A pre-arrival visa at all, if you qualify for the digital nomad visa, file from inside Spain instead
Your options
Spanish consulate (home country)
Where most visas are actually issued
€80 approx
Non-lucrative, work, student, and entrepreneur routes all go through here. Appointment availability, not processing, is usually the real bottleneck.
UGE (digital nomad visa, in-country)
Skip the consulate entirely
Filing fee + lawyer if used
Enter visa-free as a tourist, then file with the Unidad de Grandes Empresas once you're in Spain. Decided in about 20 working days and gets you a 3-year card instead of a 1-year visa.
Immigration lawyer
For complex cases or the DNV paperwork
€500 to 1500
Worth it if your income mix is complicated or you want the DNV file done right the first time, the UGE rejects sloppy applications without much sentiment.
Prices checked August 2026
Do it
- 1
Work out which route applies to you
Remote income points to the digital nomad visa, passive income to the non-lucrative visa, a job offer to a work visa. See "Which Spanish visa do you actually need?" for the full breakdown.
- 2
Consulate routes: book the appointment early
Non-lucrative, work, student, and entrepreneur visas need a consulate appointment in your home country, slot availability is the real bottleneck, sometimes longer than processing itself. Book the slot before your papers are perfect: documents can be gathered while you wait, and a date cannot be conjured at the end.
- 3
Digital nomad visa: enter visa-free and file with the UGE
Land on your 90 Schengen days, then apply to the Unidad de Grandes Empresas once you're settled, no flight home required, and you get a 3-year card instead of a 1-year visa.
- 4
Assemble the file
Passport, proof of income or means, apostilled criminal record, full private health insurance (no copays or waiting periods), and proof of accommodation.
- 5
Get your NIE moving once you're in
Every later step, bank account, lease, payroll, wants your NIE. Start that process as soon as you land.
Common questions
Can everyone apply for the digital nomad visa from inside Spain?
Only people who'd qualify for it abroad too, mostly remote employees and freelancers with foreign clients. Other routes (non-lucrative, work, student) still need the consulate visa before flying.
How far ahead should I start a consulate route?
Three to four months before your move. Appointment slots and apostilling a criminal record both take time.
What if my case is complicated?
Mixed income, family reunification, or a tight timeline are all good reasons to use an immigration lawyer, the UGE and consulates both reject incomplete files without much patience.
Read more
Which Spanish visa do you actually need?
Full guide · 6 min read
Full checklist tracking and task completion live in the Ternli app for Mallorca.