If you are already in Spain with legal residence status, you can apply directly for a digital nomad residence permit. It is issued for 3 years (or for the duration of your employment or service contract if it is less than 3 years), after which the residence permit can be extended for another 2 years.
Where to submit documents
Online through the official portal of the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration UGE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas).
At the time of application, the applicant and their family members must be legally present in Spain. After submission, you can leave and wait for the decision in any other country.
Obtaining a digital signature
To submit documents through UGE and track the process status in the electronic cabinet, you need a Spanish digital signature (EDS) — certificado digital. If you have not obtained an EDS in advance through the Spanish consulate, you can get it in several ways:
through a trusted person or legal representative in Spain — a lawyer can submit documents on behalf of the applicant.
if you have a pre-issued NIE — the EDS can be activated at any registration office (Oficina de Registro).
Cost and processing time for digital nomad residence permit
Government fee Modelo 790 038 for application processing — €73.26 per person.
Application processing time — up to 20 business days. If you do not receive a response within this time, the principle of silencio positivo applies — the permit is considered automatically approved.
If during the application review period your residence status has changed (for example, your tourist visa has expired), you continue to stay in Spain legally based on the document review procedure.
