A digital nomad residence permit in Spain can be obtained in about 2 months, and if you already hold a Schengen visa, the process takes around 7 weeks. Unlike the programs in Greece, Latvia and Croatia, Spain’s program is immigration-oriented: it allows renewing status later and eventually obtaining citizenship. Below is what’s known about timelines, advantages, and a comparison with other European countries.

Why Spain Stands Out Among Digital Nomad Programs

The program suits almost anyone with a financial base: employment income, passive income, investments, or a savings account with the required amount of funds. Preparing documents usually takes about two weeks. Spain’s program is called one of the most stable: refusals in individual cases were accompanied by additional requests or delays, but overall the outcome is considered positive.

The residence card is issued for a period of 3 years and is granted to the entire family at once. In Spain, it’s also possible to include adult children, though this requires additional work with documents.

Timelines: Schengen Visa and Applying from Within the Country

Spain is the only EU country where you can arrive on a tourist Schengen visa and apply for a residence permit while already inside the country. Under the standard path, a D visa is first issued for entry, then it’s exchanged for a residence card, which can take from 3 to 6 months.

In the case described, it took 7 weeks from entering Spain and submitting documents online to receiving the card. Obtaining a Schengen visa can take about a month, and this process runs in parallel with document preparation. Overall, taking into account summer queues for biometrics in tourist regions, the timeline can range from 3 to 4 months.

Residency and Tax Residency

Spain, along with France, does not check or monitor the cardholder’s actual presence in the EU. In most countries, a residence permit is cancelled if a person doesn’t live there for more than 183 days a year. In Spain, the card remains valid for the full 3 years regardless of whether the holder is in the country or not.

Tax residency in Spain is established only after living in the country for more than 183 days a year. Therefore, the card can be used for entries and exits from the EU, starting a business, studying or working for family members in Spain or another EU country, and as a backup relocation option.

Greece, Latvia, Croatia: Programs Without a Path to a Passport

The digital nomad programs in Greece, Latvia, and Croatia, as described, have no immigration component: the temporary residence permit cannot be renewed more than once, and a second passport cannot be obtained this way. Greece was popular until 2023, when the Spanish program appeared, modeled on the Portuguese one but with simplified criteria.

Portugal and Italy are considered separately. In Portugal, as described, a path to citizenship used to be possible after 5 years of residence, but now it takes 10 years. The resident card there, based on experience over the past two years, has not been obtained faster than in a year. In Italy, the digital nomad card is issued for only 1 year and renewed annually, while income criteria in Portugal and residency documentation requirements in Italy are stricter than in Spain.

A line outside an immigration office building in a Spanish city during summer season

Comparing Digital Nomad Programs

Below are the timelines and features of the programs as described in the material.

Spain, Portugal, and Italy offer a path to citizenship. Greece, Latvia, and Croatia do not. For those who value speed and card validity period, Spain’s program is described as the simplest, most convenient, and fastest of them all.