Spain remains one of the simplest routes to obtaining residency in the EU. But income requirements, document standards and checks are tightening every year, so delaying your application is becoming increasingly risky — especially if your income sits at the lower threshold.
How income requirements keep rising
Income for the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa is always tied to the minimum wage in Spain, which increases every year. In 2026, the minimum wage in Spain is €1,221 per month. Nomads must earn twice that amount, factoring in the 14 salary payments officially paid out in Spain — which currently brings the figure to €2,850 per month.
You can still find articles online citing a €2,600 threshold, but that’s outdated information. If you delay your application by a year, the income requirement will rise even further. The question isn’t just whether your income meets the requirements today, but whether it will still meet the updated requirements six months from now.
Renewal checks have become stricter
The first wave of mass Digital Nomad renewals showed that Spanish authorities are no longer satisfied with a neat set of documents copied from the original application. At renewal, they want to know what the applicant actually did in the country over all three years, whether their income was maintained, whether they paid taxes, whether they had private health insurance, or whether they paid social security contributions.
The problem is that preparing documents retroactively is practically impossible. You need to start thinking about your long-term prospects and renewal from day one of your arrival, not a month before filing for renewal.
Tax returns are now a mandatory requirement
At renewal, Spanish authorities now always request tax returns for the last 2 years. In practice, the document requirements changed within weeks: at first only the last year’s tax return was requested, but a couple of weeks later they started requiring two years’ worth.
It’s not enough to say you paid taxes in another country. Under the program’s rules, Spanish authorities require that the tax return be filed specifically in Spain.
Schemes that used to work no longer pass
When the digital nomad program first launched, applying as the director of your own company was a fairly straightforward process. It was enough to employ yourself at your own company and provide salary documents.
Now this scheme works poorly. Immigration authorities make questionable rulings regarding income and employment at one’s own company. Instead, it’s recommended to apply based on employment with another company, since one of the key documents is an extract from the corporate registry.
Document cleanliness requirements have increased
Three years ago, approved cases included applications where it wasn’t entirely clear who was paying the salary or which legal entity was involved. Now the documents must clearly show when and how the employer pays the salary, whether this matches the employer named in the contract, and all other payments must also match.
You need to build the cleanest, most transparent case possible, avoid submitting unnecessary documents that could confuse the immigration officer, and only submit what the program actually requires.
Who shouldn’t delay applying
First and foremost, those whose income is at the lower threshold should hurry. Exchange rates keep fluctuating, and income requirements rise every year.
The second category is those who work for a Russian company and receive income from Russia. At the moment, such cases are 100% acceptable. Receiving payment to a Russian bank card and working for large Russian companies is acceptable. But given the unpredictability of the current situation, it’s recommended to apply now if your documents qualify and you have the opportunity to do so.
The third category is applicants with families. Many wait until their children start school, or wait for summer to move before September. But Spanish schools will enroll children at any time by law. Meanwhile, income requirements will rise significantly — if a family of five is relocating, the income requirement increases substantially.
What to do if you’re not ready to apply now
A bad strategy is either to wait and do nothing, or to rush to submit documents that don’t meet the program’s requirements.
The minimum you should do now is get your case and documents in order. Check whether your income meets the requirements, watch exchange rate fluctuations. If your income falls short, figure out how to increase it. If your contract lacks wording confirming remote work, fix that. If you’re missing any documents, gather them now, while it’s still possible.
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