If you’ve been thinking about moving permanently to Spain, are working remotely for a non-Spanish company, but not quite ready for retirement, then the newly passed Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) could be the ticket you need for a new life in our wonderful Lecrin Valley, Andalucia!
One of the positive outcomes of the pandemic is that it has become the norm to work from home, at least part-time if not full-time and with communications allowing for team working from any location, rural areas like our wonderful Lecrin Valley have become hotspots for people looking to get out of the cities and continue to work in a more healthy and stress-free environment. That’s OK if you’re Spanish, but if you’re a foreign national (non EU) without a Spanish residency, it hasn’t been that easy…until now!
The hotly anticipated DNV has been set up to attract talented foreign individuals to Spain and offers both the employee and employer tax breaks*, as well as streamlining the visa process and allowing greater freedom for the visa holder (which also includes their immediate/dependent family).
The new visa is open to anyone working from home for a non-Spanish employer, and if you’re a freelancer (working with a contract for a foreign client) you are also eligible. You may even work for a Spanish company, as long as this work doesn’t account for more than 20% of your income.
This is great news for foreign nationals who have been considering a permanent or semi-permanent move to Spain, because DNV holders will effectively get the best of both worlds: legal residency in Spain while enjoying non-resident (lower) tax rate.
In the Lecrin Valley, we are exceptionally fortunate to have great communications and internet service, despite our countryside location, so if you’re thinking about making the move to a rural Spanish idyll, but not ready for retirement just yet, then this is the perfect place to be! There are also plenty of social and professional groups to connect with; lots of intercambio activities for foreigners looking to learn the lingo and a fabulous community that welcomes everyone.
Located just 1/2 hour up the motorway to the beautiful, history city of Granada (which also has great shops and nightlife) and to the Sierra Nevada ski resort; 1 Hour down the motorway to Malaga and 1/2 hour down the motorway to the beautiful Costa Tropical, our wonderfully pretty and verdant valley with its lake and mountain views, orchards, olive groves and fabulous walking and cycling paths cannot be beaten for location!
Hop on a plane to Malaga, Almeria or Granada airport and pay us a visit. See what great properties could be waiting for you. 2023 is your year for making it happen.
Give us a call / email us and we’ll be happy to chat to you about your requirements and arrange some viewings. Your dream home in Spain awaits!
You can find a list of properties for sale in our beautiful region by clicking onto our property pages [HERE]
Key points and requirements of the Digital Nomad Visa
What you get:
- A five-year residency permit: Initially, as a one-year application via the Spanish Consulate in your country, which is then modified into a 3-year residency with renewal of two years up to a total of 5 years, when you may apply for a long-term residency and at 10-years, citizenship. If you’re already in Spain on a tourist visa, you can apply directly during the first 90 days of holding your tourist visa. In this case, a residency card will be issued for 3 years (unless it is requested for a shorter work period), and can be renewed every 2 years.
- Visa for the immediate family/dependents of the main applicant.
- Ability to work in Spain remotely for a foreign company, from your laptop.
- Ability to legally override the 90/180-day rule that limits stay in Spain (and by extension in the Schengen Area/EU). There is no time limitation to this visa.
- Tax breaks for the foreign employer (if it has an establishment in Spain) and for the employee (DNV applicant). Essentially it’s a non-domiciled tax scheme that allows you to pay a flat tax rate of 24% on the first €600,000 in gross annual earnings over a five-year period, allowing you to legally circumvent the standard IRPF tax sliding scale that applies to the rest of tax residents in Spain, paying significantly less tax.
Requirements:
- You must be hired by a foreign company. You can be freelance as long as you have a formal contract with your client.
- You need to prove you have formal academic qualifications (from a university or business school etc) OR prove you have at least 3 years work experience.
- You must have a worldwide income with at most 20% earned from Spanish companies.
- You must not have held residency status in Spain in the past five years preceding your application.
- Your must have been working remotely for at least one year.
- You must hold a clean criminal record and have not been previously prohibited entry to Spain.
- You must have private health insurance coverage that is valid throughout the entirety of Spain.
- You must show proof of accommodation to house your stay in Spain.
Please check all criteria with your Spanish Consulate or with a qualified lawyer experienced in Spanish visas.
Buena suerte! Good luck!
You can find a list of properties for sale in our beautiful region by clicking onto our property pages [HERE]
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