I will describe here my experience as a Canadian getting the Digital Nomad Visa to Spain. I started really travelling after I graduated university and planted trees in BC, Alberta and Quebec.
Jag ville dock resa utanför Kanada och det slutade med att jag bodde flera år i Ecuador och Argentina. Jag besökte Spanien för första gången 2017 och älskade det. Jag kunde se kopplingen till Latinamerika och uppskattade maten, vädret och säkerheten mest. Jag flyttade till Spanien 2019 genom programmet North American Language and Culture Assistants (Auxiliares de Conversación). Jag tillbringade 4 år som assistent i 4 städer Vitoria, San Sebastian, Carboneras och Cordoba. I detta regeringsdrivna program sätts engelska som modersmål i offentliga skolor (primär-, sekundär- och officiella språkskolor) i hela Spanien.
I mitten av mitt fjärde år bestämde jag mig för att jag ville stanna i Spanien istället för att återvända till den frusna tundran, som tur var kom det digitala nomadvisumet också under detta år. Det finns andra visum du kan ansöka om som frilansare eller som företagare men DNV är det bästa för frilansare som arbetar online. Under min tid som assistent undervisade jag även i engelska online för ett tyskt företag som frilansare. Det här var min nyckel till att få visumet. Det faktum att jag bara hade en "klient" gjorde processen enklare eftersom du behöver få ett brev från varje kund som tillåter dig att arbeta från Spanien. Du måste också ha arbetat med den kunden i minst ett år.
Min spanska nivå är hyfsad så jag kände mig säker nog att fylla i ansökan själv. Det finns några användbara Facebook-grupper som kan hjälpa dig och jag rekommenderar dem starkt, där kan du hitta bra råd och svar på dina frågor.
Innan du ansöker om detta visum
- You need to have an undergraduate or postgraduate degree from a University, College or Business School, or have at least 3 years of work experience in your field.
- Du måste vara en icke-EU-medborgare som arbetar på distans från Spanien för ett företag utanför Spanien. Du måste också tjäna minst dubbla den spanska minimilönen som är 1050 euro per månad.
- Du måste ansöka om ett NIE (número de identidad de extranjero) och ett elektroniskt certifikat eller Cl@ve för att du ska få tillgång till applikationen.
- Prove that of the total income, the part coming from Spain does not represent more than 20%
- At least three months of continuous employment relationship with the company. The company must certify that you are allowed to work online.
- The company has been operating in the market for at least 1 year
Webbplatsen för att ansöka finns här: https://www.inclusion.gob.es/web/unidadgrandesempresas/solicitudes
Alternativ när du ansöker om detta visum
Det finns två olika alternativ beroende på vilken typ av proffs du är...
- en anställd som arbetar för ett företag utanför Spanien
- en egenföretagare person som arbetar för olika företag runt om i världen. I det här fallet kan du arbeta för ett företag i Spanien så länge det inte överstiger 20% av din totala inkomst.
Det finns också två alternativ beroende på var du är när du ansöker om detta visum...
- Från Spanien: you get a 3-year residence permit (renewable), these years count for both Spanish nationality and permanent residence, which you can get after 5 years in Spain. there are some other benefits to applying from Spain, especially if you are already living here and have your NIE number. It may be more straightforward as you have local documentation and could potentially speed up the process. Additionally, applying from Spain means you will be able to attend any necessary appointments or provide additional documents in person, if required.
- Från Kanada (or your country of origin): and get a 1-year residence permit which could be then modified later to the 3-year residence card. Applying from Canada might give you some flexibility if you want to keep your options open, and applying from your home country can sometimes make the process feel more familiar and less stressful.
Fördelar som erbjuds av det digitala nomadvisumet
Några av fördelarna som du kommer att få som kanadensare när du ansöker om detta visum är nästa...
- upplösning på bara 20 dagar, och den tillämpliga administrativa tystnaden är positiv
- skattefördelar: if you are not a freelancer but just work remotely for a company you will pay a flat tax rate of just 24% on your income and also you don’t need to pay wealth tax. I am adding a section bellow dealing with Taxes.
du kan inkludera din make och barn i visumansökan - Få den permanent bostad efter 5 år
- Resa i hela Schengenområdet är tillåtet
- Your family members may also obtain the visa: your the spouse or unmarried partner and your dependent children and dependent relatives in the ascending line who form part of the family unit.
Dokumenten som krävs för att ansöka om Digital Nomad Visa
– Visa application form: can be downloaded här
– Fotografering. ett färgfoto i passstorlek och nyligen (mindre än 2 månader)
– Giltigt pass: original och fotokopia och giltigt i minst 1 år
– Brottsintyg: inte äldre än 6 månader
– Bevis på bosättning i det konsulära distriktet.
– Visumavgift: beloppet att betala är 80 €
– Privat sjukförsäkring, med täckning i hela Spanien (original och en kopia av intyget)
– Om du är frilansare, ett intyg om att du har arbetat i minst 3 månader (före visumansökan) för ett utländskt företag.
– Om du är egen företagare, ett kontrakt med samma företag på minst 1 år
– Kopia av universitetsexamen eller yrkesbevis som bekräftar att du har minst 3 års erfarenhet i din karriär.
Dokument att översätta
Processen i sig är inte så tidskrävande, det är bara att få ihop dokumenten och översätta som tar mest tid.
Vissa dokument måste översättas av en auktoriserad översättare, de är:
1) Ditt arbetsavtal
2) Bevis på att det utländska företaget du arbetar för har funnits i minst ett år
3) Din examen/diplom/certifikat relaterat till det arbete du utför
En enkel översättning av andra dokument krävs, så du kan översätta dessa dokument själv:
1) CV
2) Brev från ditt företag som ger dig rätt att arbeta utomlands
Tidslinje
Hela processen tog mig ca 5 månader. Jag ansökte inte om visum förrän jag avslutat läsåret, där jag sedan hade 90 dagar på mig att skicka in ansökan. Jag skickade in i juni och blev godkänd cirka 30 arbetsdagar senare.
De sa till mig att förvänta mig ett svar inom 20 dagar, efter 20 dagar skickade jag in en begäran om en positiv lösning baserad på administrativ tystnad (du kan göra detta på samma webbsida som den ursprungliga ansökan) och jag blev godkänd cirka 10 dagar efter det.
What taxes does a digital nomad pay?
A foreigner is considered a tax resident in Spain if they meet one of the following requirements…
- Living more than 183 days a year in the country.
- Having their center of economic interest in Spain, that is, their commercial or work operations.
- Having their spouse or children living in the country.
As a digital nomad you will get a residence card for 3 years and you will not be able to avoid being a resident. This has great implications in relation to the taxes you pay. The good news is that with this visa even if you are a resident you will continue to pay taxes as a NON-resident.
In the case of digital nomads with an employment contract (not applicable in the case of being freelance) and with their corresponding certificate of coverage issued by the Social Security of their country of origin, they will be able to benefit from a more beneficial tax regime known as the Beckham Law.
Because of this advantage, you will be subject to a flat tax rate of 24% on income earned in Spain (not income from other countries) up to €600,000 (48% will apply beyond this amount). This 24% regime is much more favourable than the progressive rate which can reach 50% for others.
In addition, as a beneficiary of the Beckham Law, you will be exempt from filing Form 720, you will not have to pay wealth tax, and capital gains tax will be reduced to a rate ranging from 19% to 28%.
To access this regime, the following requirements must be met:
- You must not have been a tax resident in Spain in the last 5 years.
- The reason for your move to Spain must be work-related, which applies to digital nomad workers.
Once your application to benefit from the Beckham Law is approved, you will enjoy the benefits for 5 years, plus the year in which you submit your application.
Do I have to pay taxes in Spain and also in Canada?
No, the Avoidance of Double Taxation agreement between Spain and Canada establishes the rules on where a person is considered a tax resident and how taxes are managed to avoid double taxation:
Requirements for Family Members
Proof of Family Relationship: provide documentation, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates from the civil registry, or a certificate of registration as an unmarried couple. If the relationship is an unregistered partnership, any relevant documentation confirming this status may be submitted. Documents from foreign countries must be legalized or apostilled, and, if needed, accompanied by an official Spanish translation.
For Adult Children: submit evidence of their financial dependence on the worker, along with documentation of their civil status. Foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled, with an official Spanish translation provided when necessary.
For Ascendant Relatives: submit proof that these family members are under the care of the investor. As with other foreign documents, legalization or apostille is required, along with an official translation into Spanish if needed.
Proof of financial means.
Financial means must be at least 200% of the monthly Spanish national minimum wage In the case of family members: For the first family member they must prove additional financial means of at least 75% of the Spanish minimum wage. For each additional applicant, 25% of the Spanish national minimum wage is required. Any means of proof are acceptable: work contract, bank statements, payslips etc.
Health service for dependant family members
For Autonomos (self employed in Spain) the steps to follow in order to register a dependant/s would be the next (They can only be your dependent if they have no other way of accessing healthcare, they are not working and have no right of their own)…
- Register as Autónomo
- after about a week you’ll be able to download a healthcare entitlement certificate from the social security website
- take the certificate to your local health centre to register with a GP
- Once you dependant/s have the TIE (foreing identity card) and Padron (Proof of address), you add your dependant/s on the social security website as your beneficiaries (https://sede-tu.seg-social.gob.es/).
- Once those application/s have been processed, you will be able to download a new entitlement certificate, showing your beneficiaries as well.
- With that new certificate you can go again to the health centre
What taxes does a digital nomad pay in Spain?
A foreigner is considered a tax resident in Spain if he or she meets one of the following requirements…
- Living more than 183 days a year in the country.
- Having his or her center of economic interest in Spain, that is, his or her commercial or work operations.
- Having his or her spouse or children living in the country.
As a digital nomad you will get a residence card for 3 years and you will not be able to avoid being a resident. This has great implications in relation to the taxes you pay, but the good news is that this visa comes with a great advantage and that is that even if you are a resident you will continue to pay taxes as a NON-resident.
So in the case of digital nomads with an employment contract (not applicable in the case of being freelance) and with their corresponding certificate of coverage issued by the Social Security of their country of origin, they will be able to benefit from a more beneficial tax regime known as the Beckham Law.
Because of this advantage, you will be subject to a flat tax rate of 24% on income earned in Spain (not income from other countries) up to €600,000 (a rate of 48% will apply beyond this amount). This 24% regime is much more favourable than the progressive rate which can reach 50% in the general case.
In addition, as a beneficiary of the Beckham Law, you will be exempt from filing Form 720, you will not have to pay wealth tax, and capital gains tax will be reduced to a rate ranging from 19% to 28%.
To access this regime, the following requirements must be met:
- You must not have been a tax resident in Spain in the last 5 years.
- The reason for your move to Spain must be work-related, which applies to digital nomad workers.
Once your application to benefit from the Beckham Law is approved, you will enjoy the benefits for 5 years, plus the year in which you submit your application.
Do I have to pay taxes in Spain and also in Canada?
No, the agreement to avoid double taxation between Spain and Canada establishes the rules on where a person is considered a tax resident and how taxes are managed to avoid double taxation: https://www.treaty-accord.gc.ca/text-texte.aspx?lang=eng&id=102340&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1lk28H6PM1vN8glCAtvLl56e4FKH2GFgDakTrMZJxFPYj-SJehC2ghfro_aem_x8OM460aTudIIHyfQuSQFA
*A decision is always issued within a 20-day working period, otherwise the application is approved by administrative silence.
