Table of Contents
Key Documents and Paperwork for Australian Citizens
Important Basics to Know
As defined by Spanish law, an international digital nomad or teleworker is someone who works solely through online platforms for companies outside of Spain. Australian citizens fall under this category as well.
Eligible individuals with either a degree or equivalent professional experience can apply for a visa from their home country or a residence permit if they already reside legally in Spain.
This visa or permit allows Australian citizens to work and live anywhere within Spanish territories. Depending on employment laws related to age, this right may also extend to family members.
Crucial Note
For Australian citizens planning to work in Spain, your employer must be based outside of Spain.
Self-employed Australian citizens can work with a Spanish company as long as this work does not exceed 20% of their overall professional activities.
Who is This Provision For?
This provision mainly targets non-European Union nationals who plan to live in Spain while performing their work or professional activities exclusively through IT, telecommunications, and online platforms.
Establishing Your Current Status
Understanding how your current location at the time of application—either inside or outside Spain—affects the type of permit you need to telework from Spain is essential.
If you are outside Spain, you must apply for an international teleworking visa.
If you are already in Spain and meet all legal requirements, you should apply for a residence permit specifically designed for international teleworkers.
Qualification Guidelines for Digital Nomads
Individuals planning to telework in Spain, commonly known as digital nomads or teleworkers, must seek a visa and residence permits. Specific requirements exist concerning both personal and professional conditions for the teleworker and the foreign organization they work for or provide services to.
Key Eligibility Criteria for Teleworkers
Having adequate financial resources to support yourself and any accompanying family members is critical, based on the criteria outlined below:
– Visa and residence permit holders should have a monthly income equivalent to 200% of the Spanish minimum inter-professional salary (for 2023, this is €1,080 monthly).
– For family units, including the visa holder and any dependents, a minimum income of 75% of the Spanish minimum inter-professional salary is required, with an additional 25% for each extra family member beyond the initial pair.
You must be in a regularized immigration situation in Spain.
The minimum age for application is 18 years.
Applicants must not have any criminal records, either in Spain or in any country where they have resided during the five years prior to the application process.
Applicants should not be barred from entering Spain or be listed among persons prohibited from entry according to agreements Spain has with other nations.
Maintaining a professional employment or relationship for at least three months with one or more entities you propose to telework for is mandatory.
You must hold a health insurance policy approved by an accredited insurance company operating in Spain. If your home country does not have a bilateral agreement with Spain, you should register with the Spanish Social Security system.
A mandatory fee for visa or permit processing must be paid.
Requirements for the Company/Organization
– Provide evidence that the foreign company or organization you are employed by or associated with professionally has been operational and genuine for at least one year.
– Submit documented approval allowing you to engage in remote work from Spain, detailing the job role, remuneration, and the terms and conditions governing the overseas professional engagement.
– Provide proof of social security coverage, including health benefits for the worker (where applicable), either by presenting a certificate proving such coverage (if there is a social security agreement between Spain and the employee’s home country) or by showing evidence of the overseas company’s registration with the Spanish Social Security and their commitment to register the employee.
Validity Period of the Visa
The visa duration is typically one year, allowing you to perform your teleworking duties in Spain within this period.
If you wish to extend your stay in Spain, you can apply for a residence permit for international teleworkers within 60 days before your visa expires. This removes the need for a new visa or fulfilling any obligations related to your previous residency duration.
The permit is valid for up to three years, unless a shorter period is required.
The permit can be renewed in successive biennial increments, provided the original conditions for eligibility remain unchanged.
Can Family Members Join Me?
Yes, they can.
Your journey as a digital nomad does not need to be a solitary one. You can bring your family members along with you. They can either apply jointly with you for a permit or visa or at a later stage, based on their preference. The inclusion extends to:
– Your lawful spouse or registered partner
– Children of the permit holder or the spouse/registered partner who are under the legal age, or those who have reached the legal age but are economically dependent on the permit holder/spouse/registered partner and are yet to establish an independent family unit
– First-degree relatives in the direct lineage who are economically dependent on the permit holder or spouse/registered partner
Essential Steps to Take
For the Visa: Present yourself at the respective Spanish diplomatic missions or consular offices in your country of residence to process your visa. Confirm specific local instructions at the appropriate diplomatic mission or consulate before proceeding.
For the Permit: If you have legal residency in Spain, the permit process can be completed online via the Large Company and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE-CE) online platform.
Understanding the Application Process
In-person visa apllication steps
1. Start by downloading and carefully filling out the national visa form, addressing every question in the context of your travel purpose. If family members are traveling with you, each must fill out and sign an individual national visa form, and these applications should be submitted together.
2. Complete your dossier by scheduling an appointment with your country’s relevant diplomatic mission or consular office. The necessity of the in-person application process cannot be overstated. However, rare and extremely justified circumstances may permit application submission through an authorized representative.
3. Pay the required fee for processing your international teleworker residence visa application. Consult the specific fee amount below.
4. Submit the relevant documents to your country’s diplomatic mission or consular office for official evaluation.
5. Once your documents have been reviewed and validated, the fee fully paid, and all previous steps meticulously followed, a final decision on your international teleworker residence visa (also known as the digital nomad visa) will be reached.
The diplomatic mission or the consular office will then notify you of your visa application’s status via email. Depending on your country’s specifications, your visa might be dispatched to your home, or you might need to pick it up personally from the diplomatic or consular office.
If your visa application is denied, you will be promptly informed.
Online permit apllication guide
1. Complete the Application Form
– Begin by downloading and filling out the designated application form, MI–T. Attach the completed form to your application. Note that the official form is only available in Spanish. For assistance, translations into English is provided strictly for reference.
– If your journey includes family members, download, complete, and sign the specified application form for dependents, MI-F. This form will be part of the combined permit application. The official form is available exclusively in Spanish. Translations into english is available for your reference.
– Familiarize yourself with and gather the necessary documents in advance of your application period.
2. Payment of the Application Fee
– Before submitting your application, ensure the payment of the prescribed fee.
– To pay the requisite fee (labelled as fee 038 in relation to form 790), fill in the necessary fields of the form (indicating the method of payment) and download the filled form.
– Form 790 for fee 038 allows you to pay either in cash (by depositing into a Public Treasury account at a bank) or via direct debit from your checking account (you will need to provide your account number).
– To authenticate your identity for this action, use either the digital certificate FNMT-RCM or the Cl@ve PIN (PIN code) or Cl@ve Permanente (Permanent code) scheme.
3. Submit your application, provide all required documents, and sign digitally.
– After completing the form and payment, proceed to the “Procedure for lodging applications for residence permits within the international mobility framework regulated by Law 14/2013” facilitated by the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE-CE).
– To start the process and register your application, select the option “Alta de solicitud”.
– Validate your identity for this operation by presenting a government-approved digital certificate or using the Cl@ve PIN or Cl@ve Permanente systems. Allow the signature applet to operate to advance further in your request.
– After successful identity validation, you will be directed to a page where you must specify the type of application. For this case, choose the initial application. Provide essential details such as the applicant’s country, detailed address location, postal code, and contact number.
– Further down the same page, a checklist of mandatory documents required for upload will be presented. It is advisable to add any other documents you consider appropriate or helpful.
– Ensure the information provided is accurate and complete. Upon doing so, agree to the terms and conditions regarding data handling and proceed by clicking on the “Sign” button.
– After successfully registering your application, an application registration number will be presented. A downloadable file containing your signed application and a receipt acknowledgment will also be available. Safeguarding this number will assist in tracking the status of your application in the future.
4. Await feedback on your application
– After the defined timeframe, a decision regarding your residence application will be made and communicated.
– A response concerning this decision will be sent to the email you provided during the application submission process. Moreover, if your application is successful, the resolution will be accessible on the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE-
CE) website, where you can log in using your digital certificate.
– To track your application status or access it after submission, revisit the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE-CE) platform and select “Continuar expediente”. Your identification will again be required via your digital certificate, or through the Cl@ve PIN or Cl@ve Permanente systems.
– In the event your residence permit application for international teleworkers is rejected, you will be duly informed of the decision.
Visa or Permit Application Fees
The essential application fees are as follows, ensuring payment at the appropriate stage of the application process:
– For an initial residence visa (teleworker) for up to 1 year: €80 (paid prior to the visa application process at your diplomatic mission or consular office).
– For an initial residence permit (teleworker) up to 3 years: €80.
– For permit renewals (every two years): €80.
Helpful Links for Reference
If further details are required, the following links might be of assistance:
– Official MI-T application form in Spanish
– Translated MI-T application form in English (unofficial)
– Official MI-F form for dependents in Spanish
– Translated MI-F application form for dependents in English (unofficial)
– Public Treasury (AEAT) payment form (form 790, fee 038)
– Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE-CE) platform for application submission and follow-up
For any additional questions, please connect with the relevant diplomatic mission or consular office near you or with our specialists by booking a consultation through the botton below.
