Application documents
The complete document checklist for Spain's Digital Nomad Visa
These are the documents you will need. We handle translations and apostilles — you handle gathering the originals. Use the tabs below to see the checklist for your situation.
Your document list
Documents by applicant type
Select your employment situation below. The core documents are the same for most applicants — but employed and self-employed applicants have different income evidence requirements.
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Valid passport
Must remain valid for at least 12 months beyond the end of the permit period you are applying for. Colour copies of all pages including blank pages are typically required.
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Employment contract
Must show your employer's full legal name and registered address outside Spain, your role, your gross monthly salary at or above €2,849, and explicit authorisation to work remotely. If not in Spanish, a sworn translation is required.
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Employer letter confirming remote work and salary
A letter on company headed paper from your employer confirming your role, salary, the remote working arrangement, and the company's location outside Spain. Signed by an authorised representative.
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3+ months of recent payslips
Payslips covering the 3–6 months immediately prior to your application, showing gross salary at or above the minimum threshold. If not in Spanish, sworn translation required.
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3–6 months of bank statements
Bank statements showing the salary being received in your account each month. The name on the account must match your name on the application. Statements should be as recent as possible at the time of submission.
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Private Spanish health insurance policy
Employed DNV applicants must hold a private health insurance policy from an insurer authorised in Spain. The policy must cover you in Spain with a minimum of €30,000 coverage and must have no co-payment (sin copago) clause. Standard travel insurance does not qualify. Self-employed autónomos are exempt from this requirement (covered by RETA).
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Clean criminal record certificate
Required from your current country of residence, plus any other country where you have lived for 5 or more years in the past 5 years. Must be apostilled by the competent authority in the issuing country. Must also be officially translated into Spanish by a sworn translator. Certificates should be no more than 3 months old at the time of submission.
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CV / professional background documentation
An up-to-date curriculum vitae demonstrating your professional background, skills, and the relevance of your work to the remote employment role stated in your contract. In Spanish or with a sworn translation.
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Passport-sized biometric photographs
Recent colour photographs meeting biometric standards (white background, full face, no glasses). Typically 2 photographs required. Must be taken within the past 6 months.
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Proof of accommodation in Spain
Evidence that you have or will have a place to live in Spain. Acceptable options include a signed rental contract, property title deed, or a letter from a person confirming you will live at their address. Must cover the period of your application.
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Completed application forms (EX-20 and supplementary forms)
The official Spanish immigration application forms — including the EX-20 — must be completed accurately. We prepare and complete all application forms on your behalf as part of our service.
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Proof of payment of government tasas (application fees)
The Spanish government application fee (tasa) must be paid before submission. When applying via the UGE route, the tasas are included in our service fee — you do not pay them separately.
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Valid passport
Must remain valid for at least 12 months beyond the end of the permit period you are applying for. Colour copies of all pages including blank pages are typically required.
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6 months of client invoices showing income from non-Spanish clients
Invoices covering the 6 months immediately before your application, demonstrating a consistent income above €2,849/month net. All invoices should clearly identify the client's name and country. Spanish client income must not exceed 20% of your total.
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Client contracts or letters of engagement
Contracts with your main clients, or letters of engagement, demonstrating an ongoing working relationship. These should show the client's registered address outside Spain and the scope of services provided.
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Tax returns (last 1–2 years, where available)
Tax returns from your home country for the last 1–2 years, where available. These are helpful — particularly if you are already established as a freelancer — but are not always mandatory if other income evidence is strong. Include them if you have them.
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3–6 months of bank statements
Bank statements showing invoice payments being received. The amounts should clearly correspond to the invoices provided. Statements should be as recent as possible at the time of submission.
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No private health insurance required
Self-employed autónomo workers are exempt from the private health insurance requirement. Your RETA Social Security contributions cover your access to Spain's public health system. You do not need to purchase a private policy for your DNV application.
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Professional qualifications or credentials relevant to your work
Degrees, professional certifications, or other credentials that demonstrate your expertise in the field in which you are freelancing. Not always mandatory, but strengthens your application — particularly for specialist or regulated professions.
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Evidence that Spanish client income is under 20% of total
A clear breakdown of your clients by country, with corresponding invoice amounts, demonstrating that income from Spanish clients accounts for less than 20% of your total revenue. This can be a summary document prepared by your case manager.
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Clean criminal record certificate
Required from your current country of residence, plus any other country where you have lived for 5 or more years in the past 5 years. Must be apostilled and officially translated into Spanish. Certificates should be no more than 3 months old at the time of submission.
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CV / professional background documentation
An up-to-date curriculum vitae demonstrating your professional background and expertise in your field. In Spanish or with a sworn translation.
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Passport-sized biometric photographs
Recent colour photographs meeting biometric standards (white background, full face, no glasses). Typically 2 photographs required. Must be taken within the past 6 months.
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Proof of accommodation in Spain
A signed rental contract, property title deed, or letter confirming your accommodation address in Spain.
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Completed application forms (EX-20 and supplementary forms)
We prepare and complete all official application forms on your behalf as part of our service.
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Proof of payment of government tasas (application fees)
Included in our service fee for UGE applications — you do not pay separately.
Important requirements
Translations and apostilles — what you need to know
Two requirements catch many applicants off guard. All non-Spanish documents must be officially translated, and certain official foreign documents must be apostilled before they are accepted.
Traductor jurado
Any document not already in Spanish must be officially translated by a sworn translator (traductor jurado) — a translator certified by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is different from a general professional translation. The translator must certify the document with their official stamp and signature. We arrange sworn translations as part of our service — you do not need to find a translator yourself. Common documents requiring translation include employment contracts, payslips, bank statements, CVs, and criminal record certificates.
The Hague Apostille
An apostille is an official authentication stamp issued by a competent authority in the document's country of origin, verifying that the signature or seal on the document is genuine. For the Spain DNV, your criminal record certificate must be apostilled before it is accepted — and must then be translated. If you have lived in multiple countries, you will need a criminal record certificate from each country where you have lived for 5 or more years, each apostilled separately. We advise on the apostille process and can assist where possible — but the apostille itself must typically be obtained in the issuing country.
Start with your criminal record certificate
The criminal record certificate is the longest-lead item in most DNV applications — it can take several weeks to obtain from some countries, plus additional time for apostilling and translation. Begin this process as early as possible. Everything else can generally be gathered in parallel.
Download the PDF checklist
Get a printable version of the full document checklist — with columns for tracking which documents you have gathered, translated, and apostilled.
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